EP Review: clipping. – ‘Wriggle (Expanded)’

Wriggle by clipping. was initially released as an EP in 2016 as an amendment to their debut album. Fast forward to 2021, clipping. reworked their EP to bring light to some of their original songs buried by time. The EP shines when Daveed Diggs takes center stage, but the tracks wander whenever the spotlight moves away from the renowned wordsmith.

The experimental hip-hop group is led by Daveed Diggs and produced by William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes. Their hip hop comes lighting fast and almost prompts the listener to set songs at half speed to keep up with the rapid-rap delivery. The experimental portion is taken to the next level, going as far as recording over a dozen guns in place of a drumbeat for their song “Shooter.”

In an age when popular music is so hyper-refined, it is a relief to find a group of artists willing to push the envelope. However, the EP would have benefited had clipping. maintained more of a foothold within it. The ample guest spots often fall flat, particularly with Jana Rush’s Face Rearranged Remix of Shooter. The track excessively uses the same samples over and over again. Rather than providing a hypnotic melody from the repetition, it is a turnoff since it overplays the same sexual moaning. What could have been interesting if used briefly instead makes a five-minute song drag on for a hellish eternity.

There are two remixes of the titular song “Wriggle.” While there is a faint thread connecting the remixes to the original, these are EDM-heavy reinterpretations. These remixes would have benefited from incorporating Diggs’s extraordinary delivery. Instead, the remixes almost entirely remove the lyrics and give steroids to the background. For fans of clipping. who want to hear hip hop alongside the experimental backing, it drops their star asset in favor of electronic beats.

Tying the Wriggle (Expanded) EP together is a gloomy ambiance of carnal desires. Some of these experiments are addicting to the ear, while others miss the mark. There are a few promising collaborations, such as Nailah Middleton in “Our Time” and Cakes da Killa and Maxi Wild on “Hot Fuck No Love.” For the tracks Diggs is absent from, it is like EP chose to bench its star player. Rather than leave space for other artists to perform, the collaborations would have benefited had clipping. lifted up the other artists featured in their EP.

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