Released twelve years after Kool Keith’s last album under the Dr. Octagon persona, The Return of Dr. Octagon (which ended up being finished by the OCD International label without Keith), Moosebumps quickly finds its footing after getting a too-long intro track (which tries to cram the word ‘octagon’ into every verse) out of the way. The subsequent tracks mix firm beats, odd synth texturing, fast-moving vocal work dropping pop culture references left and right, and turntable action from Kid Koala and DJ Qbert, while Dan the Automator provides co-writing on all songs.
The kaleidoscopic results are almost all high-energy, with a couple of stops in more mellow territory, and the broad range of samples sources adds to its eclectic impressions. The focus balance of words and beats feels a little skewed too far in either direction at times, with bass surges nearly drowning out the vocals or cadences running free from the backing rhythms, but the energetic assemblage of everything helps smooth out those rough patches. Lots of fun and rich in detailing, and a nice way to get the Dr. Octagon side-project back on track after a long hiatus.
Here’s the alternate cover art.
Scrambled Brains 