n the world of independent hip-hop, most people will tell you that the emperor’s busy in the dressing room. Once considered the impenetrable fortress of unbridled innovation in a comparably stale marketplace, Definitive Jux has fallen into a slump through its search for fresh talent and its subsequent presentation of said new talent. Be it label-wide showcases (Def Jux Presents 3) or singular mission statements (S.A. Smash, Party Fun Action Committee), El-Producto’s collective seems less untouchable and more fractured after each release. That said, Atoms Family members Hangar 18 have managed to stand stationary between the recent tidal wave of mediocrity and reflecting echoes of the past.

While Aesop Rock succeeded by using esoteric vocabulary to form extended metaphors and social commentary, Hangar 18’s Alaska and Windnbreez use nimble cadences and verbose sequences to simultaneously kill the club and convey their disdain for society’s wack emcees in the tradition of trailblazers like Aceyalone and Anti-Pop Consortium. While they sound remarkably similar to each other, their topical variety (women, rapping, life’s struggles) is limited and the chances of retaining any lyrics during your first listen are rather slim. Their vocals pleasantly complement DJ PawL’s bombastic melodies and seem to succeed at their primary goal: soundtracking the party without dumbing down the rock.

Although the majority of the album is thick with expedient abstract lyricism, the high vocal point is their most down to earth. “Barhoppin’” ties together a broken drum loop, a low-frequency synth line, subtle key tones and programmed drums for a head-nodding exercise in minimalism, while three stages of a night in the life of our heroes are played out. Over the course of the song, they get into bar fights, court ladies at the club and later, abandon them at the local pancake shop. Most importantly, the song exhibits the environment best suited to their music (the club), while also telling an engrossing story.

DJ PawL is definitely the star of this album, with a penchant for electro that lends itself to both the Def Jux mold of futurism, as well as the aesthetic of 80’s legends like Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash. “Hangar 18 And The Temple of Doom” works an ethereal background sample with heavy drums and an incredibly subtle vocal sample, while “Beatslope” hits with truncated synth and lovingly stilted drums. When PawL relies on samples, though, it seems to fall apart: the Run-DMC bells of “Saved By The Beezy” are mere mundane retro revival and the vocal sample from “Take No Chances” sounds like a pitchshifted outtake from Massive Attack’s Blue Lines.

The first salvo from the self-proclaimed “rap Laruel and Hardy” is a mixed bag that never really leaves a lasting impression on the listener. The emcees are obviously talented, but have a style that may be too convoluted to ever really get their message (whatever that may be) across. While I rolled my eyes at S.A. Smash for being too stupid to make a good club song, I find myself repeating the action for Hangar 18's over-intellectual take on the task at hand. Somewhat of a backhanded recommendation, Hangar 18 may still be worthy of rotation at your next house party.