Monte Booker is an artist most music fans have heard, whether they realize it or not. The producer extraordinaire recontextualized the marriage of electronic music and Hip-hop for post-blog-era stars like Smino and Kenny Mason, as well as modern R&B icons like Mereba. With a production catalog that can compete with some of the most recognized and prolific names in modern Hip-hop, and coming off a Grammy win for his work with Doechii, Booker takes the daring leap into the solo spotlight with noise ( meaning ), his proper debut album.
An artist of Booker’s stature could’ve taken the easy way out on his debut album, filling the tracklist with recognizable features collected from his many collaborations. Booker, though, is not here to solidify himself as a hitmaker, nor is he concerned with the expectations around noise ( meaning ). Instead, the multifaceted producer wants to cement himself as something bigger than a sought-after beatmaker; this is a painstakingly crafted piece of warping electronic music that employs vocals as atmospheric enhancements. These 14 songs form a single amorphous representation of Booker’s artistry, each moment sliding into the next with a carefree ease, creating an immersive, interactive listen that slingshots Booker into the modern electronic music pantheon.
Every second of noise ( meaning ) is hellbent on defining Booker’s singularity. Not that the artist’s bubbly sound could’ve been confused for any other contemporary producer, but this is the moment the artist crafts something no one can take away from him. Every influence, every memory linked to music is distilled to its purest form, creating a gripping atmosphere that washes over the listener with a blissful wave. Still, Booker isn’t satisfied with one side of electronic music. Moments like the jazzy swing on “balance” and the serene beauty of “awake” are juxtaposed by pure balls of energy like the chlothegod-assisted “marbles” and the hectic, searing electronics of “b 2 b” featuring Mereba. Miraculously, these worlds never collide, but rather blend to create one piece of music meant to be digested in a single sitting.
Every corner of Booker’s insatiable creativity is represented on the artist’s proper debut album, and even though his name has been in conversations for the past few years, noise ( meaning ) pushes the artist to an undeniable level. The way he employs a long-time collaborator, Young Pink, on the lo-fi, unassuming Hip-hop cut, “pink,” and has it sound right at home next to the futuristic R&B of “no good,” introduces an artist who is keenly aware of every moving part when recording, with a fearlessness that forces all of those elements into a cohesive sound that pushes Booker past your typical producer, forcing the world to see him for exactly what he is: a deeply passionate artist bringing new lights and sounds to a doldrum world.
