Zion I - Atomic Clock

In a thirteen year career which began with their cassette-only, 1997 underground smash, Into The Woods, Bay Area hip-hop duo Zion I (DJ Amp Live and emcee Zumbi) have earned a reputation as forward-thinking artisans of their craft, a trait which continues on their seventh album Atomic Clock. While the past has seen the group embracing elements of trip-hop and crunk, here they throw reggae and dub sounds in the mix, which at times pays off.

North Star sees Amp Live lay down a bubbling concoction of beats and synths, on which Zumbi delivers melodic, space-themed rhymes: "cutting constellations, in my meditation; speaking incantations, a serious vibration; for the cultivation we plant another seed; towards the evolution, moving light-speed". Sometimes the duo's mix of beats and street-level philosophy falls victim to dodgy choruses (as on Signs of Light), but as hip-hop goes, Zion I remain remarkably relevant for their age. [Martin Skivington]