featured releases
(Fatbeats) CD
It’s true that J Dilla is being ceaselessly mined in the post-humous, but his organic-wonk-jazz-funk has been nothing short of a revelry for those seeking new avenues out of hip-hop’s filthy mirrored back alleys. Detroit native Black Milk (along with Madlib, Dabrye & Shape Of Broad Minds among others…) has managed to echo Dilla & continue his legacy of rhythmic experiments. The extra bonus with Black Milk is: he’s not a shitty rhymer. He’s got mad swagger & the right amount of flow to even out the bumps on the quirky, un-quantized road of breaks that Dilla paved. “Bounce” pits analog synth arpeggios against the familiar off-center kicks & snares that have come to typify the Detroit sound so well. The Motor City’s sound is now equal parts hip-hop & techno, as robotic lines, arpeggiation & synths litter the soul & jazz funk. A nice retreat from the idiocy of southern-fried lethargy.
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3 November 2008 by Chris Long
| Hip-Hop
(mail order) CDR
Flying Lotus’ mysterious pal (some have ventured to suspect that they are one & the same) Samiyam has been hotly tipped for much of 2008. With only a 4 track 12” available on London’s Hyperdub imprint (home to Burial & Kode9), we saught out what we could & found this – a CDR direct from Los Angeles via snail mail. Simply titled Rap Beats Vol. 1, the disc is chock full of brief bursts of L.A. now-funk hip-hop instrumentals, none of which last longer than 2 minutes. Much like Dilla’s amazing Donuts, this format is a brilliant way to venture into Samiyam’s vault of ideas; the quirk, lope & bounce of Madlib, Dilla & Flying Lotus are here, in focused shots of robotic funk. We only have a few of these for sale; simple CDR with no track titles, but each comes with specific custom individual artwork, forged by Samiyam himself.
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8 October 2008 by Jeremy Robinson
| Electronic, Hip-Hop
(Warp) CD & 2LP
Warp’s newest signing is Flying Lotus aka Steven Ellison. An L.A. based post-hop producer, Ellison crafts dense instrumental hip-hop soundscapes, melding the styles & moods of J Dilla, Madlib & Prefuse 73. But it’s Amon Tobin that seems Ellison’s closest touchstone, especially Tobin’s recent micro-sampled, atmosphere-heavy releases. The nephew of legendary jazz harpist Alice Coltrane, Ellison encrusts lurching drones, insect atmospherics & jilted, off-kilter head-nod breaks with a layer of soul; guest vocalists appear, sometime up front, sometimes splintered & echoed around the track. Again, Los Angeles is more music for the headphones, but hey, I see you all out there on the street with your lil’ earbuds – gobble this up. For fans of Amon Tobin, J Dilla, Madlib.
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25 June 2008 by Tara Campbell
| Electronic, Hip-Hop
(Chocolate Industries) CD
The Cool Kids, aka Mikey Rocks & Chuck Inglish, are the Chicago hip hop duo that are “bringin 88 back” — the beats, flows & style here all hearken back to hip hop’s classic eras, yet manage to elude the doldrummery of “old school” crews like Jurassic 5. Topical flows don’t vary much; these cats love shoes, clothes, bikes, haircuts & girls, but the nonchalance & sneakily crafty lyrics keep it witty & well, cool. Compositionally, the beats recall the stylings of classic LL Cool J & Run DMC, but sonically this is modern hip hop; the panned, fucked up breaks & post-Dilla off-kilter shuffling basslines keep The Bake Sale from being shrouded in its own referential history. This “EP” is classic; it’s got ten songs, but most clock in under 3 min, so you don’t get bored… think of this as a Sesame Street version of The Clipse’s Hell Hath No Fury.
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11 June 2008 by Chris Long
| Hip-Hop
(Lex) CD, LP coming soon
Doseone & co. return from relentless touring for 2006’s criminally under-appreciated for hero: for fool with their first bonafied attempt at pop (somewhat). Over three proper full lengths, Subtle have become a lot more comfortable shedding their shoe-gaze hip-hop aesthetic for inquisitive adventures into more traditional pop arrangements. Dose’s vocal melodicism has developed, as has the band’s balance of restraint with full-on sonic blitz. There are echoes of hip hop — the drums punch & the odd rapid fire oration from Dose pops up here & there — but for the most part, Subtle seem like their shooting for a new hybrid of the synthetic pop that The Flaming Lips are known for. Creative, interesting music fo’ sho’.
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10 June 2008 by Chris Long
| Electronic, Hip-Hop, Pop / Rock
(Motown) CD & LP
Quirky? Sure, but over the years, Erykah Badu has managed to avoid straying from her path of integrity & focus on music. On New Amerykah, Badu enlists A-List production to backdrop her brilliant ideas; Sa Ra, ?uestlove & 9th Wonder are on point (especially on the heartfelt ode to J Dilla “Telephone”), but it’s “The Healer/Hip Hop” that makes you wish that Madlib would give up Quasimoto’s godforsaken ghost & just focus on working with bonafied artists like Badu (and Doom of course). Badu turns in some great beats herself (check Tribe Called Quest Midnight Marauders-era vibe of “The Cell”…) for a great synthesis of her individual voice & oooweeoo steez with warm, rhythmically rich hip-hop production.
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29 April 2008 by Chris Long
| Hip-Hop, Jazz / Soul / Funk
(Upper Class) CD & 2LP
Cadence Weapon surprised many with the catchy electro-hip-hop of his debut, Breaking Kayfabe. A deft lyricist, Cadence often recalls the brilliant aggro-rambling of Aesop Rock. On Afterparty Babies, CW fuses avant-hop with quick wit & hip-house, often flowing over rhythms in the 100 bpm+ range. “In Search Of The Youth Crew” & “House Music” are unrelenting with the rhythms, while “Messages Matter” sees CW twist cinematic audio sources into something resembling a Justice track. Lyrical topics include hipsters (and their vapidity/hilarity), ridiculous fashion trends & girl-gossip. A breath of fresh air for Canadian hip-hop from Rollie Pemberton.
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4 April 2008 by Jeremy Robinson
| Hip-Hop
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