Weltuntergäng Crew
“We’re just another bunch of apes, locked ourselves in a cage, settled in and let it flow.” Munich & Mainz-based Weltuntergäng-Crew deliver this basement-styled, boombap-flavored rhyme session on Tieftonkultur, to show that German rap is very much alive. Grasime + Kram aus der Ecke push this two-track EP (plus instrumentals) that could be mistaken for...
Rebels On Tape
“Tapes, tapes we love dem tapes! I remember, before the downloading days, we used to go get the CD, dub it on cassette, return it, do it again and again and again and it don’t stop. Tapes, tapes we love dem tapes! Listenin’ to undergroud tapes, whether they be four-track the 16 or the 8.”...
From China With Love
If you are into the deep jazzy realm of high-spirited beats you should listen up or look Far East. Time to clear some headspace with this soothing blend of Chinese produce compiled by Mimm member Mos Isley. Remniscent of an opium den these rhythms go subaquatic. Welcome to the People's Republic of
Brussels Hustles
If Belgium had a coast, this would likely be its score. Wait a minute, Belgium does have a coast, though I’m not sure those dolphins belong there. Whatever the story behind this flavor-laden 4-track stew, GOULASH sure puts the hustle in Brussels. In a light-hearted endeavor Belgian beatmakers NOZA and Barok, DJ Kwistax and MC...
Dirty Tape Beats
Fresh from the paws of now 21-year-old Georgia cub Alexander Aultman, alias Bearhead, comes an album that references the classic mixtape format for all its random glory. D.T.B. features an eclectic blend of styles with beats ranging from gritty to dreamy, building on sample-driven atmospheric instrumentals and layered with multiple melodic effects that play out...
Lyrically Reclined
Resinate? Resonate. Be it beats or bars, Chester Watson flows ambidextrous. Rapping on cruise control, this prodigious 17-year-old has been crowding the airwaves, distributing supervillain-esque rhyme schemes and subliminal instrumentals on a regular. Chester’s velvet-voiced verses come laced with off-key loops that are...
Top Cellar Jazz
Rooted heavily in jazz and bathed in a hip hop hue, I’ve literally spent hours immersed in the sounds of Richmond, Virginian multinstumentalist DJ Harrison‘s mindstretching ColorJazzMixtape, including this brilliant tip of the hat to Georgia Anne Muldrow. Niftily arranged and versatilely performed by Harrison’s trio, alias himself on drums, bass and keys, his music...
99 Problems (but this track ain’t one)
Opposites attract, but do they? Isn’t it more about emphasizing the common grounds in what is essentially opposed? Leave it to Stuttgart-based DJ and producer Konstantin Sibold to discover that magical link in the chain, bringing Jay-Z to the stage with Minnie Riperton, if only for a few minutes. A veritable match made in paradise...
Kaleidoscope This
Talk about clearing some headspace. Step aside, sip on this and let Haitian-born producer, DJ and beatmaker extraordinaire Kaytranada‘s latest elixir work its magic. This one’s different. Breaking with his claim to fame, futuristic r&b patterns, K goes the extra mile on young Toronto trio BADBADNOTGOOD‘s “Kaleidoscope“, taking an already great tune, sampling its ever...
Dem Run Things
So you want to run with the big dogs, run the streets, run the jewels, huh? Run the what? Maybe you simply didn’t know you had this in you. Tell me about it. Initially, I guess I just wasn’t ready for the raw power and progressive approach brought to the table by these two lyrically...
Live from Wonkabeats
Not only was this apparently recorded on my 30th birthday, it’s also a really cool find that absolutely made my day. “Live! From Wonkabeats Vol.1” is a spotaneously recorded basement freestyle session, featuring the lyrical artistry of Flex Mathews with his Deer Park water over some randomly selected, previously unreleased, dope beats by Washingtonian producer...
Man or MYTH
Somewhere along the lines of man versus machine comes this mythical synergy of man and machine, aka the collaborative effort by Manchester-born wordsmith Mad Brains and his wingman Srabi Machine of Ça Sonne Bien. The two friends recently hit the studio to record this experimental 7-track banger, featuring a heady brand of futuristic beats by...