On this week's pod, it's a deep dive into an album from one of our perennial favourites, as it celebrates 20 years.

It's the turn of the MF DOOM and Madlib's classic 2004 album Madvillainy by Madvillain, a dense, psychedelic, colourful rap album that quickly cemented itself as one of the best rap albums of all time when it came out on Stones Throw that year.

Why is Madvillain so important?

It's the sound of two masters of their craft - Madlib deep crate-digging wizz of flipped samples which avoided the musical grid and DOOM’s "tripping off the beat kinda" rhymes which defied expectation and form, and became endlessly quotable while retaining complex and comedic intent. Madvillainy is the sound of two elusive creatives ricocheting off each other’s oddball styles with disorienting brilliance.

Niall and Andrea discuss the album's gestation, recording, leak, samples, lyrics and mythology.

In January, we hosted a Listen Closely listening party in the Big Romance in Dublin with this album. Our next one will be Wednesday February 28th with Laurie Anderson's Big Science. Tickets on sale next week.

Big special extra thanks to Georgia Hallion for editing the podcast.

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