''Breakthrough'' is the first studio album by American alternative-hip hop producer

The Gaslamp Killer William Benjamin Bensussen (born November 7, 1982), better known by his stage name The Gaslamp Killer, is an American alternative hip hop producer and DJ based in Los Angeles, California. Career He grew up in San Diego, California, where he beca ...

. It was released on

Brainfeeder Brainfeeder is an independent record label based in Los Angeles, California, founded by Flying Lotus in 2008, focusing on electronic music and instrumental hip hop. It has signed artists such as Ras G, Samiyam, The Gaslamp Killer, Thundercat, The ...

on September 17, 2012. The album features guest appearances from

Gonjasufi Sumach Ecks (born 1978), better known by his stage name Gonjasufi, is an American vocalist, producer, disc jockey, and yogi. Life and career Ecks was born in 1978 to a Mexican mother and an American-Ethiopian father. He spent his formative yea ...

, Daedelus, and

Samiyam Sam Baker, better known by his stage name Samiyam, is an American hip hop producer based in Los Angeles, California. Life and career Samiyam released the ''Return'' EP on Hyperdub in 2008. He also released ''Rap Beats Vol. 1'' in the same year. ...

, among others.

Background and recording

While The Gaslamp Killer's earlier work was characterized by a heavy use of samples, on ''Breakthrough'' he chose to work with musicians to recreate the "vibe" of particular tracks. Comparing his method to the way that

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

and

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

used blues music, he said, "I'm just trying to get ideas from world music, different rock 'n' roll records, library records, psychedelic shit, jazz – getting ideas from other records and trying to recreate them with musicians."

Critical reception

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, ''Breakthrough'' received an average score of 66% based on 18 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".

Track listing

Charts

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2012 debut albums Brainfeeder albums The Gaslamp Killer albums Instrumental hip hop albums Electronic albums by American artists