3.5/5
If you’re one of the few familiar with Ras_G and the Afrikan Space Program, you’ll know to expect the unexpected from Ghetto Sci-Fi, his first official LP. With snap-crackle-popping and jazz-inspired feedback, the urban scientist knocks skulls open with new dimensions of beats and sonic experimentation. Operating out of Space Base 2031 ‘mdash; his extraterrestrial beat fortress in the heart of South Central, L.A. ‘mdash; Ras’ flow feels like a 3 a.m. blunt: hazy and a little off. Building on a handful of earlier recordings, Sci-Fi showcases a stylistic range unseen in past works, orchestratng a stream-of-consciousness beat journey ‘mdash; from spaced-out lo-fi to straight-up headbangers, to plain old weird and wonderful noise. No two tracks are alike, and Ras_G moves seamlessly through his time-suspended otherworld. The funky Rastafarian already has plans for a follow-up on Flying Lotus’ gargantuan Brainfeeder Records, tentatively titled Brotha From Anotha Planet, promising even more ethereal swerves. Clearly, Ras is here, and people are listening. As if his old 10- and 12-inchers and EPs were practice jam sessions, Sci-Fi sees him ready for the playing field. As the Martian himself explains, ‘Some say sky’s the limit, but I say that space is the limit … With this record I reached to the sky, so with my next record I seek the endless void.’ The Afrikan Space Program is in full blast ‘mdash; tell an Earthling near you. Ras_G ‘amp; the Afrikan Space Program will play live at the Echoplex in Los Angeles on Nov. 7.’