Subliminal Simulation is the second studio album by Canadian hip hop group Dream Warriors, released in 1994 in Canada and worldwide in 1995, on EMI/Pendulum Records. The original duo, King Lou and Capital Q, expanded to include Spek and DJ Luv (Michie Mee's former DJ).

Subliminal Simulation
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 4, 1994
Recorded1991 (I’ve Lost My Innocence), 1993-1994
GenreCanadian hip hop, jazz rap
Length51:46
LabelPendulum/EMI
7243 8 30345 2 9
E2-30345
ProducerDream Warriors, 99, DJ Premier, Gang Starr, Black Katt, Butterfly, Da Grassroots Music, Billy Bryans
Dream Warriors chronology
And Now the Legacy Begins
(1991)
Subliminal Simulation
(1994)
The Master Plan
(1996)
Singles from Subliminal Simulation
  1. "Day in Day Out"
    Released: 1994
  2. "California Dreamin'"
    Released: 1995

Background edit

Following their well-received debut album, And Now the Legacy Begins, Dream Warriors' second effort featured appearances by Guru and DJ Premier of Gang Starr and Butterfly of Digable Planets. The collaboration "I've Lost My Ignorance" was originally released as a 12" single in 1991, though the album version has a different beat. Continuing the jazz rap trend, spoken word is performed during the interludes.[1] The first single, "Day in Day Out", showcased the newest MC, Spek. The second single was "California Dreamin'".

Reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [2]
Q     [3]
RapReviews9/10[4]
The Source3/5[5]

The album received generally mixed reviews from music critics. RapReviews.com gave it a 9/10 rating, stating "Dream Warriors successfully recreate the night-at-the-jazz-club feel championed by The Roots and classic Tribe," also praising it as "A landmark in Canadian hip-hop and hell, hip-hop in general."[1] The Source gave the album 3 out of 5 mics, calling it "a positive and ambitious LP."[6] AllMusic gave it 2 out of 5 stars, noting that "Dream Warriors' jazz-rap formula has run out of steam."[7] The album was nominated for Best Rap Recording at the 1995 Juno Awards.

Track listing edit

# Title Producer(s) Featured guest(s) Length
1. "Intro" Dream Warriors 0:29
2. "Are We There Yet" Dream Warriors 3:15
3. "Day in Day Out" Dream Warriors 3:55
4. "Adventures of Plastic Man" 99 and Dream Warriors 99 1:09
5. "It's a Project Thing" DJ Premier 4:24
6. "Paranoia - The "P" Noise" Dream Warriors 2:59
7. "I've Lost My Ignorance" Dream Warriors and Gang Starr Guru 3:33
8. "Break the Stereo" Dream Warriors 4:45
9. "When I Was at the Jam" Black Katt Black Katt 1:34
10. "Burns 1" 99 99 1:52
11. "Tricycles and Kittens" Dream Warriors and Butterfly Butterfly 5:22
12. "California Dreamin'" Dream Warriors 5:04
13. "No Dingbats Allowed" Da Grassroots Music and Dream Warriors 4:14
14. "You Think I Don't Know" Black Katt Black Katt 1:22
15. "Sink into the Frame of the Portrait" Billy Bryans and Dream Warriors 3:36
16. "I Wouldn't Wanna Be Ya" Dream Warriors 3:43
17. "Outro" Dream Warriors 0:30

Samples edit

Release history edit

Region Date
Canada 1994
United Kingdom[8] February 1, 1995
United States[9] April 25, 1995

Personnel edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Dream Warriors :: Subliminal Simulation RapReviews. Accessed on February 3, 2010.
  2. ^ Allmusic review
  3. ^ Q review
  4. ^ RapReviews review
  5. ^ The Source review
  6. ^ Subliminal Simulation CD CD Universe. Accessed on October 8, 2010.
  7. ^ Subliminal Simulation > Overview Allmusic. Accessed on February 3, 2010.
  8. ^ Subliminal Simulation Amazon.co.uk. Accessed on February 3, 2010.
  9. ^ Subliminal Simulation Amazon.com. Accessed on February 3, 2010.