For their seventh album, West Coast underground hip-hop stalwarts Zion I are continuing their tradition of playing musical chairs with their influences. Their sixth album, The Takeover, flirted with electronic and hyphy sounds, which made for a reasonably enjoyable listen. But for Atomic Clock, Zumbi and Amp Live are looking to integrate reggae and dub into the mix. And in the above video preview, you can hear just that across the span of four tracks from the album. From my listen to it, Atomic Clock's influences are clear, particularly in the Rebelution-assisted "Many Stylez." The horns, organs, and modest guitar chords are present on the other cuts, though I must say I still hear hints of electronic in there. It's all sounding organic so far and thankfully staying miles away from the trash that is reggaeton.
Atomic Clock drops Nov. 9.
