ALBUMS

FEBRUARY 2022

Farhot

Kabul Fire Vol. 2

Beats, Rap/Hip-Hop

Aghani beat maker Farhot's latest album represents Kabul through music and showcases Afghanistan's untold stories .

Farhot

A Time For Healing

Jazz

The leading force in Chicago jazz returns with an album to heal and uplift the soul.

Kahil El’Zabar Quartet

JANUARY 2022

Jeff Parker

Forfolks

Experimental, Rock

With Forfolks, Jeff Parker crafts an ethereal solo guitar album for jazz fusion fans that's also ripe for devouring by indie rock devotees.

Jeff Parker

Metatron’s Cube

Rap/Hip-Hop

With enough creativity and nuance to keep any hip-hop fan interested, Metatron’s Cube hestablishes AJ Suede and Televangel as a duo to watch.

AJ Suede & Televangel

Piece Of Me

Soul

Lady Wray's sophomore album finds her emerging with a sound that mixes deep analog soul with melodic hip-hop.

Lady Wray

Confusions

Jazz, Soul

With Confusions, L’Eclair presents a fully formed sound, full of light and shade, flowing effortlessly from start to finish.

L'Eclair

If Words Were Flowers

Soul

If Words Were Flowers is another soul music masterclass from Curtis Harding that constantly shifts in style and production.

Curtis Harding

Ritmo Fantasía: Balearic Spanish Synth-Pop, Boogie and House (1982-1992)

Electronic

Ritmo Fantasía is the compilation that dance music obsessives have been waiting for, even if they didn’t know it.

Various Artists

Ritmo Fantasía: Balearic Spanish Synth-Pop, Boogie and House (1982-1992)

Electronic

Earl Sweatshirt

Sick!

Rap/Hip-Hop

After a lengthy hiatus, Earl Sweatshirt returns with his best work yet.

Earl Sweatshirt

Dub Journey’s

Electronic

Recently reissued on Isle of Jura records, Dub Journey's is a lost gem that combines classic dub with a smattering of styles from around the world.

Ambient Warrior

A Way Forward

Rock

With A Way Forward, Nation of Language continue to develop a grand style indebted to the past.

Nation of Language

DECEMBER 2021

Boldy James & The Alchemist

Super Tecmo Bo

Rap/Hip-Hop

With Super Tecmo Bo, Boldy James and The Alchemist show why they're one of the best teams in rap.

Boldy James & The Alchemist

Best Albums of 2021

A look back at our favorite albums of the year.

Ancient Methods

Beats, Rap/Hip-Hop

Sci-fi boom bap beats for apocalyptic times, fueled by dusty loops, hard drums and guest appearances from Armand Hammer's Elucid and Billy Woods.

Spectacular Diagnostics

Enemy Of The Good

Beats

Orlando producer NOTHINGISREAL's latest album is a kaleidoscope of sound with surprises lurking around every corner.

NOTHINGISREAL

NOVEMBER 2021

Seany Bsta

Empyrean Creation

Beats

Australian hip-hop mainstay Seany Bsta's latest is a sprawling beat tape that also feels like an eclectic DJ set.

Seany Bsta

Tickets For Doomsday: Heavy Psychedelic Funk, Soul Ballads & Dirges

Funk, Rock, Soul

An essential collection of rare and barely-heard psych masterpieces.

Various Artists

Tickets For Doomsday: Heavy Psychedelic Funk, Soul Ballads & Dirges

Funk, Rock, Soul

Nolan

P.S.

Rap/Hip-Hop

Detroit rapper and beatmaker NOLAN returns with his most fully realized project yet.

Nolan

Natten

Jazz

Danish duo Bremer/McCoy return with a lush and soothing blend of ambient, dub, and jazz.

Bremer/McCoy

Magical Nights: Saigon Surf Twist & Soul (1964-1966)

Rock

Magical Nights: Saigon Surf Twist & Soul is a rich compilation tracks from Phương Tâm, one of Vietnam's earliest rock n' roll artists.

Phương Tâm

Magical Nights: Saigon Surf Twist & Soul (1964-1966)

Rock

Scott Matelic

In A Sky Blue

Beats

In A Sky Blue spans two sides of back-to-back heat, a sonic collage composed of obscure loops and slapping drums from a variety of sources.

