Good Thinking
Deep Thinkers, “Get Down” from Reprogram
In 2005, the Deep Thinkers had just wrapped up recording their second album and were closing in on a deal when, suddenly, the brakes hit: The disc flew out of the group’s control and landed in obscurity, shelved until what the Thinkers feared might be the end of time.
Fast-forward to the present. With a new album in the works, the conscious-as-ever hip-hop duo emerges ready to strut its stuff in 2008. But first, the Thinkers must find a way to arouse the ears of waiting fans. After all, it’s been nearly five years since the group’s debut, 2003’s Necks Move. True to their name, the Thinkers had an idea.
Enter Reprogram, the album that, for the past two years, was the inmate of a hard-drive prison cell.
To pick up momentum with aficionados, producer Leonard Dstroy and MC Brother of Moses decided to release all of the album’s 15 tracks online as free downloads.
On the group’s MySpace page, Dstroy referred to the album as a gift to fans, and response so far indicates it’s a gift worth unwrapping. Since its release a little more than a month ago on label Web site Innatesounds.com, the album has been downloaded nearly 1,000 times — a testament to Dstroy’s signature beats and the smart social commentary of Brother of Moses.
“It’s cool to see how the fans react,” Dstroy says of the ever-increasing online traffic.
When asked about where the free download fits into the trend of bands giving away new releases for free or at prices chosen by the consumer (such as Radiohead’s In Rainbows), Dstroy seems less concerned with dollar signs than with positive reaction to his music.
“I just want to let the music speak for itself,” Dstroy says. “It’s been great to have people vibe off it.”
Dstroy says the Deep Thinkers are set for a 2008 that’s full of new songs, performances and ideas. The team’s third studio album, Mindtriloquist, is set for release this year. If the progressive campaign behind Reprogram is any indication, fans should have even more to think about.
