Armand Hammer & The Alchemist "Haram"

Looking back more than four years later at Haram, it is easier to see the forest forthe trees. At the time, much of the attention fell on how this outsider duo would fareunder the bright lights- which was fair, Armand Hammer had never done a singleproducer record before- and here they were working with a living legend. Now,with a little distance, it's easier to see how Alchemist stepped out of his comfortzone to meet them where they were, and how all three artists then absconded forparts unknown. The flashbulb energy of "Bring The Stars Out", asymmetric droneof "Chicharrones", fugue-bounce of "God's Feet", and good luck finding analoguesfor "Peppertree" or "Stonefruit". Haram doesn't sound like anything else in theALC discography, nor in Armand Hammer's, for that matter. Haram was a one-shot kill that somehow contained some of the most accessible work ELUCID andbilly woods had ever done, as well as some of their most experimental, and it allsounded cohesive.Needless to say, they didn't