Scott Matelic

Floating Mountains

Electronic

As the cover art suggests, Floating Mountains is a cosmic, transportive affair, hazy beats for mist-filled mornings.

Soshi Takeda

Victim Of The Bass

Beats

LA's HP SHAWTY delivers a choice selection of slowed and throwed trunk rattling beats.

HP SHAWTY

OCTOBER 2021

Wiki

Half God

Rap/Hip-Hop

The latest from New York rapper Wiki is a beautifully grimy, heartfelt opus to the big apple.

Wiki

Souvenir

Jazz

Recorded over the span of 48 hours, Souvenir is ambitious in scope and flawlessly executed, coming off as both improvisational and polished.

Maston & L'éclair

Talk Memory

Jazz

BADBADNOTGOOD continue their flawless run with a sweeping album laced with improvisational energy.

BADBADNOTGOOD

This Thing Of Ours 2

Rap/Hip-Hop

Clocking in at just under 12 minutes, This Thing Of Ours 2 is a quick fever dream of hypnotic, psychedelic beats overlaid by impeccable flows.

The Alchemist

Tao Te Gray

Beats

Richmond, VA producer Graymatter's latest is pure gold for fans of dusty, sample-heavy beats.

Graymatter

Low Budget Environments Striving For Perfection

Beats

With his second album of the year, Stimulator Jones drops a groove-heavy, timeless beat tape chock full of tape hiss and THC.

Stimulator Jones

Low Budget Environments Striving For Perfection

Beats

Moor Mother

Black Encyclopedia of the Air

Rap/Hip-Hop

Experimental poet/sound artist/rapper Moor Mother's fifth solo outing is a thought-provoking and exciting listen for fans of experimental hip-hop.

Moor Mother

Black Encyclopedia of the Air

Rap/Hip-Hop

Holy Hive

Soul

Recorded during the pandemic, the Brooklyn folk soul band’s second, self-titled album is more personal and reflective than their previous work.

Holy Hive

Soul

Various Artists

Habibi Funk 015: An eclectic selection of music from the Arab world, part 2

Funk, Soul

Berlin label Habibi Funk presents a mixtape-style compilation of obscure and under appreciated sounds from the Arab world.

Various Artists

Habibi Funk 015: An eclectic selection of music from the Arab world, part 2

Funk, Soul

Sven Wunder

Natura Morta

Jazz

Featuring a chamber orchestra and a jazz ensemble, Natura Morta is ambitious in both vision and scope.

Sven Wunder

SEPTEMBER 2021

Westside Gunn

Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B

Rap/Hip-Hop, Rap/Hip-Hop Albums

Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B, is an extension of Westside Gunn's insular, hallucinogenic sound

Westside Gunn

Music for Saxophone and Bass Guitar More Songs

Jazz

Sam Gendel and Sam Wilkes return with another spaced out jazz gem

Sam Gendel & Sam Wilkes

Music for Saxophone and Bass Guitar More Songs

Jazz

Xique-Xique

Na Lagoa

Electronic

Electronic duo Xique-Xique deliver a debut album of pleasant, meditative rhythms.

Xique-Xique

Na Lagoa

Electronic

Loveshadow

Electronic

The debut album from Bay Area duo Loveshadow is dreamy bedroom pop with just the right amount of nostalgia.

Loveshadow

Electronic

K, Le Maestro

WHIP MUSIC

Beats, Rap/Hip-Hop

London's K, Le Maestro flexes his production chops across 10 old-school-meets-new tracks.

K, Le Maestro

Water Groove

Electronic

The debut album from multi-instrumentalist composer Yoann Pisterman is a collection of mesmerizing melodies that are both cosmic and transfixing.

Yoann Pisterman

Respawn

Electronic, Electronic Albums

Grand, sprawling dream pop filtered through an electronic hip-hop lens.

Child Actor & Televangel

After All This

Electronic

Billed as an “ode to the house party,” After All This finds dreamcastmoe in finer form than ever.

dreamcastmoe

I Flip My Life Every Time I Fly

Soul

Melbourne's The Pro-Teens deliver a masterwork of gritty, boom bap-laced soul.

