The Instrumental Ward is on some moody shit. Released in 2001, the compilation of instrumental pieces that came to be their debut album was originally a project assigned to the two in order for them to complete an audio recording requirement for college. Without doubt, beatsmiths Jaded and Manik must have scored highly, as they've put together a dark, gloomy, and at times very entertaining instrumental record. From the cover art to the content, The Instrumental Ward is all about quiet disorder, whether it be mental or sonic. With that said, they do a fine job of sonically expressing mental disorder. Followed by the subtle, screeching background noises and psychotic laughter that make for the album's introduction, "First Snow" acts as the record's official opener. Composed mainly of a shuffling drum pattern and swaying bass line until roughly halfway in, it soon breaks into dizzying atmospherics and eventually settles down just before quickly fading into its own echoes. Many of the beats on this album follow that same formula, yet, to their credit, the producers are able to keep each song fresh and safe from homogeneity. The drums on each song, though occasionally sounding a bit understated, nearly always carry the arrangement well, and on some songs are played so well that they almost sound live in a way. This method is applied on the album's next standout track, "Cold Shoulder". Applying the abovementioned understated drums, this time consisting of soft sweeps, tight snares, and kicks that boom gently, "Cold Shoulder" relies heavily on the subtleties of its percussion to carry it along, as well as a dope string sample that violently flails itself goodbye until periodically returning every few bars. A feminine voice leaves the listener to reflect as she calmly poses the question, "who can I turn to�when nobody needs me?" As promising as this album is, Jaded and Manik are by no means comparable to DJ Shadow or El-P. Needless to say, this record does have its own share of blemishes. The downtempo, and oftentimes depressing feeling that one derives from listening to this album will surely turn some off. Also, to the casual listener, the beats can quite easily come off as repetitive, maybe even boring. The Instrumental Ward changes neither their style nor tempo up very often, and when they do, the speed and manner in which the song is delivered is overridden by the feeling of paranoia that's speckled in nearly each one of their beats. With surprisingly few glaring flaws for a freshman effort, and also considering the circumstances under which this album was made, The Instrumental Ward, both the group and this album, are definitely something to look out for. Like any good instrumental record, it provokes thought, requires concentration, and speaks without words, letting your mind fill in the blanks. - Jed Miranda