Through memorable collaborations with his mates on Galapagos4 and various solo efforts released on 7inch, Meaty Ogre has positioned himself among hip hop’s elite producers. His latest work, an ambitious production album, Leo vs. Pisces, is charged with expectation. Historically, the strength of Meaty Ogre production has been gritty drum programming and he continues to bang out strong compositions. His kit is populated with organic drums and percussion; the beats often obscure the line between programming and live drumming. Although the programming is particularly nice on the vigorous, "Be Me, Leave", Meaty Ogre typically employs a slower place. Over these languid rhythms he layers beautiful samples and melodies washed in reverb. Scratching bits are scattered throughout – straightforward and unobtrusive for the most part – and the album is dotted with vocal appearances from the familiar Galapagos4 crew and Meaty Ogre himself. The album starts tentatively with a careful and perhaps sluggish introduction, "Leo Prowls". The stupid "Pornounciation" follows and although Robust’s Barmen-esque pronunciation is charming in its own right, three verses on "Flibbertigibbit" is a bit tedious with the general privileging of style over content. The album really hits its stride by the seventh track with "Orions's Right Shoulder". Sexy horns drive a hot Mediterranean melody, Qwel is rapping well and these two manage to recapture the chemistry from the Qwel’s Pawn Shop days. The Denizen Kane spoken word track, "Descending Son", shares none of the pretentious didactic qualities of spoken word artists I hate, and "Mutable End" is undeniably catchy – complete with the clap snare and a sung hook. Mestizo proves himself a capable emcee. The qualities of the vocal track pair nicely with the beat, to the point of rendering the actual lyrical content irrelevant. Even a typical, uninteresting Pharcyde cut cannot undermine this gem. Leo vs. Pisces is a strong album – the emcee performances are technically sound, the production consistent and rich. Upholding his tradition of excellence, Leo vs. Pisces lends further credence to the placement of Meaty Ogre among the finest producers of the day. - Troy Gronsdahl