The Pro-Teens

I Flip My Life Every Time I Fly

Soul

Cochemea

Vol. II Baca Sewa

Soul

Daptone's in house sax player breaks out on his own with a powerful ode to family and ancestry.

Cochemea

AUGUST 2021

Turnstile

Glow On

Rock

Glow On is Turnstile's most accessible - and enjoyable - album yet.

Turnstile

Antera

Electronic

Jarren's full length debut is a retro-futurist dream, linking boogie, '90s g-funk and house.

Jarren

Navy’s Reprise

Rap/Hip-Hop

Navy's Reprise cements rapper/producer Navy Blue's place as one of the best artists in hip-hop.

Navy Blue

Mind Beats Vol. 1

Beats

Melbourne producer Inkswel delivers a suite of cosmic crunk beats for fans of Madlib and Pete Rock.

Inkswel

Shakedown in Slabtown

Rock

Shakedown in Slabtown finds psych-folk guitarist Bobby Lee joined by a backing band for a fuller, less ephemeral sound.

Bobby Lee

still slipping vol. 1

Electronic

Joy Orbison's debut full-length album finds him elevating his craft to bold new heights.

Joy Orbison

Breakfast Without A Curfew

Rap/Hip-Hop

Baltimore and Brooklyn unite for a boom bap masterclass.

Mogillah & Karniege

Occult Fractures

Rock, Rock Albums

Brilliant mutant disco punk excursions from Chicago band Arthhur.

Arthhur

Blue Stompin’

Jazz

Saxophonists Kippie Moketsi and Hal Singer link up on this previously unreleased transcontinental jazz session.

Kippie Moketsi & Hal Singer

Minor Circle

Rock

Screwed-up, new-age, balearic, dub and disco collide on the debut album from Leo Almunia.

Leo Almunia

Flashed Glass

Electronic

A jaw-dropping collaboration between electronic duo Sleep D and chamber music ensemble Ad Lib Collective.

Sleep D & Ad Lib Collective

JULY 2021

Durand Jones & The Indications

Private Space

Soul

Durand Jones & The Indications continue their impressive run of retro-inspired soul with their latest offering, Private Space.

Durand Jones & The Indications

Children In Space

Electronic, Soul

French duo Guess What continue their interstellar exploration of deep, cosmic grooves with their latest offering.

Guess What

Memoirs & Travels

Electronic

2 Live Crew meets Larry Heard on the debut album from transatlantic duo Passport.

Passport

Memoirs & Travels

Electronic

Manduka

Rock

Reissue of the brilliant, highly coveted debut album from late Brazilian psych folk musician Manduka.

Manduka

Rock

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band

Expansions

Soul

Proving they can't miss, Baco Rhythm & Steel Band come through with another steel pan-fueled album of bangers.

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band

Ripe

Soul

California psych soul band Brainstory return with an introspective Covid classic.

Brainstory

Familiar Future

Jazz

Oakland's Dougie Stu drops ten tracks of exquisite, cinematic nu/soul jazz laced with elements of trip hop.

Dougie Stu

Nine

Soul

The mysterious London group's third album in a year finds Sault again elevating their game.

Sault

Coke Le Roc

Rap/Hip-Hop

Another nostalgia-driven boom bap banger from Birmingham rapper Sonnyjim, produced entirely by frequent collaborator Buckwild.

Sonnyjim

Septet

Jazz, Soul

Keyboardist John Carroll Kirby delivers a joyous jazz-fusion outing imbued with all the feels.

John Carroll Kirby

Tezeta

Jazz, Soul

Originally released in 1975, "Tezeta" is a sublime collection of covers and renditions of popular Ethiopian songs.

Hailu Mergia & The Walias Band

JUNE 2021

Athletic Progression

cloud high in dreams but heavy in the air

Jazz, Soul

Danish/Tanzanian, Aarhus-based jazz-fusion trio Athletic Progression flex their range and dexterity with their second studio album.

