Track listing
Show track credits
- 1 The Song With the Secret Name 2:13
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producer
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mixing
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- 2 TDK Scribbled Intro 0:43
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producer
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mixing
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- 3 79th and Stony Island 4:02
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producer
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mixing
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- 4 I'll Fight You 2:43
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producer
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mixing
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- 5 Circuit City 3:04
- feat. Video Dave & Still Rift
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producer
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mixing
- 6 I Retired Then I Changed My Mind 2:33
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producer
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mixing
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- 7 Burner Account 3:23
- feat. Armand Hammer
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producer
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Jake Bowmanmixing
- 8 For DOOM 2:02
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producer
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mixing
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- 9 Crenshaw and Homeland 3:36
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producer
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mixing
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- 10 Multi Game Arcade Cabinet 3:05
- feat. Video Dave, Still Rift, R.A.P. Ferreira
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producer
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bass
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mixing
- 11 Credits Interlude 0:41
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producer
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bass
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mixing
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- 12 Peak Pandemic Raps 3:30
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producer
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mixing
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- 13 Kites 2:30
- feat. Video Dave & Still Rift
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producer
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mixing
- 14 CD Only Bonus Track 3:35
- feat. Diamond D & Aesop Rock
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producer
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mixing
- Total length: 37:40
Rate/Catalog
Catalog
Set listening
Review
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4 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
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A Tape Called Component System With the Auto Reverse [p] Digital file, Streaming
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Component System With the Auto Reverse Digital file, Streaming
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A Tape Called Component System With the Auto Reverse Colored Vinyl, Limited Edition
11 Reviews
Open Mike Eagle's always a bit on the ramshackle, rambling side of things as an MC and that's rarely been more clear than on this album. It kind of reminds me of Earl Sweatshirt's Some Rap Songs in the way that it feels tossed off and half-hearted, but in such a way that you could easily miss the genuinely impressive talent that went into it. Because OME is an excellent rapper with really creative lyrics, deceptively complex flow, and an engaging style.
Published
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I put this on this morning, but then I thought back to a conversation I had with my wife--see, I tend to have music on, like, all the time, in the background of whatever I'm doing, and she was telling me about how that doesn't work for her because if there's music on she has to focus, like really focus and listen to it, and so I thought about that and then I paused this and came back to it when I could actually pay attention.
And I'm glad I did. This is a record that you have to kind of look at closely.
Because, like... it's odd, it's kind of all over the place, the beats are great but they're really heterogeneous, ranging from super dark and noisey to poppy and soulful, and the rhymes just kind of present so many ideas to you that you don't quite know what's going on. But here's the thing: Open Mike Eagle is a writer, right, and the thing about writers is that they believe that life follows a narrative structure. Because, I mean, you gotta. But of course life doesn't, and this album is about getting older and realizing--realizing against your will, when things like the death of your idol or a global pandemic or your career's stagnation happen--realizing that things just kind of happen. This is what "The End of the Movie" from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is also about.
But then. But then you hit a line like "The cure isn't in a test tube / It's the sound of my son belly laughing in the next room" and it all makes sense again.
This album is important. Thank you for recommending it tinaun.
And I'm glad I did. This is a record that you have to kind of look at closely.
Because, like... it's odd, it's kind of all over the place, the beats are great but they're really heterogeneous, ranging from super dark and noisey to poppy and soulful, and the rhymes just kind of present so many ideas to you that you don't quite know what's going on. But here's the thing: Open Mike Eagle is a writer, right, and the thing about writers is that they believe that life follows a narrative structure. Because, I mean, you gotta. But of course life doesn't, and this album is about getting older and realizing--realizing against your will, when things like the death of your idol or a global pandemic or your career's stagnation happen--realizing that things just kind of happen. This is what "The End of the Movie" from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is also about.
But then. But then you hit a line like "The cure isn't in a test tube / It's the sound of my son belly laughing in the next room" and it all makes sense again.
This album is important. Thank you for recommending it tinaun.
Published
This is exactly what I wanted from Mike. While his last album was mostly a dive into a terrible period of his life, that he presented in a sarcastic way. This is a more well rounded look at him, where he still explores personal topics in his signature comedic manner. One thing i always loved about him, was how easily relatable he is. For me, this was already apparent in the first song, where he casually throws out “Listening to Popeye by Quelle Chris”. Now this was one of my most played tracks for two years consecutively. It’s just easy to connect with him, because of little things like that.
Let's talk about the key moments of the record. “79th and Stony Island” and “I’ll Fight You” are great for the same reasons. They both have catchy beats. That Mike takes full advantage of. Changing from a hard-hitting delivery to mellow singing. I still remember when he dropped the latter as a single. It had me laughing my ass off when he said “Who among us is mega sus?I'm writin' raps on the Megabus”. “I Retired Then I Changed My Mind” sees Mike analysing hardships over the span of his whole career. Everything from pioneering Art Rap to his cancelled show on Comedy Central. The song can sound very pessimistic, but I’m sure it was cathartic for him to get this out of his system. I think he’s putting it all out there, so it’ll be easier for him to accept and move on. There’s even a track celebrating DOOM, where Mike explores the relationship between him and his hero. He’s thankful for having a chance at working with him. It was the perfect love letter to the supervillain. It had the best instrumental on the record, really uplifted his raps. "Burner Account" is another instant favourite. The ominous Quelle Chris beat feels like it was tailor made for Armand Hammer, and the chemistry between all of them is through the roof.
