You may recognize the name Malachai as a book of the Bible, but chances are what rings a bell first is the creepy, red-haired antagonist of the same name in 1984’s Children of the Corn (by the way, we are truly living in modern times when a Stephen King movie trumps the Bible in familiarity). But whether it’s the Old Testament or a horror movie that is this Bristol duo’s muse, the end result is the same: chaos. A descent into chaos is really the only way to describe Malachai’s debut record, Ugly Side of Love. And we’re not talking lame psychological thriller chaotic (or that TV show Britney Spears and Kevin Federline once had). We’re talking unsettling, time/space continuum-defying, vengeful Old Testament God plus evil children lurking in the corn chaotic. And that’s just a few songs in.

Discovered by another genre bender, Geoff Barrow of Portishead (whose Invada label originally released it), Malachai does incorporate some of the expected cutting-edge trip hop, reggae, dubstep and samples that are the musical landmarks of the Bristol scene. But just when your brain has gotten used to hearing what sounds like it’s from the future – the dark, pulsing drum and bass of "Blackbird" or the scratched samples of "Only for You" or "Fading World" - an organ, a heavy riff or a distorted Carpenters-esque acoustic guitar loop is magically transplanted from somewhere in the '60s or '70s to confuse and disorient you. "Snowflake," with its funky samples, would not at all sound out of place on Sgt. Peppers, or on the Tommy or (seriously) Jesus Christ Superstar soundtracks. "How Long" even borrows a riff from Canadian classic rockers the Guess Who’s "Hand Me Down Love."

More than just past meets future, listening to Ugly Side of Love is like hearing a future your mind can’t quite wrap itself around transmitted through an old AM radio. The ability of Singer G’s voice to shapeshift right along with the music’s devolution into chaos makes for an even more exciting ride, and one you’ll probably never again experience (unless of course Malachai releases another record). Never has anything so confusing made so much sense.