Rjyan "Cex" Kidwell has fashioned one of the most unpredictable recording careers in recent years, evolving from a fledgling IDM producer for Tigerbeat 6 to a twee indie rapper and electronic pop star. With Maryland Mansions, he finally seems to be combining all of his varied interests into a complete package more substantive than his earlier, smart-alecky adventures. Cex's disillusionment with cult fame is convincing. Though all of the tracks deal with frustration, he uses different techniques on each. He raps "Food is disgusting, it's what they make shit from . . . I want to make a record instead of making drugs" on "Stop Eating," then sings "Satisfaction can't exist" over a midtempo goth-rock track on "My Head." His genre-hopping seems more convincing here, less reflective of dilettantism than of using multiple tactics to communicate a singular vision of frustration, introspection and, on "The Strong Suit," tentative self-affirmation. Maryland Mansions is a fascinating listen.
Mosi Reeves
Track Listing:
1.
I Drive Off a Mountain
2.
Stop Eating
3.
Take Pills
4.
Kill Me - Cex, Cex
5.
My Head
6.
New Maps
7.
Stilnaut Rjyan
8.
The Strong Suit
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great band Cex Maryland MansionsFeb 25, 2005
The track listing starts off like an instruction manual for freshmen in the School of Being Bad: "Drive Off a Mountain," "Stop Eating," "Take Pills," "Kill Me." But Cex's fifth full-length (at the tender age of 22) is way higher education from the MC with "a doctorate in cold-rockin' it." Deconstructed sonics phase between absent-minded professor and glitchcraft, a stylistic dissertation on the futility of naming genres from this former kolleague of laptop demolition man Kid606. Like any subdivision-dwelling whiz kid, he builds reality in his head, especially in "My Head" - the sound of the suburbs on a human scale. Eminem may have been sent to piss off the world, but the former Rjyan Kidwell just wants to make it strange all over again.
Very GoodJan 08, 2005 I have owned this record for a while, and I am still very impressed. A few months after I bought it, Cex came to a gallery in tucson and i was lucky enough to witness his show firsthand. Although he didnt play enough of his previous material (he played mostly unreleased songs), the intensity from just him, his drummer, and his table full of electronic gadgets was scary. The only negative things i can say about this record would be:
A: Its a little short (minor issue)
B: The last two songs don't really fit with the record. I think that they're really great songs, they just dont make sense within the context of the album. This makes it so the "album" part of the record is about 15 minutes long. But those songs really do make up for it: the noisy stuff like "Kill me" and "Drive off a Mountain" is actually kinda scary. Im love it!
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
probably one of his bestMay 18, 2004 I really liked this album even though it is alot different than his earlier stuff, he doesn't joke around in his songs on this cd. Which is ok, although I did like it when he did. He's alot more serious on this album, and i'm guessing that alot of his not-so-hardcore fans won't like it as much. The fact of the matter is that all the tracks on the album sound really good, even though its alot more different than his usual norm. There are no points on the album were it sounded bad, rhymes not rhyming, or weird off key notes (his voice). The last 2 tracks sound like they were recorded at a different time of the rest of the album, and are really good none the less. The one song, "Stillnaut Rjyan" was on a tigerbeat6 various artists cd, "open up and say_@<%_|^[!]" and it sounds alot more bassy than this the one on this cd. I like the one on the various artists one better cause of that.
maryland mansions...witty but fitting titleJan 25, 2004 unlike previous cex releases, the brevity of maryland mansions seems to encapsulate one notion: namely, the fact that cex is a NIN-loving industrial kid with a bit of sadness in his heart, a microphone, and an awesome (if at times painfully self-conscious) way with words. there are some harsh moments, as in the too-obtuse-if-it's-a-metaphor too-painful-if-it's-literal "stop eating", but all in all this is cex's darker side...and it is not a bad thing.
very darkDec 29, 2003 CEX finally seems to break from his split album personality and presents a bleak, and dark album. CEX doesn't have great lyrical ability or rhyming, however the disc is very captivating and interesting. Mostly the beats are ground breaking, especially on the last track, "the strong suit." The beats themselves make the album listenable. CEX sings, raps and screams a great deal on this cd, and there isnt the length of intrumentals as in previous works. The lyrics border on angry or depressed and don't have any of the hip hop/ or even party vibe on previous efforts. Some songs like "My Head", and "Drive off a Mountain" really sound like Trent Reznor trying his hand at electronic rap. Definately the album is a departure from previous efforts and maybe its Jade Tree's influence. This definately makes for an interesting listen.
based on 5 reviews
