(Photo courtesy of Harvest Records)Death Grips released a full stream via Youtube of “Jenny Death” on March 19, the second half of the double LP “The Powers that B.” The release was in reaction to the album leaking earlier that day.
The group is an experimental hip-hop trio from Sacramento, California, that disbanded on July 2, 2014, issuing of the now-notorious statement: “We are now at our best and so Death Grips is over. We have officially stopped.”
The first half of “The Powers That B,” titled “N—s on the Moon” was released on June 8, 2014. The first track, "I Break Mirrors With My Face in the United States," starts with a chaotic electronic beat. Not long after, MC Ride breaks in, chanting the title line.
Released as a single on Dec. 9, “Inanimate Season,” the second track on "Jenny Death," shows a whole new Death Grips. The song is a building crescendo of sound waves, accompanied with a revving noise reminiscent of an engine. Drummer Zach Hill doesn’t disappoint with some of the hardest hitting drum work of his, mine or anyone’s lives.
“Pss Pss” begins with a sliding synth lead and provides a satisfying middle to the album. The song is a return to the familiar theme of the “most primal desire,” or sex.
Compared to the rest of the album, this song is the most accessible and mainstream. However, don’t believe the facade. Between the horns and grabbing hooks, MC Ride still returns to classic Death Grips form, never straying too far from the raw, fearless, grimy music the band is known for.
Six tracks in, we get the title track of the whole double LP, “The Powers That B.” Immediately we hear the chant, “Can’t know what I’m 'bout to do," which is a hint and a tease of Death Grip’s relationship with fans.
The album concludes with the final track “Death Grips 2.0,” which has no lyrics. It resembles a noise jam, if a malfunctioning computer decided to perform this type of music. It’s a strangely ominous way to end the 10 tracks of one of the most highly anticipated release of 2015.
As the music culture draws nearer and nearer to the primal energy of music and away from the refinement of classicism, what can be said of Death Grips?
Rock bands are returning to the garages where cheap guitars and static amps are staples. Lo-fi is in right now. Yelled lyrics are popular in alternative music. Is Death Grips a culmination of these tendencies toward the raw?
As the group is currently disbanded, there is no confirmed tour or live dates. However, it will not come as a shock to fans who are familiar with the antics of Death Grips (that include ditching out on live shows) that rumors are circulating of a reunion.
The same day of the leak, Death Grips responded via Facebook to a Billboard article suggesting Death Grips isn't done with the ominous statement: “You’re right, we might make some more.”
As if this wasn’t enough, there was also a mysterious Tweet posted March 6 by a mysterious Death Grips-related account that not only hints, but plainly states there are plans for a Death Grips reunion.
The tweet, now taken down, lists four dates of importance to the release of “Jenny Death” and following plans. It states that the album comes out March 31, which is the date of its commercial release, and that pre-order is available starting March 17.
According to a tweet that has since been taken down, a Death Grips tour announcement is slated for March 24 and ticket sales will begin March 27.
Is Death Grips getting back together? We’ll find out together come March 24. Just be sure to have the money in your account on March 27 when ticket sales go live.
Reach the reporter at lsaether@asu.edu or follow @looooogaaan on Twitter.
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