When Ann Arbor's Tadd Mullinix began exploring hip-hop under the
name Dabrye 20 years ago, he soon honed in on a startling vision of
what the genre could be: ingenious, refined, daring. This vision came
to life across two albums for Ghostly International — 2001's One/Three
and its 2006 follow-up Two/Three — with each record further
positioning the quiet Michigan producer as one of his generation's
best, equally comfortable creating minimalist instrumental meditations
or sharp rap salvos. In the late 2000s, following critical acclaim and
accolades from both peers and inspirations (including the late Jay Dee
with whom Mullinix collaborated before his untimely passing), Mullinix
put the Dabrye moniker on ice and dedicated himself to other genres
and ideas. All the while the influence of his work on a new generation
of electronic musicians continued to make itself felt in subtle but
meaningful ways.