- Depart from Me
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Depart from Me 
Studio album by Cage Released July 7, 2009 Genre Underground hip hop, Horrorcore Label Definitive Jux Cage chronology Hell's Winter
(2005)Depart from Me
(2009)Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Absolute Punk (93/100)[1] Spin 
[2]Allmusic [3]BLARE [4]CraveOnline 
[5]HipHopSite.Com [6]Pitchfork Media (4.7/10)[7] XLR8R (7.5/10)[8] Robert Christgau 
[9]Depart from Me is the third studio album by American rapper Chris Palko, better known by his stage name Cage. Released on July 7, 2009, it is the rapper's second and final studio album on Definitive Jux.
Contents
Production
Lyrics
Palko describes Depart from Me as being "an exorcism of sorts", stating that it is more personal than previous albums.[10] Palko states that the album's lyrics do not focus on social commentary, but instead deal with life and "things that people can relate to".[10] The album continues from the lyrical direction of Hell's Winter and distancing himself from the persona featured on Movies for the Blind. Palko felt that since becoming a father, he no longer wished to write the same type of lyrical content as he had in the past.[10] Palko stated that "if people can't understand that, that's good, because I don't want to make music for assholes."[10] While Hell's Winter deals with personal change, Depart from Me deals with the difficulty of implementing these changes.[10]
Describing the recording process, Palko remembers that El-P had been working on a track, and Palko soon thought of a hook that would fit the song, and recorded its freestyle lyrics on the couch. El-P and Palko later decided not to record a studio take of the track "because it just had a vibe to it. I was out of my mind. I might as well have been a blind man being walked in front of a microphone. I was just out of it."[11]
Music
According to Palko, the music of Depart from Me does not rely on sampling, and instead features a guitar and synthesizer-oriented sound.[10] Palko describes the album as incorporating pop influences while keeping an "indie sensibility".[10] Palko states that he wanted to produce music that would appeal to a larger audience.[10] Describing the album as rap rock, Palko states that he did not intend to produce an album that would replicate early fusion attempts, or more recent, popular acts within the genre, but to incorporate elements of more diverse influences.[12] According to Palko:
"Friends of mine who make music [would say,] 'Listen to this group. It’s awesome' and instead of taking something from the music and being inspired by it, instead in hip-hop it’s 'I’m sample this.' Plagiarize and take the lyrics. [...] We were just fusing weird things that hadn’t been done before, so the blueprint to everything was to do what no one else was doing. I had no idea if any of it was going to work. In the beginning, I was terrified to release the music and then that ended up being, if I’m not terrified or at least somewhat scared to release [it], then I didn’t take any risk."[12]
Palko describes the album's title track as being similar to Nine Inch Nails because guitarist Sean Martin had been listening to the band heavily during the production of the album.[12]
Thomas Golianopoulos, of Spin Magazine, has stated that "... [Depart From Me] is the most seamless, compelling union of hip-hop and modern rock since the two genres first collided".[13]
Release
The first music video from the album, "I Never Knew You", debuted on May 18, 2009.[14][15] The video was directed by Shia LaBeouf, and features actor Dan Byrd following a woman played by Scarlett Kapella.[14][15] The video was shot on location in downtown Los Angeles on February 21 and 22, and featured cameos from LaBeouf, Alex Pardee, and Definitive Jux artists such as El-P, Aesop Rock, Chauncey, F. Sean Martin and Yak Ballz.[16]
On May 18, 2009, Palko released the extended play I Never Knew You as a digital download, initially for free, and then through digital stores.[17] The EP featured four exclusive tracks and "I Never Knew You", from the album.[18]
Depart from Me was initially announced as being scheduled for a June 29 release, but was delayed. The album was released as a digital download, and in deluxe editions on compact disc and vinyl.[19]
