There are some really cool jazzy instrumental ideas here even if some beats are far too repetitive or bland for my liking. The rapping is also solid (albeit not super impressive), providing enough variety to make up for the lesser beats. Also, Jah-Monte Ogbon sounds great on standout 'Watch Ya Shadow'. Overall, this is an enjoyable album but I don't see myself returning to it beyond a few tracks.

Favourite Tracks: The Judgement, Dangerous, Watch Ya Shadow*, Mad Dough, I Can't Relate, Picanha, ... read more

Z.Younk

The album from beloved underground producer and less frequently emcee Brainorchestra is a pivotal moment in his career. He steps up his content to match his superb chilled-out boom bap, a sound he's cultivated on instrumental releases over the last two years that made many underground heads take notice. It also showcases why I like Jah-Monte so much when he comes through with an excellent feature verse one of very few on the album. He simply sounds better and has more relevant complex content ... read more

100words

Brainorchestra has been forming his sound since he was fourteen; in his words, the music he is making today is exactly the music he dreamed of making then, thirteen years ago. ‘Big Brain’ is a smooth, piano-heavy parade of hip-hop from the cultural caldron of New Jersey. It has been shaped across multiple EPs and projects and arrives with unobtrusive confidence. This record doesn’t push the boundaries of hip-hop—it swims with the jazz that first suffused it in the late ... read more

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