Growing up, Baruir Panossian aka Bei Ru listened to old Armenian and Arabic records, which, along with his penchant for obscure jazz, psych rock, as well as Madlib and Dilla, laid down the groundwork for his production style. His self-released album, Little Armenia (L.A.), consisting entirely of Armenian samples, was very well received by the beats community, and L.A. Zooo is the latest collection of head-nodders from the LA artist. The Middle Eastern influences are apparent on the 20-tracker, but just as prominent are electronic, funk, jazz, soul, and odd (in a very good way) samples that Bei Ru rhythmically paints with. Add hypnotic keys, thick bass lines, and of course, loose-but-tight drums to the mix, and what comes out is a “playful, yet ominous” body of work.

• pink vinyl pressing
• music label: Musa Ler Music 2016

reviewed by donut savage 10/2016