Track listing
No. Title Producer(s) Length 1. "Nothing Left To Say" El-P, additional guitar by Sean Martin 4:28 2. "Beat Kids" (featuring Red Bank Kids Choir) Sean "F. Sean" Martin 3:32 3. "Dr. Strong" Sean "F. Sean" Martin, drum programming by Tero Smith 3:19 4. "I Found My Mind In Connecticut" Sean "F. Sean" Martin 4:20 5. "I Lost It In Havertown" El-P 1:36 6. "Teenage Hands" Cage & El-P, guitar by Sean Martin 1:47 7. "Eating Its Way Out Of Me" El-P 3:57 8. "Kick Rocks" Sean "F. Sean" Martin 2:09 9. "Captain Bumout" Sean "F. Sean" Martin, Chantelle Hendreek, guitars by Phil Caivano 2:55 10. "Strain" Aesop Rock, guitars by Allison Bavitz 3:39 11. "Fat Kids Need An Anthem" Sean "F. Sean" Martin 2:19 12. "Look At What You Did" Sean "F. Sean" Martin 3:03 13. "Depart From Me..." Sean "F. Sean" Martin 4:49 14. "I Never Knew You" Sean "F. Sean" Martin 4:17 I Never Knew You EP No. Title Producer(s) Length 1. "I Never Knew You" Sean "F. Sean" Martin 4:17 2. "Follow the Bleeder" 2:24 3. "Hell Oh" 3:24 4. "Tongue in a Sharks Mouth" 2:59 5. "It's The 80's Again" 3:05 iTunes exclusive No. Title Length 15. "Hugs and Kisses" 2:10 Deluxe edition exclusive No. Title Length 15. "Worm in Her Vein" 3:25 Personnel
Information taken from Allmusic.[20]
Musicians
- Allison Bavitz — guitar
- Philip Caivano — guitar, engineer
- Sean Martin — guitar, executive producer
- Red Bank Kids Choir — children's chorus
Additional personnel
- Aesop Rock — producer, backing vocals on "Strain"
- El-P — producer
- Monster Man - producer
- Dave Ogilvie — mixing
- Chris Palko — executive producer
- Alex Pardee — artwork, design
- Joey "JR" Raia — mixing
- Michael Sarsfield — mastering
- Daryl Palumbo - production
References
- ^ Absolute Punk review
- ^ Spin review
- ^ Jeffries, David. "Review: Depart from Me". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1503893. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
- ^ BLARE review
- ^ CraveOnline review
- ^ HipHopSite.Com review
- ^ Pitchfork Media review
- ^ XLR8R review
- ^ Consumer Guide Review
- ^ a b c d e f g h Hip Hop Official (May 15, 2009). "CAGE INTERVIEW: New Album, New Direction". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmMuOZoMoUE. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
- ^ Ryon, Sean (June 29, 2009). "Cage Explains Lyrical Renaissance On New Album". Hip Hop DX. http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.9398/title.cage-explains-lyrical-renaissance-on-new-album. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
- ^ a b c "Cage: The Dark Side of the Mic". ShockHound. July 9, 2009. http://www.shockhound.com/features/637-cage--the-dark-side-of-the-mic. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
- ^ http://www.spin.com/articles/cage-out-shadows
- ^ a b Jones, Anthony (May 18, 2009). "Shia LeBeouf-Directed Music Video Debuts". Los Angeles, California: All Headline News. http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7015182094. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
- ^ a b Montgomery, James (May 18, 2009). "Shia LaBeouf-Directed Video Puts Cage's Dark Hip-Hop On The Map". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1611606/20090518/cage_rap_.jhtml. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
- ^ Broadley, Erin (May 6, 2009). "The Actor Becomes a Director: With Shia LaBeouf and Chris 'Cage' Palko, Making the "I Never Knew You" Video". LA Weekly. http://www.laweekly.com/2009-05-07/music/the-actor-becomes-a-director-with-cage-and-shia-labeouf-making-the-quot-i-never-knew-you-quot-video/. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/I-Never-Knew-You-Explicit/dp/B002DG1CL0/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306623475&sr=301-1
- ^ http://www.prefixmag.com/reviews/cage/i-never-knew-you-free-ep/29071/
- ^ "Release information for Depart From Me". Definitive Jux. http://www.departfromme.com/. Retrieved 2009-05-26.
- ^ "Credits for Depart from Me". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r1503893. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
Categories:- 2009 albums
- Cage albums
- Horrorcore albums
- Rap rock albums
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