Local Review: Scatterbrain – Ambience & Overindulgence

Scatterbrain
Ambience & Overindulgence

Self-Released
Street: 03.11
Scatterbrain = Blvck Sand + Greaf + Clams Casino

Ambience & Overindulgence is the latest beat tape/album by Salt Lake City hip-hop producer Scatterbrain. The album is 10 tracks long and a fine showcase of relaxing, downtempo beats. Unlike Scatterbrain’s past works, Ambience & Overindulgence is not strictly a beat tape. About half of the songs are instrumentals, while the other half features a wide variety of emcees. This gives Ambience & Overindulgence a two-pronged feel, and is the perfect way to showcase what an up-and-coming producer is capable of.

Most of the instrumentals on the album are a perfect fit for its track title. Songs like “Roses/Forever” and “Context” are incredibly ambient and have a dreamlike feel. Scatterbrain uses simple riffs as samples and relies on heavy reverb to achieve a relaxed sound. The beats plug along at a slow tempo, and there is no real hurry throughout most of the album. The instrumentals on Ambience & Overindulgence are similar to Scatterbrain’s past albums and instrumentals, and this is where his talents as a producer shine through. Still, it’s with the rap features on the album that Scatterbrain’s vision fits together.

None of the songs that feature on Ambience & Overindulgence sound like each other at all, showing Scatterbrain’s versatility as a producer. “Love Me” featuring BIGBABYGUCCI is sad trap at its finest. Scatterbrain comes through with classic 808 kit sounds, and BIGBABYGUCCI raps with a simple meter, saying things like, “Fuck all the culture / It is a loss, yeah, I’m a big boss.” “Momma” featuring Blackyouth, on the other hand, is not trappy at all, and is more of an R&B anthem. Still, Scatterbrain is able to navigate both songs tastefully. The beat in “Momma,” is not overwhelming. Instead, it complements Blackyouth’s voice, as a well-produced track should.

Ambience & Overindulgence is a great showcase of the many things Scatterbrain is capable of. Since his last beat tape, it is obvious that he has remained driven, focused and determined to get his work out there. Collaborating with so many artists is a great way to prove that you know what you’re doing, which Scatterbrain most definitely does. Check out more of his work on soundcloud.com/scatterbrainck, and stay tuned for more releases from this Salt Lake City local. –Taylor Hartman