However, there are a couple of blunders here. They’re usually linked to Video Dave and STILL RIFT. They just have these awkward flows and underwhelming bars that end up holding the album back. I get that they’re his friends, and it’s awesome that he took a Madlib beat to rap over with the people closest to him. But when your album features master spitters like Woods, Elucid and Aesop Rock it makes their shortcomings even more apparent. I don’t want to be too harsh on them though, I do think that their features on “Kites” kinda worked. Not because of their lyrical ability, but because their low-key deliveries complimented the instrumental well while it was developing. Overall, I found this to be one of Mike’s best records. Sure, it had some shortcomings, but they didn’t take away from the greatness of the rest of the project.
Let's talk about the key moments of the record. “79th and Stony Island” and “I’ll Fight You” are great for the same reasons. They both have catchy beats. That Mike takes full advantage of. Changing from a hard-hitting delivery to mellow singing. I still remember when he dropped the latter as a single. It had me laughing my ass off when he said “Who among us is mega sus?I'm writin' raps on the Megabus”. “I Retired Then I Changed My Mind” sees Mike analysing hardships over the span of his whole career. Everything from pioneering Art Rap to his cancelled show on Comedy Central. The song can sound very pessimistic, but I’m sure it was cathartic for him to get this out of his system. I think he’s putting it all out there, so it’ll be easier for him to accept and move on. There’s even a track celebrating DOOM, where Mike explores the relationship between him and his hero. He’s thankful for having a chance at working with him. It was the perfect love letter to the supervillain. It had the best instrumental on the record, really uplifted his raps. "Burner Account" is another instant favourite. The ominous Quelle Chris beat feels like it was tailor made for Armand Hammer, and the chemistry between all of them is through the roof.
However, there are a couple of blunders here. They’re usually linked to Video Dave and STILL RIFT. They just have these awkward flows and underwhelming bars that end up holding the album back. I get that they’re his friends, and it’s awesome that he took a Madlib beat to rap over with the people closest to him. But when your album features master spitters like Woods, Elucid and Aesop Rock it makes their shortcomings even more apparent. I don’t want to be too harsh on them though, I do think that their features on “Kites” kinda worked. Not because of their lyrical ability, but because their low-key deliveries complimented the instrumental well while it was developing. Overall, I found this to be one of Mike’s best records. Sure, it had some shortcomings, but they didn’t take away from the greatness of the rest of the project.
Favourite Tracks: 79th and Stony Island, I'll Fight You, Burner Account, I Retired Then I Changed My Mind, For Doom.
Strong Eight /8
Strong Eight /8
Published
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it really speaks to his general quality as an artist & my unending love for his music that i consider this my least favorite OME album and it's still a 3.5/5. there are plenty of rappers whose best work still isn't this good, so treasure OME while he's still making new music.
i think all in all this feels a little too haphazardly slapped together, with consistency issues being noticeable from one song to the next & the concept doesn't really work for me either. however he literally says on this album "i'm in a weird place creatively" which is kind of funny because he seems to agree with me on that. i do really appreciate this album's lighter mood and lower stakes though and i hope that his personal life is now on an upswing after how his 2020 (and 2019?) went. it's still a good record overall & i'm always happy to hear his voice and his takes.
i think all in all this feels a little too haphazardly slapped together, with consistency issues being noticeable from one song to the next & the concept doesn't really work for me either. however he literally says on this album "i'm in a weird place creatively" which is kind of funny because he seems to agree with me on that. i do really appreciate this album's lighter mood and lower stakes though and i hope that his personal life is now on an upswing after how his 2020 (and 2019?) went. it's still a good record overall & i'm always happy to hear his voice and his takes.
Published
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1
The Song With the Secret Name
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2
TDK Scribbled Intro
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3
79th and Stony Island
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4
I'll Fight You
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5
Circuit City
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6
I Retired Then I Changed My Mind
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7
Burner Account
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8
For DOOM
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9
Crenshaw and Homeland
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10
Multi Game Arcade Cabinet
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11
Credits Interlude
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12
Peak Pandemic Raps
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13
Kites
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14
CD Only Bonus Track
Mike is a unique personality in the world of hip-hop and successfully translates his intriguing character traits into highly engaging lyrics, concepts and songs. His quirky sense of humour and creative lyricism shine through almost as brightly as they ever have here, and thankfully the production is equally colourful - successfully weaving together several different moods seamlessly. The predominant mood is OME’s typical playful-but-atmospheric lo-fi sound, but it also deviates occasionally - eg. the darkness of Burner Account (no doubt to accommodate Armand Hammer, who make a very welcome appearance), and the mystical atmosphere of Peak Pandemic Raps.
