![\"10-19](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/10-19-The-Numberman2web.jpg\")
<\/a>Known by his professional moniker, 10-19 The Numberman, Smith is one half of the San Diego Music Award-winning hip hop trio Parker & The Numberman. He\u2019s just as likely to wax poetic on Metallica\u2019s \u201cMaster of Puppets\u201d album (\u201cI used to think it was about the controlling hand of God. It’s not \u2014 rather, the controlling hold of drugs and addiction\u201d) as he is Duke Ellington\u2019s \u201cMoney Jungle\u201d (\u201cWhen I came across this one, I was amazed at how modern it sounds.\u201d)<\/p>\n
For some artists, separating their influences from their own work is nearly impossible. Thankfully, on Smith\u2019s new solo effort, \u201cThe Natalie Rose EP,\u201d he\u2019s channeled his all-encompassing love of everything musical into a surprisingly refreshing style, albeit one ultimately inspired and bookended by personal grief.<\/p>\n
\u201cNatalie Rose was my grandmother’s maiden name,\u201d Smith said. \u201cShe passed away last year and I had a really hard time with it. Some of the songs on the EP are about loss. Her passing really personified that feeling for me \u2014 that sense of loss. So I named it after her.\u201d<\/p>\n The mournful atmosphere blankets the record\u2019s four tracks. The EP opens with \u201cPopular Opposites,\u201d a slow, minor-key dirge centered on a winding bass line, heaving orchestral strings and guest vocalist Abby Dearden\u2019s mantra-like phrasing. That song gives way to an acid-rap reimagination of the Parker & The Numberman track \u201cFarmer\u2019s Heart,\u201d off their 2012 album, \u201cSM57.\u201d In this version, a wild, stutter-step beat and distorted electric guitar noodling run amok under psychedelically echoed stream-of-consciousness verses \u2014 it\u2019s beat poetry under the stoned guise of jam-band trip hop.<\/p>\n The EP represents a slight stylistic departure for Smith\u2014one that he welcomes. A team of impressive producers (Open Optics, Room E, Andy Matsunaga, Psycho Pop) replaced routine programmed beats with live drumming, organic instrumentation (courtesy of members of local experimental psych rock band A Scribe Amidst the Lions), deftly placed samples, fuzz-out bass lines and mind-bending vocals. \u201cH.D.\u201d bounces along with an exotic, Middle Eastern feel (shades of Mos Def\u2019s \u201cAuditorium\u201d). Smith staggers through \u201cUntitled,\u201d the tape\u2019s minimalist, smooth-burning closing track, with a guest verse from Rune Orfeus; its beat is seemingly on the verge of unraveling altogether, like a dangling thread caught in a washer machine.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s definitely different. But that’s what I was going for,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI wanted to use this opportunity to stretch some, and work outside of my normal parameters: work with different people, play with different sounds, etc. I feel like I’m more personal on this project. I’m usually not like that at all.\u201d<\/p>\n For someone who counts The White Stripes\u2019 \u201cWhite Blood Cells,\u201d DJ Shadow\u2019s \u201cEntroducing\u2026\u201d and OutKast\u2019s \u201cAquemini\u201d in his current top five favorite albums of all time, it\u2019s no surprise that \u201cThe Natalie Rose EP\u201d plays like a musical trivia game. But for all the influences that could<\/em> pepper Smith\u2019s diverse lyrical flow, perhaps his greatest talent is not saying anything at all. The temptation to cram anything and everything into any open spot available within a song has long been the downfall of countless musicians. A who\u2019s who of music\u2019s true legends are known for what they don\u2019t<\/em> play rather than what they do, a fact that isn\u2019t lost on Smith.<\/p>\n \u201cI like how guys like Miles Davis used space. My favorite skateboarders, basketball players and musicians all use it as a tool. I was definitely trying to emulate them and let shit breathe, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n Emulation achieved: Smith literally lets the music do the talking for him. A collaborative work of creative genius, it\u2019s almost a shame that the EP has seen only a limited, cassette-only release. In an age of market oversaturation where artists are desperately trying to get their music heard by any means possible, Smith had a grand design from the beginning.<\/p>\n \u201cI’ve had people pass on it simply because they don’t have a tape player,\u201d he said. \u201cI didn’t even consider that before the project came out. I just wanted it on cassette.\u201d<\/p>\n For those who prefer to feel the bass in their chest, rather than in their headphones, City Heights\u2019 Til-Two Club is the place to be on Nov. 14. 10-19 The Numberman will be performing a solo set comprising \u201cThe Natalie Rose EP\u201d selections and other material, and you\u2019ll be able to purchase a copy from him in person.<\/p>\n Better dust off that cassette player.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>
(Courtesy Jay Smith)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n