Athletic Progression

cloud high in dreams but heavy in the air

Jazz, Soul

brainorchestra

Message To You

Beats

New Jersey producer brainorchestra turns out a psych-laden journey into subconsciousness and sound.

brainorchestra

Pantea

Electronic

With Pantea, Italian electronic producer Lorenzo_BITW drops a melodic 10 track “love letter” to his home country.

Lorenzo_BITW

Spring

Jazz

Matsuli Records reissues The Ibrahim Khalil Shihab Quintet's first album, one of the more under appreciated jazz recordings of all time.

The Ibrahim Khalil Shihab Quintet

All The Brilliant Things

Rap/Hip-Hop

Brooklyn MC Skyzoo delivers a powerful, jazz-inflected tribute to his home neighborhood of Bed Stuy.

Skyzoo

Light Armour

Electronic, Experimental

A shimmering xylophonic ambient track with shades of Four Tet and Pantha du Prince.

Iglew

Fried

Rap/Hip-Hop

The third and final album from Melbourne rap duo REMI is a funk-fueled triumph and definite album of the year contender.

REMI

Day Moon EP

Electronic, Pop

Portland musician Harra's debut EP is a sonically rich soundscape of moving, other-worldly dream pop.

Harra

Natural Mechanics

Beats, Rap/Hip-Hop Albums

Spectacular Diagnostics delivers a blissful journey of soulful "moon bap" beats interlaced with guest appearances from some of underground rap's finest.

Spectacular Diagnostics

‘One’

Beats

UK producer MossGatherer drops a dark, dubby gem.

MossGatherer

MAY 2021

Fears

Oíche

Electronic

The debut album from Irish artist Fears is a gorgeously sparse listen from an artist not afraid to put her scars on full display.

Fears

South Wind, Clear Sky Part 1

Electronic, Jazz

Soul jazz meets tropical house on this exquisite EP from Russian artist Scruscru.

Scruscru

NOTHINGISGREEN

Beats

Saharas Greenery & NOTHINGISREAL collaborate to drop a deep dive of blunted beats.

Saharas Greenery & NOTHINGISREAL

Buy The Numbers

Jazz, Soul

Harry James crafts a stunning suite of instrumentals built around piano and percussion.

Harry James

Imagine Everything

Rap/Hip-Hop

Pure boom bap rap from Nashville MC Namir Blade and North Carolina producer L'Orange.

Namir Blade & L'Orange

Comme Au Moulin

Experimental, Jazz

A lost gem in the annals of experimental music, fusing spiritual jazz with classical and eastern music.

Nyssa Musique

Lua Ki Di Nos (The Moon is Ours)

Rock

A brilliant reissue of lost gems from poet/activist José Carlos Schwarz, with a powerful story to tell.

José Carlos Schwarz & Le Cobiana Djazz

Lua Ki Di Nos (The Moon is Ours)

Rock

Cale Sexton

Sustain

Electronic, Experimental

Coolest album of 2021 composed using a public art piece.

Cale Sexton

Sun//Rain

Experimental

Layered clarinet loops combine with electronic production to craft a sound unlike anything out right now.

Clariloops

Luvbalm

Beats

A summer jam mixtape of beats laced with hip-hop, boogie and jazz.

Roane Namuh

Monsterra Peligro

Rock

Perhaps the first album to ever pull off psychedelic cumbia surf rock.

Monsterra

Devil’s Workshop

Beats

Beautiful, tripped out boom bap beats.

DJ Format

This Thing Of Ours

Rap/Hip-Hop

An all star collaboration of psychedelic rap.

The Alchemist

APRIL 2021

Karate Boogaloo

KB’s Mixtape No. 3

Funk, Soul

A collection of funk/soul covers for hip-hop heads.

Karate Boogaloo

Requiem pour Satana

Rock

Dreamy psych surf rock instrumentals with elements of funk and hula.

Magneto

Enter The Zenmenn

Electronic

Laid back, magical synthscapes.

The Zenmenn

New Long Leg

Rock

Killer post-punk with a nihilist edge on the debut album from London band Dry Cleaning.

Dry Cleaning

Never The Right Time

Electronic

Post-dubstep meets neon pop on Andy Stott's best album yet.

Andy Stott

NOW

Jazz

A staggering work of politically charged cosmic jazz.

Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble

Ritmo

Beats

Future funk beats laced with traditional Brazilian rhythms.

VHOOR

Robyn

Experimental, Jazz

Part jazz, part classical, wholly experimental and stunning throughout.

cktrl

An Insight To All Minds

Jazz

An intergalactic groove expedition from multi-instrumental innovator Kaidi Tatham.

Kaidi Tatham

Yeti Season

Funk, Soul

A masterful blend of eastern and western psych soul sounds.

El Michels Affair

Blush

Electronic

Stunning electronic soundscapes on the debut album from Facta.

Facta

Promises

Electronic, Experimental, Jazz

Incredible collaboration between jazz saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and electronic iconoclast Floating Points.

Floating Points, Pharoah Sanders & London Symphony Orchestra

Bubblerap: Vol. 1

Electronic, Electronic Albums

A collection of tasteful R&B covers.

Demae

Steel Clouds

Electronic

Exquisite, atmospheric electronic.

Dorosoto & Body San

Pit Of My Dreams

Electronic

April + Vista return with their first album since 2018 and it’s a stunner.

April + Vista

MARCH 2021

Benny The Butcher

Plug I Met 2

Rap/Hip-Hop

Plugs I Met 2 is a natural extension of the resurgence of New York street rap and a prime example of what makes Benny The Butcher so exciting.

Benny The Butcher

Swave Villi Us: Independent Soul 1971-84

Soul

A must listen for fans of classic and rare soul.

Various Artists

Swave Villi Us: Independent Soul 1971-84

Soul

Vegyn

Like A Good Old Friend

Electronic

Showcasing a producer whose insular sound is sure to be turning heads in 2021.

Vegyn

Love Or (I Hear You Like Heartbreak)

Electronic

An exquisitely crafted album exploring a wide range of electronic styles and influences.

Prequel

Love Or (I Hear You Like Heartbreak)

Electronic

Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin

Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin – $mokebreak EP

Rap/Hip-Hop

Exquisite EP of textured beats and rhymes.

Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin

Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin – $mokebreak EP

Rap/Hip-Hop

Reymour

Leviosa

Electronic

Exquisite leftfield pop, seamlessly navigating from electronic to new wave to no wave to synth-laden dreamscapes.

Reymour

SEVENTY-FIFTH & AMSTERDAM SIDE B: LOST IN NYC

Rap/Hip-Hop

Stellar new project from Charlotte rapper jaH-Monte OF MELANATED PEOPLE.

jaH-Monte OF MELENATED PEOPLE

SEVENTY-FIFTH & AMSTERDAM SIDE B: LOST IN NYC

Rap/Hip-Hop

Various Artists

Heisei No Oto: Japanese Left-field Pop From The CD Age, 1989-1996

Experimental, Pop

A veritable treasure trove of eccentric Japanese pop.

Various Artists

Heisei No Oto: Japanese Left-field Pop From The CD Age, 1989-1996

Experimental, Pop

Bobby Lee

Average Man

Rap/Hip-Hop

Boundary-pushing music from Australian hip-hop act Man Made Mountain.

Man Made Mountain

Sleep While You Can

Rock

Deep, lush, melodic indie rock of the highest caliber.

Blue Canopy

Midnight Visions

Electronic

An expansive project from Vancouver-based artist wzrdryAV, Midnight Visions is an exercise in minimalism broken into two halves.

wzrdryAV

Thumbing Thru Foliage

Rap/Hip-Hop

A hard hitting, soul-fueled gem.

YUNGMORPHEUS & ewonee

Earth Scum

Electronic

The debut album from electronic duo FYI Chris veers into a variety of styles while maintaining a cohesive flow rooted in the dance floor.

FYI Chris

KUTMAH

High-End Gutter

Beats

A clinic in low end beatmaking from Berlin-based producer Kutmah.

KUTMAH

LA OLA INTERIOR Spanish Ambient & Acid Exoticism 1983-1990

Experimental

Incredible compilation showcasing leftfield Spanish electronic production from the 1980s.

Various Artists

LA OLA INTERIOR Spanish Ambient & Acid Exoticism 1983-1990

Experimental

Puma Blue

In Praise Of Shadows

Luxuriant lo-fi R&B from London artist Puma Blue.

