Duration

Sponsored by the Nova Scotia Arts Council, Sixtoo's Duration project is a loosely organized 40-minute ramble through beat-driven sampladelic hip-hop, with all the strengths and weaknesses of the form. Producer Sixtoo certainly has a good ear (proved on his earlier track-driven LPs), and his fondness for dark, meditative material makes him a natural for any listeners with DJ Shadow records in their collections. Except for occasional blasts of hip-hop or scratching, the majority of the work consists of sampled nuggets from the Morricone/Mancini catalog laden with solid hip-hop beatwork. Excellent background music for sure, but not an album that rewards close listening. Included at the end are five tracks originally on an EP, The Secrets That Houses Keep. [A 2005 reissue of the record added the original Duration video on a DVD.]