Ripe & Majestic

REVIEW: Tobacco - Ripe & Majestic

Kelly Kirwan

Tobacco has opened the vault to his music catalogue, arranging “collected instrumental rarities and unreleased beats” in his repertoire from the past decade. The 24 tracks that comprise his new release are, true to Tobacco form, alluring in all their oddity. The Pittsburgh-based artist has always gravitated towards a bizarre, mismatched, or against-the-grain aesthetic.

Don't bother asking for his influences—the rudder that guides this electronic hodgepodge of funk, psychedelia, and hip hop styles veering off the beaten path seems to be purely instinctive. Tom Fec, the man behind Tobacco (who’s also a part of the band Black Moth Super Rainbow), has always been clear on his motivations: the music. He’s not here to delve into anecdotes on, say, how he decides between analog or digital. And in taking that stance, a mythical aura seemed to percolate around him: he’s elusive, evasive, and an anomaly of our time for shying away from the spotlight. But, as all rumors tend to be, this is mostly fabricated. Tom Fec doesn't fancy himself a hermit; he simply keeps his personal life personal, and offers us his music instead. 

So, let’s work with what we’ve been given. Ripe & Majestic, released by Rad Cult, is a sprawling piece of work in all respects. The tracks are unique snapshots in time, both in their actual styles as we hear the synths twisting into nostalgic, curious beats, but also in that they serve as viewfinders into Tobacco’s fascinations and leanings over the years. The first track, "Spirits of Perversion," is filled with slinky beats and piquant notes. It’s a song that feels like it belongs in an upscale '90s lounge, with lots of suave patrons stealing furtive (if not subtly longing) glances at each other. And, once the song hit its shuffling stride, it also brought up shades of The Bourne Identity theme music, but as if the trademark tune has been distorted, recognizable in the reflection of a funhouse mirror. 

"Slaughtered by the Amway Guy" is a percussion heavy track that feels primed for a heist montage in which sleek, sunglass-adorned criminals pull off a seemingly insurmountable task in a labyrinth of a bank or casino. It features laser-like synths shooting across the melody, like a spotlight pivoting across the sky, and then ends with an abrupt drop off. Then there’s "Awesome Shitty Body," which has a quick, clapping beat and a distorted arrangement playing on loop in the background. It soon morphs into a lighter, nearly twinkling line of electronica, but never loses its fuzzy edge.

This only begins to scratch the surface of Ripe & Majestic. The album is overflowing with these compelling adornments and melodies that throw us into richly packed and strangely enticing worlds. For me, listening to Ripe & Majestic was like having my mind whirl with all the obscure references I had tucked away in the course of my life. I felt immersed in the music—which is Tobacco’s endgame, after all.