Ubiquity
2008
Clutch Of The Tiger
About This Album
Clutch of the Tiger is the result of the long-distance tape exchange collaboration between troubadour, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Shawn Lee (who has had a very busy year -- this is his third full-length release in 2008), and the mysterious, masked Clutchy Hopkins. Hopkins is said to be a Mojave Desert, cave-dwelling former radical who has been crafting dope beats since 1980. He's not actually been "seen" by anyone but he has daughter who communicates to his label and the equally mysterious cult called the Misled Children (who released their own fine album onPorter in September of 2008). Right. His bio -- issued by his (and Lee's) label Ubiquity -- is tough to believe at best, and more than likely utterly false. Rumors as to his true identity have surfaced all over the internet, and one of the more recent ones is that it's all three Beastie Boys doing some low-budget mucking about in the studio. When it comes to the music on Clutch of the Tiger, however, it hardly matters. Chilled beats, acoustic and electric instruments, and moody textures with jazzy soundscapes are filtered through a mélange of spy, porn, and Bollywood soundtracks. Analogue keyboards, guitars, flutes, Fender basses, trumpets, saxophones, slippery breaks, and lots of space weave together and around one another.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,4,10 and 12)

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