DJ Scientist is probably best known to those of us in the U.S. as the producer who worked with Ceschi on The One Man Band Broke Up. The German producer and deejay has already released one solo EP earlier this year, The Artless Cuckoo, but now he has finally given us his first full length album. The material was actually produced from 2001-2006, but for a myriad of reasons, didn’t see the light of day until now. Scientist’s music is so unique, though, he doesn’t need to worry about it sounding dated or anything. In an age where more and more producers are reaching the level of “pretty good,” and becoming difficult to distinguish from each other, Scientist gives us a record that manages to be truly unique.

What becomes apparent rather quickly with this album is just how grand Scientist got his music to sound. This really speaks to Scientist’s skills as producer/composer/arranger, as he’s done a remarkable job of constructing these songs such that they slowly progress and build in a way that feels completely natural. When the moment comes when the music overwhelms, you never realize it until it’s already happening. Some of the songs on the album are down tempo, but Scientist mixes in some party rockers that push the tempo as well. “The Death of Hip Hop (A Dedication)” might be my favorite track on the album, a Z-Trip-esque song completely driven by drums on top of drums that’s absolutely bursting with energy. Of course, Scientist follows this song up with “Raincoatman,” a slow and moody track with a gentle and minor melody, conveying images of gray skies and gloom. There are times where this feels less like a hip hop album, and more like some sort of post-rock Tortoise-esque album, such as “Riding My Nightmare,” which rides on the strength of guitar riffs and muted trumpet. By the time you get to the end of the album, the sprawling, swirling, and unyielding nature of a song like “Anything About Nothing (Revised),” is practically expected.

Creating an identity in instrumental hip hop can be difficult, and there is plenty of decent material that can bleed together after a while. That’s what makes an artist like DJ Scientist so refreshing. It might be a little too weird for some listeners, it’s definitely going to stand out. He’s created a wildly ambitious album that delivers on the grandeur. You can spend a lot of time getting lost within For Better, For Worse, peeling back all the different layers. It might have taken a long time to get here, DJ Scientist definitely delivered the goods on his first solo album.