A Western Circular is the product of more than a decade of musical, emotional, and psychological growth for Archer, with the title serving as a reference to his journey coming "full circle" in a sense. He initially started playing music as a kid, learning several acoustic instruments like the drums, piano, and saxophone before transitioning into an electronic phase in college. This release once again finds him fascinated by the tactical qualities of acoustic instruments and consequently acting on a desire to integrate them into his love of hip-hop production. And there lies the point of intrigue. A Western Circular is basically a modern jazz album that feels strangely like a hip-hop album. This is partially due its collaborative qualities and guest spots, but also its wiry boastful energy. The confidence in these arrangements is blinding at times, a layered self-assuredness and peels off in radioactive sheets, penetrating the listener down to their soul in unexpected ways.
Sudan Archives lends her talents to the moody and posh banger "Cheater" and its stark, clean grooves are forever trapped within the folds of my brain now. Future Island's Samual Herring offers a dose of his distinctive, croaky croon to a couple of tracks as well, including the soulful romantic hymn "The Boon" and cheek-kissing swell and scintillation of "Decades" where he duets with London singer Laura Groves. There are some cool moments of pure jazz A Western Circular too, such as the reedy funk fault-line of "Scarecrow," and boggy slow-simmering slink of "Killing Crab." The album really finds its purpose and passion when these jazz numbers hit their stride. However, the star of the A Western Circular is most definitely MF Doom's guest spot on "Last Sniff," an oaky synth and string driven deep-soul emblem featuring some phenomenally chewy bars which Doom spits so that Archer can layer on sheet after sheet of forceful, spine-tingling strings and recursive guitar chords like bricks in mortar.
A Western Circular is a very fresh sounding jazz release that shows Archer to be a master collaborator and maestro, melding together some of the best elements of the contemporary western canon in ways that are uniquely balanced and personal to him.
Grab a copy of A Western Circular from Weird World Records, here.
