In many ways Shabazz Palaces comes across as the Bizzaro version of Ishmael Butler’s previous band, ’90s hip-hop group Digable Planets. I’m referencing the comic book villain who is an attempt at cloning Superman, gone awry — instead creating a mirror image of the man of steel. Bizzaro is very much the same as Supes, but in all ways the opposite. This new project explores the same grounds that the Planets did years ago with their two albums (one being the hindsight masterpiece Blowout Comb), as Ishmael the Butterfly, Butler and crew depicted the African-American experience in themes of black power and street politics through a fusion of jazz and Harlem Renaissance-like creative cool.

Shabazz Palaces’ goal is the same, but instead looks toward the future and the limitlessness experimentation of electronic music. If Digable Planets where the figurative roots digging down into the earth’s soil, then Shabazz Palaces is the flying saucer taking us to outer space. And it is extremely impressive at every step.

Black Up completely stuns with the first listen. The album’s production pieces together loops and samples at odd intervals into bass-heavy beats of extraterrestrial nature. It’s part dubstep, part spaced out synth psychedelica. Mind-blowing track “an echo from the host that profess infinitum” rides a distorted voice loop before completely shifting movement through the song, including a break with a finger harp and then later a portion of congas. This is something that frequently occurs on the album as some songs change drumbeats and pace multiple times per track. Shabazz Palaces utilizes a digitalized version of organic jazz improvisation. It’s a technique that keeps the listener on their toes, and you can never tell where a song will end up based on how it starts.

Butler’s voice, lyrics, and cadence are still butter smooth. He hasn’t missed a step in his near 20 years in the game. “Recollections of the wraith” is probably the most assessable track to typical hip-hop audiences, where he are urges us to, “clear some space out so we can space out,” in his familiar snappy flow. Elsewhere, the lyrics are overdubbed or a robotic effect is added to constantly morph with the song like the beats that adorn them.

Shabazz Palaces is the first hip-hop act signed to indie powerhouse Sub Pop Records, which already gives Ishmael Butler a distinction to live up to. But this release would standout out no matter what label released it. Right now it’s the most progressive hip-hop of the year. Black Up closes with a chant of, “black is you, black is me, black is us, black is free,” echoing back to lines uttered by Butler’s first band. Yet no matter how much Shabazz Palaces revisits concepts of the past, they never stop moving towards the future.