Architechnology

With its full-length debut, the four man crew known as Rubberoom emerges from the depths of the Chicago hip-hop underground. Be forewarned: Architechnology is not filled with lilting, pop-style rap; rather, this is a challenging record brimming with a stygian beat attitude and cryptic lyrical exposure. MCs Lumba and Meta-Mo deliver steady, propulsively assured rhymes tinged with bits of postapocalyptic fervor over ominous beats concocted by the production team of Fanum and the Isle of Weight (a.k.a. the Opus). Tracks like "Smoke," "Lockjaw," "The Shining," and "Style Wars" not only contain lyrics painting pictures of mutant uprisings, telekinetic destruction, and survival of the fittest but also unleash a shifting sonic miasma of throbbing undulation, alternating between stark, minimalist beats and intricate, progressive compositions. Other tracks, such as "Acid," are awash in a shifting sheet of neo-orchestral madness, while "Sector Rush (Re-Built)" presents fluid lyrical exposure augmented by a shuffling snare-driven beat and wavering keyboard ambiance. If hip-hop noir is your thing, then Architechnology delivers the darkness with verve and finesse.