A few weeks ago, Shabazz Palaces announced the release of their third full-length album, Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star, a concept album about an alien being sent to “Amurderca to chronicle and explore as a musical emissary.” Now, the Seattle-based hip-hop group has revealed details of a companion album, or — as they refer to it — an “extra-spatial twin.”
Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines serves to elaborate on the mythology of its namesake character. A press release describes the album’s arc thusly:
“A wave warrior wielding his sonic sword. Posted to the turnt-up states of Amurderca here on the Gangster Star to chronicle, explore and enjoy as a musical emissary. He discovers a world where humankind’s relationship with their tech-devices has become weirdly sensual, seducing a sedentary seamlessness with humans, while capturing and incarcerating the results of their imagination. Quazarz vs The Jealous Machines finds our protagonist with his dazzling cohorts rising a collective Nah to the device and the guilds that proliferate them.”
Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines incorporates a different behind-the-scenes team than its cohort. Production duties fell on Palaceer Lazaro and Sunny Levine and the album was mixed by Levine and Kamal Humphrey of Kamal’s House Studio. The album also includes a whole host of new guest spots, with contributions from Fly Guy Dai of Chimurenga Renaissance, The Shogun Shot, Laz, and Purple Tape Nate, among others.
Get a taste of Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines with “30 Clip Extension”, which you can stream below via Soundcloud or the YouTube lyric video below.
Both albums are scheduled for simultaneous worldwide release July 14th via Sub Pop, and can be purchased together in a special bundle.
Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines will also be released as a “special-edition illustrated album” with artwork by cartoonist Joshua Ray Stephens. The hand-numbered, 32-page book will be printed in a 11”x17” format with saddle-stitch binding and will also include a download code for the full album. That edition comes out on August 18th in collaboration with Fantagraphics Books. Pre-orders are ongoing here.
Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines Artwork:
Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines Tracklist:
01. Welcome to Quazarz
02. Gorgeous Sleeper Cell
03. Self-MadeFollownaire
04. Atlaantis
05. Effeminence (feat. Fly Guy Dai of Chimurenga Renaissance)
06. Julian’s Dream (ode to a bad) (feat. The Shogun Shot)
07. 30 Clip Extension
08. Love in the time of Kanye (feat. Purple Tape Nate)
09.Sabonim in the Saab on ‘em
10. The SS Quintessence
11. Late night phone calls (feat. Laz)
12. Quazarz on 23rd
Shabazz Palaces 2017 Tour Dates:
05/13 – Seattle, WA @ Upstream Music Fest + Summit
08/16 – Portland, OR @ The Star Theater
08/18 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
08/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Theatre
08/20 – Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
08/21 – El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow
08/23 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk (Outdoor Stage)
08/24 – Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
08/25 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
08/26 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
08/27 – Charleston, SC @ Music Farm
08/28 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
08/30 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
08/31 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
09/01 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
09/02 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount
09/03 – Quebec City, QC @ Le Cercle
09/05 – Boston, MA @ The Sinclair
09/06 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
09/07 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
09/08 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
09/11 – Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle Tavern & Music Hall
09/15-17 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
