Sounds confused doesn’t it? In fact, the long-awaited follow up to Dr. Octagonecologyst has left me as confused as I was back in 1996 when Mo’ Wax unleased Dr. Octagon on the world with producer Dan ‘The Automator’ Nakamura and future luminary DJ Q-Bert.

Even if we’ve since lost The Automator and Q-Bert (replaced by One Watt Sun), Dr. Octagon does not disappoint.

‘One Week To Live’ said of the new single ‘Aliens’, “this one’s a grower.” Come on lads, for this reviewer, it was already so off the radar to start with as my favourite Balkan ska bounce track of the year. Thankfully, this isn’t a one-track album as Kool Keith does his best to be the George Clinton of hip hop.

Those aliens are probably bounce lovers so go straight for the ‘Perfect World’, which gets all scratchy. Also get into the scratchin’ casbah for ‘Ants’. Be warned, ‘Al Green’ is a rant strangely picking on Tracy Chapman; ie it’s nothing like ‘Let’s Stay Together’. The alien theme is a bit too far out at times and best to just get into the groove, like the scratched out ‘Jump Start’.

Full credit to One Watt Sun for the adventurous production, particularly on ‘A Gorilla Driving A Pick-up Truck’ using a Country blue grass pickin’ backing. There’s a Kid Loco ‘Banana Loco’ Remix of this one on the net and it’s truly loco.

A small Hectic gripe, the comedy of the opening track going for the soft target of call centres and ‘The Turtle Skit’ is short lived. Apart from that, the whole album is a grower. Particularly on the closing track, ‘Eat It’ on which Keith’s old mate Princes ‘Bad Babysitter’ Superstar turns up. It wanders off into the ‘Swan Lake’ riff but she is so rude!

You’ll have heard Ross Allen on Peterson’s Big Chill special last night enthusing about The Return Of and there’s enough incomprehensive space psych-rap scratch on it to enjoy for hours.

Hectic Mix nominations: ‘Aliens’, ‘Perfect World’, ‘Eat It’

Reviewed: Dr. Octagon - The Return Of Dr. Octagon (Casual Records/OCD International) Cat. No. LOUPE 021 Release Date 29th August
Produced and Written By - One Watt Sun
Tracklisting:
1. Our Operators Are Masturbating
2. Trees
3. Aliens
4. Ants featuring DJ Dexter (ex-The Avalanches)
5. Don’t Worry Mz Pop Music
6. Perfect World
7. The Turtle Skit
8. Al Green
9. A Gorilla Driving A Pick-Up Truck
10. Got Any Kids?
11. Doctor Octagon
12. It’s The Morning
13. Jumpstart
14. Eat It featuring Princess Superstar

Links:
www.myspace.com/casualrecords1
www.thereturnofdroctagon.com
www.myspace.com/droctagonuk
www.princesssuperstar.com
www.algreenmusic.comwww.oneweektolive.com Issue 36 31th July - 7th August 2006 Re-reviewed this week in One Week To Live as the ‘Classic Album’ (issue36).
Gilles Peterson: Tracklisitng Sunday 6 August : live from The Big Chill 2006