Chronicles, Releases

Vault Review: Yesterday’s New Quintet – Life’s Angles

Digging around in the Truants vault this week, we stumbled across this 2001 offering from Yesterday’s New Quintet, entitled “Life’s Angles” released on Stones Throw. The project’s ethos lies very deeply in hip-hop tradition and this imperative is electronically articulated by the four fictitious alter egos played by Madlib: Ahmad Miller, Monk Hughes, Malik Flavors […]

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Chronicles, Releases

Preview: First Serve – Pushin’ Aside, Pushin’ Along

The forthcoming album teaser track “Pushin’ Aside, Pushin’ Along” from New York natives First Serve (produced by De La Soul’s Plug 1 & Plug 2) is resplendent in staccato ivories, sumptuous bass hooks, spectacular vernacular and classic flow from back in the day. Those with your fingers on the pulse will recall the track featuring […]

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Chronicles, Various

Vault Review: J Period Presents.. The [Abstract] Best

In the history of Hip Hop there is one artist in particular who has quietly shaped an entire generation of MCs and producers, and that’s Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, better known as The Abstract himself Q-Tip. From Los Angeles born Brooklyn residing mixtape king J. Period comes “The Abstract Best”, self-released in 2009 as a ninety minute […]

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Chronicles, Various

Stream: Black Star – You Already Knew

Mos Def (Yasiin Bey) and Talib Kweli work together again through the combined medium of Black Star, this time releasing a mixtape in honour of Soul legend Aretha Franklin entitled “Black Star Aretha”. Madlib’s younger brother ‘Oh No is’ taking the production helm and blending a velvety beat comprised chiefly of smoky high pitched tweaked stabs, […]

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Releases

Recommended: Krampfhaft – Makin’ Magic

Hailing from the label’s homeland, Krampfhaft has been making waves with support from the likes of Mary Anne Hobbs, Om Unit and Daedelus. His newest EP on Rwina Records features 4 tracks, ranging from ostensibly Dubstep-influenced ‘I Needed You’ to the upbeat garage tempo ‘Hyper Dreaming’, through to the heavy rolling crunk-infested ‘Makin’ Magic’ that defies […]

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Releases

Recommended: Tanner Ross & Soul Clap – Shady Shores EP

Tanner Ross, New Jersey DJ and producer (who is also known as T-Rex or Prince Of E-funkdom), and mercurial Bostonian DJ duo Soul Clap, comprising of Charles Levine and Eli Goldstein (known individually as Cynce and Elyte) have teamed up to produce “Shady Shore“, an astonishing 6 track EP out now on Wolf+Lamb. The fittingly […]

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Downloads, Releases

Download: Star Slinger Vol. 1

Twenty-four year old Mancunian Darren Williams, also known as Star Slinger, is a producer with hip-hop sensibilities and has created a really incredible catalogue of music in what we perceive to be a relatively short time, when actually he’s been honing his skills since a very early age. Star Slinger Vol .1 was put out […]

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Chronicles, Releases

Review: Suff Daddy – Gin Diaries

It’s incredible how music can transport you to different places and different periods, this phenomenon has never been truer in recent years, than with 2010’s Gin Diaries by German producer Suff Daddy. If you have been left wanting this summer for a soundtrack to chill the fuck out to,  after an ailing year of exams, work or […]

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Releases

Review: LV & Joshua Idehen – Routes LP

There’s been a recent surge in the blending of those fabled genres. That old chestnut eh? Whatchu call it – 2 step? Whatchu call it urban? No? Garage? Enough already. We generally dislike getting too caught up in categorising music, because it can so often become a neeky and reductionist route to analysing music. But […]

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Releases

Review: Reks – Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme

Boston’s finest unsung hero is back with his latest offering ‘Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme’. The criminally underrated Bostonian emcee wields an unrelenting flow that would rightly put a host of more commercially successful rappers to shame, no throwaway cliches or parvenu posturing, even a proclamation that boldly eschews the transient in favour of the essential akin […]

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