Who are N.A.S.A., and how have they convinced over forty huge stars to contribute to their debut album? The first part of that question can be answered relatively easily: they're Los Angeles-based DJs/producers Squeak E. Clean (the brother of director Spike Jonze) and DJ Zegon, a Brazilian pro-skateboarder who found his calling in music. The second part of the question isn't as clear-cut. Some of the biggest names in music make guest appearances on the hip-hop oriented 'The Spirit of Apollo', although some prove more fruitful than others.
This album has been five years in the making, which goes some way to explaining the duo's treasure trove of collaborations. The now-deceased Ol' Dirty Bastard, for example, made a contribution before his death; his Wu Tang Clan colleagues RZA, Method Man and Ghostface Killah also lay down tracks of their own. Undoubtedly, when it comes to big names (Tom Waits, David Byrne, MIA and members of Yeah Yeah Yeahs also feature), N.A.S.A. can provide. As a result, though, there's a sense that this album should be of the groundbreaking quality, rather than a steadfastly 'decent' one.
Cramming three or four guests onto each track could have been a disastrous move, but it mostly works: Byrne teams up with Public Enemy's Chuck D and Brazilian samba musician Seu Jorge on the uber-catchy 'Money'; Spank Rock, MIA, Santogold and Nick Zinner join forces for the slightly muddled 'Whatchadoin?', while the legendary George Clinton and (Jurassic 5 man) Chali 2na make a big impression with the lively, atmospheric 'There's a Party'.
Puzzling, then, that the two best tracks are contrary in their design. 'Way Down''s loose, chilled-out ambience could be attributed to John Frusciante's droopy guitar work, but its '70s spy movie theme is bolstered by incisive rhymes by RZA and vocals by little-known singer Barbie Hatch. 'Gifted', meanwhile, is an immediately likeable fresh 'n' funky offering - unsurprising, considering that charismatic duo Kanye West and Santogold are behind it. Overall, there's a sneaking suspicion that 'The Spirit of Apollo' may be a vanity project on a grand scale for N.A.S.A., but its mix of old skool hip-hop and unlikely participants keep it just interesting enough to merit your attention.
