Last week a polarizing album hit the internet, its flagrant interpolation of dance and hip-hop tropes shocking critics and fans. Yeezus? Nah, I'm talking about the latest from Todd Terry, one of the greatest house producers ever to lay a finger on wax. The man really is a nucleus—Todd The God, as he's known, shaped the 80's with classics like "Bango (To The Batmobile)" and "Back To The Beat," continuing his reign through the 90's with world-conquering tracks like "Missing (Todd Terry Remix)," "Jumpin'," and "Givin' U All That I Got" from the Space Jam soundtrack. Long story short, dude's a legend who can do whatever the fuck he wants. That's an important caveat to consider when critically approaching his latest release, Todd Terry vs. That Trap Shitt. Yes, it's exactly what you think it is. No, it's not exactly awful. I just can't imagine who will actually listen to it—definitely not house-heads, and probably not the frat boys either, as Terry's inherent restraint renders the tracks pale next to the ferocious weight of RL Grime or TNGHT. This is inverse Buzzfeed, the 90's cannibalizing the present for clickbait—there's even a fucking AZ verse (original, natch). In a way, Todd Terry vs. That Trap Shitt isn't all that surprising—there will always be aging legends throwing their backs out clambering up the windy slopes of Mt. Youth Culture. Skrillex ft. The Doors this ain't, though, because Todd's not an outsider seeking electronic music's edge. Rather, he's a revered deity who spent the early-to-mid '00s spreading his gospel among crowds largely composed of nostalgic old acolytes only to find himself once again a hot commodity among youth, headlining trendy PS1 shows and European festivals. Now he's tried to reverse engineer success by using sounds he thinks kids want to hear rather than the legacy on which his appeal is founded. Consider the insane cycle of influence—Terry first ignites the world with revelatory hands-in-the-air diva-house, a sound that morphs over time into cheesy euro-trance. Swedish House Mafia and co. bring this back to the states in streamlined, festival-ready form, only for the new generation's Soundcloud-and-glowstick set to throw 808s and Trapaholics samples in the mix and cry "genre!" Essentially, Todd Terry vs. That Trap Shitt is like if Che Guevara came back from the dead to design dorm-room posters. It's a great example of the cultural ourobouros that happens so easily nowadays, as the internet's churn divorces sound from context. And it's much, much better than this.—@ezra_marc
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