Back in March last year, the Gimme Noise blog produced the mind-meltingly comprehensive "Gayngs Family Tree", a diagram that attempted to trace the criss-crossing interconnections between the various members of Gayngs, Megafaun, Marijuana Deathsquads, Bon Iver and Doomtree, as well as their numerous side projects. The blogpost came out in the build up to "Affiliyated", an unconventional seven-track Gayngs remix EP released by Twin Cities hip-hop collective Doomtree. The past fifteen years or so have seen the ultra-fertile city of Minneapolis really push Austin, Portland, Seattle and the more well-known stateside musical metropolises in terms of innovation and output, thanks in no small part to Rhymesayers Entertainment and Doomtree, of which Stefon Alexander (aka P.O.S.) is a founding member. The collective's first group release may have been 2007's "False Hopes", with P.O.S.'s debut "Ipecac Neat" slightly earlier, in 2004, but the sheer prolificacy of the group and its respective members is little more than staggering.
"We Don't Even Live Here" is very much in this collaborative vein. Make no mistake, it remains Alexander's album, but with involvement from fellow Doomtree members Lazerbeak, Cecil Otter, Mike Mictlan and Sims, Isaac Gale of Marijuana Deathsquads, serial offender Astronautalis, Gayngs' Ryan Olson, German DJs Boys Noize and Housemeister, and no less than Justin Vernon - who has already dipped his toe in the hip-hop arena with Kanye - it's a pretty crowded roster. Which is just the way Alexander seems to like it, having already described his fourth long-player as "an anarchist dance party". The first half of that is pure P.O.S., whose punk background has frequently surprised listeners and made for some blazing albums. This time around, however, it's his disillusionment and disappointment with society that blaze most intensely, emerging as the key leitmotifs to dominate the eleven tracks on offer. With 6th November approaching, the deceptively jaunty and overtly political "Wanted/Wasted" articulates what many have felt over the course of the last four years: the steady decay of what was a pretty fierce hope turning to ennui and disgust. P.O.S. has made a career of bristling, confrontational hip-hop, but has occasionally been accused of a lack of clarity. "Black president, hooray for history!/This shit's still totally pretend", however, could hardly be described as subtle. As with his previous albums though, Alexander's anger transcends politics, and as a result gives "We Don't Even Live Here" a welcome if unremitting coherence. Consumerism in all its forms comes in for an absolute shoeing, no more so than on the sneering banger "Fuck Your Stuff" and album blast-off "Bumper", all hyperactive drumbeats and searing electronics. Later on, the warm elegiac embrace of "Where We Land" takes aim at the culture of instant gratification and chemical self-sedation, with Justin Vernon's heavily-modulated voice boosting the shimmering chorus, "We are on our own trip/falling in love by the milligram/low attentions, no intentions could keep this from getting out of hand".
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Elsewhere, the scope is wider: partner in crime and fellow Twin Cities-resident Astronautalis pops up on "Wanted/Wasted" to shoot down the financial sector, drawling "You don't own that home, you just hold the place/keep the seat warm/for your friends at the bank" whilst the feverish, headfuck intensity of "All Of It" tramples all over the Occupy movement, P.O.S.'s disdain evident when he spits "I'm probably not welcome at your protest/Say I'm outta my damn mind/Looking to break glass/not holding the damn sign".
What answers P.O.S. has are buried pretty deep but they're to be found somewhere between libertarianism and anarchism, with a heavy emphasis on abrasive anti-establishmentarianism. Ultimately, it all comes down to personal choice. As far as Alexander is concerned, the only natural response to the shitty reality we live in is to do what you want. Be what you are. Avoid the game. Push the buttons you need to, ignore the ones you don't. And from the growling declaration of intent on the incendiary "Lockpicks, Knives, Bricks And Bats" (I constantly recommend/a little bit of disdain/a little bit of resistance") and the nonconformist "All Of It" ("What rules?/I don't hear nothing") to the openly confrontational "Bumper" ("Ain't no one touching my future/Ain't no one fuck with my old shit yet"), that's exactly what he does. With a little help from his like-minded friends...
Essential tracks: "Bumper", "Fuck Your Stuff", "Where We Land", "Wanted/Wasted", "Lockpicks, Knives, Bricks And Bats".
P.O.S. on Rhymesayers Entertainment
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