On I-Cue’s only album besides his ‘96 Twisted & Funky mix, the producer/DJ unpacks a batch of cut-together beats and clean-drop samples, with guests popping in on a couple of tracks to provide original raps. Mellow grounding lets the more active cut-work operate without getting too unhinged, and the guest tracks mesh easily with those built around sampled vocals, giving the whole album a smooth flow and an air of coolness even at its highest speeds.
The turntablism doesn’t pull anything too wild, but the incorporation of drum’n’bass with the hip-hop backing leads to some very flavorful moments and a blend that was still fairly uncommon for the time of its release, as does the leaning into spacier compositions in other sections. Occasional drifts into jazz loops show I-Cue’s facility with making more common stylings sound good, and the variety comes off as
well-rounded instead of scattered, making it all the more disappointing that a full follow-up never emerged.
Scrambled Brains 