Chilly Gonzales – The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales

The new album from Chilly Gonzalez, the Unspeakable Chilly Gonzalez, is as inventive as any of his previous work.

The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales
Gentle Threat
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Having hailed yourself as a musical genius early on, surely the only direction can be down. Chilly Gonzales, however, doesn't appear to be going anywhere.

The eccentric alter ego of the multi-talented Canadian performer and producer Jason Beck, Gonzales has been making a noise for years, skipping between pop (as exemplified on last year's Ivory Tower), critically acclaimed purely instrumental work (Solo Piano, 2004), collaborations with the likes of Peaches, Jane Birkin and Feist, and even the odd world record (in 2009 he played for 27 hours, 3 minutes, 44 seconds, taking the record for longest solo-artist performance).

For his latest release, Gonzo blurs two opposing genres with the world's first all-orchestral rap album. Arranged by his Hollywood soundtrack-composing brother Christophe, The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales blends hints of Eminem and Prokofiev, Public Enemy and Ennio Morricone, with intelligently mad lyrics laid out over booming kettle drums, powerful orchestral sweeps, the odd tinkle of ivories and even fast-paced bongos.

The result is unlike anything you'll hear this year, a curious medley of styles that is as unusual as it is melodic. Ever the showman, Gonzo refers to himself throughout, even noting his previous outlandish comments of self-worth. "Listen, it's entertainment; but if you listen, the genius is in the arrangement," he argues in Self Portrait, adding "I'm way beyond a snob; I'm a Louis Vuitton slob," while referencing the likes of Eric Cartman, Dolly Parton, Salvador Dali and Chris Martin. Genius? Perhaps. Entertainment? Definitely.