For DOOM is a fantastic tribute to the Masked Villain that captures the kind of feeling plenty of hip-hop fans will have felt since the great man’s passing, without descending into generic platitudes. It’s also another example of Mike’s clear and deep appreciation for the kind of hip-hop many of us fans also idolize, which is always a nice thing to hear from an artist (and is also probably a small part of the reason why I find Mike so likable). Crenshaw and Homeland utilises an amazing bass groove that I love and really stands out among OME’s discography.
All-in-all, this is another brilliant project from a man who’s built a catalogue that now sits among the most praiseworthy of the past 10 - 15 years.
Side note: While I don’t dislike the album art, it definitely doesn’t give off the same 'classic' vibes as BBKSD.
Published
Open Mike Eagle is a very interesting guy, he's easily one of the most distinct rappers in the modern scene, due to many reasons, his smoky voice, lyrics that are quirky, weeb and depressive at the same time, and knack for great warm beats.
This new album is exactly that, not at his strongest, but close to it, despite some songs being weaker than others, pretty much every track in here is very compelling with its introspectiveness, at points, this even makes me feel like i'm listening to a friend saying everything he wants to say in his own honest, but humorous way, and I kinda want to hug him for that, but I can't because i'm pretty sure he'd either beat me up or call the security if I, a stranger, hugs him without warning. So... consider yourself virtually hugged, Mike.
This new album is exactly that, not at his strongest, but close to it, despite some songs being weaker than others, pretty much every track in here is very compelling with its introspectiveness, at points, this even makes me feel like i'm listening to a friend saying everything he wants to say in his own honest, but humorous way, and I kinda want to hug him for that, but I can't because i'm pretty sure he'd either beat me up or call the security if I, a stranger, hugs him without warning. So... consider yourself virtually hugged, Mike.
Positive Highlights:
79th and Stony Island
Circuit City (BEST TRACK)
For DOOM
Multi Game Arcade Cabinet
Negative Highlights:
Peak Pandemic Raps
Score: 81%
79th and Stony Island
Circuit City (BEST TRACK)
For DOOM
Multi Game Arcade Cabinet
Negative Highlights:
Peak Pandemic Raps
Score: 81%
Published
Mike Eagle makes a return to his classic style with another great record for his catalog. It's not amazing, unfortunately, but definitely a solid album. It features maybe his best song yet, "Burner Account," which has been around for, like, a year at this point. The rest of the album doesn't quite match it but it is a collab between four of my favorite artists ever, so it's a bit unfair.
Key Tracks: "Circuit City"; "Burner Account"; "For DOOM"; "Multi Game Arcade Cabinet"; "CD Only Bonus Track"
Rating: 7
Key Tracks: "Circuit City"; "Burner Account"; "For DOOM"; "Multi Game Arcade Cabinet"; "CD Only Bonus Track"
Rating: 7
Published
If you’re familiar with underground hip-hop me telling you this record is good will be pretty far from a newsflash, partially because you’ve probably already got to it at this point, and partially because Open Mike Eagle is one of the most consistent abstract rappers playing in a slightly more conscious lane. Showcasing both the harder and softer ends of the West Coast sound, OME has as commanding a presence as ever as he bridges the gap between the serious and comedic with finesse. The beats are lush and support OME well, I don’t know if they click as well sonically with his features, but it’s a pretty strong selection of names regardless. For whatever reason, this album doesn’t strike me as much as some of the other hip-hop that’s been released recently, but it’s still a great showing from someone you should be paying attention to if this is your genre.
Most Representative Track: Circuit City
Published
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Catalog
30 May 2024
29 May 2024
29 May 2024
28 May 2024
24 May 2024
23 May 2024
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1
The Song With the Secret Name
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2
TDK Scribbled Intro
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3
79th and Stony Island
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4
I'll Fight You
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5
Circuit City
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6
I Retired Then I Changed My Mind
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7
Burner Account
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8
For DOOM
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9
Crenshaw and Homeland
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10
Multi Game Arcade Cabinet
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11
Credits Interlude
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12
Peak Pandemic Raps
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13
Kites
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14
CD Only Bonus Track
18 May 2024
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1
The Song With the Secret Name
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2
TDK Scribbled Intro
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3
79th and Stony Island
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4
I'll Fight You
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5
Circuit City
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6
I Retired Then I Changed My Mind
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7
Burner Account
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8
For DOOM
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9
Crenshaw and Homeland
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10
Multi Game Arcade Cabinet
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11
Credits Interlude
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12
Peak Pandemic Raps
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13
Kites
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14
CD Only Bonus Track
16 May 2024
16 May 2024
16 May 2024
15 May 2024
14 May 2024
12 May 2024
7 May 2024
6 May 2024
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