1 Time Mirage

1 Time Mirage

Knife Knights

Sub Pop Records

Just a year since releasing an ambitious set of albums with his project Shabazz Palaces, Ishmael Butler (Digable Planets) returns with another group, Knife Knights, and a new album, 1 Time Mirage. While the new record represents the fruits of Butler’s longtime collaboration with Seattle producer/engineer Erik Blood, the music doesn’t stray too far away from the psychedelic hip-hop experimentation of Shabazz Palaces. Brimming with all of the smoky, enveloping textures and expansive production that fans of Butler’s recent work could ever want, Knife Knights might seem like a spin-off of Shabazz Palaces, but it can stand on its own. (Simon Weedn)