NickNack

State Machine (Crowd Control Records)

The fourth platter from ATX DJ Nick “Nack” Malkiewicz arrives much like the first three: a vast landscape of intricate rhythms, downtempo beats, and soulful samples in the vein of the late J Dilla (“Nobody Else”). The difference between State Machine and 2010’s Dearly Departed lies in the raps that occur in evenly spaced spurts from a slew of Texas’ finest. Eight rappers spit bars, with highlights coming from Lowkey, Dowrong, and Reggie Coby’s verbal assault on the murky “Gimme a Chance” and Dallas duo A.Dd+’s slow burn on “Can’t You See.” Machine‘s long-standing appeal, ultimately comes bundled in NickNack’s understanding of the larger picture. The local stalwart remains a master of sonic segues, seamlessly mixing the dark soul of the Temptations-sampled “Brazen” with “The Darling” and a thick guitar melody on “Idiom” for the type of suite you can get lost inside. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

***.5

This article appears in April 13 • 2012.

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