The Internet fluctuates between extreme collectivity (the Odd Future years) and individualism. After their third album Ego Death in 2015, it was time for solo projects by each of its members; a perilous undertaking, if ever there was one, for the existence of the group. We remember the rumors about Outkast splitting up after Andre 3000’s experiments on ATLiens. But just as the duo Atlanta silenced the critics of the time, The Internet manages a similar feat.
Hive Mind is the California group’s Aquemini, a resounding statement about the group’s collective identity. Each musician’s hand is clearly identifiable on all the album’s 13 songs: Steve Lacy’s Afro-funk phrasing, Matt Martians’s mind-blowing layers, Syd’s silky voice. With greater involvement in the production of their music, the musicians also rotate from instrument to instrument. Although this rotation showcases the talent of these multi-instrumentalists, it contributes above all to shaping the group’s sound coherence. “Come Together” celebrates this oneness: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
The Internet, Hive Mind (Columbia Records, 2018)
Concerts :
25/08/2018, Afropunk Festival, Brooklyn, NY
17/10/2018, Hive Mind Tour, Varsity Theater, Minneapolis
22/10/2018, Fox Theater, Oakland, CA
24/10/2018, Hive Mind Tour, Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
