Thundercat – The Golden Age of Apocalypse

Adorned in Native American Indian garb and feathery headdress, Stephen Bruner aka Thundercat appears to have all the credentials. Hailing from the hub of South Los Angeles, he featured on Cosmogramma after being unearthed by Brainfeeder boss Flying Lotus, who helms production on The Golden Age Of Apocalypse.

His alias, of course, is derived from a certain eighties cartoon about humanoid cats from the planet Thundera battling the mutants of Plun-Darr (incidentally now enjoying a 'reboot'). Stephen grew up in a musical household, his father Ronald Sr. drumming for The Temptations, whilst his brother, Ronald Jr. is a Grammy-winning percussionist in his own right. Add to that tasty cookie dough some session time for Snoop Dogg and guest appearances from Erykah Badu and you’ve got yourself some lethal ingredients.

Yet The Golden Age of Apocalypse feels strangely dubious. HooooooO samples the retro television series’ opening credits in proud hip-hop tradition, yet Thundercat’s unmistakable sound is somewhere between a magical intergalactic electronic dimension and warped elevator music. Fleer Ultra could almost be a Prince outtake from any era, whilst elsewhere instrumental space jazz is interspersed with stuttering synth lines and percussive clusters and constellations.

Boat Cruise incorporates lame Yamaha keyboard samples, which we can only pray is a pastiche. A smooth George Duke cover swishes to life with a tinny high-hat pulse, whilst lounge numbers, bass solos washed over with beaming vocals likens the Apocalypse with a light-hearted Styrofoam-caked Nintendo adventure. Walkin’ bears a strong resemblance to Jamiroquai vocal patterns, while on penultimate track Mystery Machine, eerie pangs emanate from a murky wilderness. Backed by members of Sa-Ra (not Mumm-ra) and Austin (son of Z-Boy skating legend Stacy) Peralta on keys, The Golden Age Of Apocalypse has an astral futuristic theme, but perplexingly sounds rather dated.