For someone that doesn’t tour and whose mug doesn’t appear on every dance music magazine cover, Rob Overseer is actually known by tons of people, although they don’t know it…yet. If you’ve ever watched the Mitsubishi Endeavor commercial, seen the Heineken Beer commercial, checked out the Grand Turismo video game, Tomb Raider or Fastlane movies, or even the CSI television show, you may have thought to yourself, “Damn. That’s a cool song. I wonder who does it?” Okay, if you heard him during the Victoria Secret commercial, something else may have gone through your mind. But anyway…

Wonder no more. Overseer is finally releasing his first full length that has all those fabulous, booty shaking, dirty beat tracks you’ve subconsciously craved to hear more of. In the sea of electronic music releases that require a call to your local druggie in order to fully enjoy the monotonous thump and bump, Overseer rides the high waves with an eclectic range of musical creativity.

As you dive in to explore the Wreckage, his sonic producing skills rope you into a funky, hip hop trance on “Slayed”. But that’s only the beginning. Warn your speakers that they’re in for a shaking as the infamous “Stompbox” plows through and over the top with a rock rampage that’ll shake the fucking glow stick right out of your mouth. In the realm of breakbeat masters Lunatic Calm, Junkie XL, or Wax Assassins, “Supermoves” is an amazing tribute to that infectious style.

Overseer’s creative mood shifts with trip hop orchestra lines and alluring female vocals on “Meteorology” and “Sparks”, then leads you down a bluesy trail on “Aquaplane”, which transcends into an almost Radiohead like veil. Now to sound like I’ve been watching too much Lifetime – Television for Women, but hearing these tracks brought about visions of a subway ride with headphones, a drive down the coast, or taking it all in on my home hi-fi as I gazed out at this week’s snowfall.

Overseer’s musical taste has led him into everything from Smiths and Sisters of Mercy, to Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest’s first album, along with listening to his brother blast out British heavy metal. It’s that element of beat driven rock, drum and bass, snarling hip-hop tales and provocative trip hop that make each piece of music so massively captivating.

I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that the majority of us are fans of many types of music, going back twenty plus years all the way to the present. Wreckage is a tribute to our passion for music, and Overseer has brought out the best in those beloved styles that are stacked and racked our living rooms and bedrooms, making it all his own. Now it’s your time to own it.

Once you've got a copy of the new Overseer album, Wreckage, you can use your CD to access exclusive ConnecteD content through the website www.overseeronline.com.

--Kim Owens, November 6, 2003

See More Reviews at our Music Review Archive