E-Spire Entertainment News

Kool Keith, aka Keith Thornton, first emerged as part of the legendary New York crew, the Ultramagnetic MCs, back in 1987. At a time when rap was slowly making the transition from B-Boy braggadocio to a more aggressive, politicized stance, the group quickly established themselves as lyrical innovators with such classics albums as Critical Beatdown, Funk Your Head Up, and The Four Horsemen. From the Ultramagnetics to his own solo releases under a number of different identities, Kool Keith has been responsible for now-classic hip-hop records, each one a testament to his bugged out sensibility and lyrical genius: Sex Style, his album under his own name, started it off, followed by the legendary Cenobites project with Godfather Don, to the Dr. Dooom project with Kutmasta Kurt, to his Black Elvis project. But the one that garnered him the most notoriety and praise was the 1996 classic Dr Octagonecologyst. Produced by Dan the Automator, Kool Keith played the role of a sexually deviant doctor, telling tales that dropped the jaws of everyone who heard it. Assisted by DJ Qbert on the turntables, this album was a landmark in the careers of all three involved.

For the past few years Keith has stayed out of the limelight and now resurfaces with this album, The Return of Dr Octagon. While people all over the world had been trying to work with Keith for years, the production team of One Watt Sun were the guys to finally nail him down. Berlin based, One Watt Sun consists of Ben Green, Simon Walbrook and John Lindland, all three prominent producers, DJs and electronic musicians in their own right, collectively having shared stages with everyone from New Order to Radiohead to Fugazi. They alternated the recording of the album between a 12th century turret in Prague, Australia’s Byron Bay, and in One Watt Sun’s home studios in Berlin. This album has Keith doing his thing over electro-influenced futuristic hip-hop beats that suit his style perfectly, talking about dying trees, peanut-butter-assisted stalking encounters, gorillas driving pick up trucks and searching for a perfect world.

From the rumors about having written the first Dr. Octagon record in one night while on acid, to stints in Bellevue, to penning some of the most original and brilliant rhymes in hip-hop history, Kool Keith is an elusive, enigmatic hip-hop legend who’s done it again.

The Return of Dr. Octagon
Track listing:

1. Our Operators Are Masturbating
2. Trees
3. Aliens
4. Ants feat. DJ Dexter of the Avalanches
5. Don't Worry Mz. Pop Music
6. Perfect World
7. The Turtle Skit
8. Al Green
9. A Gorilla Driving A Pick-Up Truck
10. Got Any Kids?
11. Doctor Octagon
12. It's The Morning
13. Jumpstart
14. Eat It feat. Princess Superstar

All tracks produced by One Watt Sun
(Ben Green, Simon Walbrook, and John Lindland)
Album available on 6/27/06.

The Return of Dr. Octagon's MySpace Page
The Return of Dr. Octagon Official Site