Booomboxxx, the latest from Portland, Oregon-based Boy Eats Drum Machine, might take a while to sink in. At first listen, the seemingly random mash of glitchy drum samples comes off as disjointed and overwhelming. But after several spins, you can tell Jon Ragel, the solo force behind Boy Eats Drum Machine, is more calculated in his digital orchestrations.
Ragel is a DJ, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, who uses his Boy Eats Drum Machine project to showcase his love of all things percussive. On Booomboxxx, he's sampled beats from local Portland drummers on each of the album's 10 tracks, and blends them with his own saxophone, organ, guitar, turntable and vocal parts. The result is a fresh and unexpected roller coaster ride that careens through electro-pop, rock, hip-hop and funk territory.
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