Lipphead is the combined forces of two producers – Eliot Lipp and Blockhead. After being in each other’s orbits for years, and with acclaimed solo releases on the labels like Ninja Tune, Mush, Pretty Lights, Man Bites Dog, and Backwoodz Studioz, they first officially joined together as a duo to release a 7” on Young Heavy Souls in 2019. In June of last year, they finally released their first full-length album as Lipphead, In the Nude. Now they have come right back with their sophomore album, From the Back.

The exciting thing about an album like From the Back is that it really solidifies Lipphead as a group. One album is just a one-off, something fun that happened when everything lined up that one time. A sophomore album, especially one coming so quickly after the first one, lets you know just how seriously these two are taking this project. Of course, you can have fun and take things seriously at the same time, as evidenced by the name of the album and the artwork. This is also reflected in the music, which is both fun and sophisticated. They start with a building block of early ‘80s synth-funk, but they quickly push the music in a lot of different directions, bringing in elements of old school hip hop, R&B, disco, funk, jazz, house, and experimental electronic music. What’s especially impressive is the way that the duo seamlessly blends these retro and modern sounds together, putting all these different elements and eras in conversation with each other, all in the name of some undeniable grooves. On top of all this, what is even more exciting about this album is that now you can really begin to hear a distinct Lipphead sound, not just contributions from Eliot Lipp and Blockhead, but a true merging of styles as they continue to develop their creative process as a duo.

From the Back is a great album that can be enjoyed on many levels. First and foremost, it’s funky and it’s just a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. Eliot Lipp and Blockhead clearly enjoy working together, and as much as they push each other musically and are adventurous in their compositions, they never forget that this is supposed to be fun.