Puma Blue

Dedicated To Those Who

Beats

Dope conceptual album from Bay Area beat maker Baghead, exploring the role artistry plays in community.

Baghead

Death & The Musician

Rap/Hip-Hop

Gritty beats and bars from Brooklyn MC on the rise Rome Streetz and the legendary DJ Muggs.

Rome Streetz & DJ Muggs

Taurus EP

Rap/Hip-Hop

Philadelphia rapper lojii follows up lo&behold (one of 2020’s best albums) with another stellar ep.

Lojii

Loose Gears

Electronic

Nostalgia-fueled banger from London’s DMX Krew.

DMX Krew

The Huxley Suite

Beats, Rap/Hip-Hop

Incredibly well-rounded, forward-thinking production on the debut album from beat maker QP, Your Humble Narrator.

QP, Your Humble Narrator

The Exciting Sounds of Menahan Street Band

Funk, Soul

Exquisite, cinematic instrumentals from Brooklyn’s Menahan Street Band.

Menahan Street Band

The Exciting Sounds of Menahan Street Band

Funk, Soul

FEBRUARY 2021

De la Soul

3 Feet High and Rising

Rap/Hip-Hop

33 years after its release, we revisit a debut masterpiece that marked a radical shift in hip-hop.

De la Soul

Out to Lunch

Jazz

Recorded on this day 58 years ago, Out to Lunch is Eric Dolphy's crowning achievement and one of the most significant recordings of avant-garde jazz.

Eric Dolphy

ALPHA

R&B, Soul

An expression of strength arising out of pain, ALPHA is a hauntingly gorgeous triumph from rising R&B artist Charlotte Day-Wilson.

Charlotte Day Wilson

Figurine

Electronic, Soul

Figurine is brimming with lush, thematic compositions boundlessly enriched by Wayne Snow’s intercontinental influence and flare for experimentation.

Wayne Snow

Origin Of Forms

Funk, Soul

Origin Of Forms finds Moscow funk outfit The Diasonics building on their "hassar funk" sound to craft a world where Eastern rhythms meet LSD-laced psychedelia and hip-hop stylings.

The Diasonics

Donuts

Beats, Rap/Hip-Hop

On the 16th anniversary of J Dilla's final album, we look back at the swan song from one of hip-hop's most important artists.

J Dilla

Acid Dub Studies

Electronic

Bristol producer OM Unit returns with a forward-leaning album of chugging acid dub tracks.

OM Unit

Mindfulness

Beats

Blunted, future funk instrumentals from LA beatmaker J0eru.

J0eru

Dialogue.

Beats, Rap/Hip-Hop

Norwegian hip-hop stalwarts (Oslo represent!) Ol’ Burger Beats and Vuyo return for an album of jazz-tinged crowd pleasers.

Ol’ Burger Beats & Vuyo

The Space In Which The Uncontrollable Unknown Resides, Can Be The Place From Which Creation Arises

Jazz

Two jaw-dropping spiritual jazz cuts, each a journey unto itself that reinterprets the sound of pioneers Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders.

Work Money Death

The Space In Which The Uncontrollable Unknown Resides, Can Be The Place From Which Creation Arises

Jazz

Voilaaa

Voiciii

Funk, Soul

United around the afro-disco sound, Voilaaa takes inspiration from some of Africa’s greatest funk maestros

Voilaaa

Khrysis On The Boards V.2

Beats

Lush, sample-heavy, headnodic beats.

Khrysis

JANUARY 2021

Yu Su

Yellow River Blue

Electronic

A sonically rich debut album from China-born, Vancouver-based electronic musician Yu Su, Yellow River Blue defies easy categorization.

Yu Su

La Mano

Funk, Jazz, Soul

Norwegian multi-instrumentalist Stimulator Jones’ sophomore album is packed with good energy and a wide range of styles.

Stimulator Jones

Komfort Food

Beats, Rap/Hip-Hop

From the cover art to the samples, this album is clearly a tribute to the late J Dilla, considered by many to be one of, if not the, greatest beatmakers of all time.

Juicy the Emissary

Deep Fried Grandeur

Rock

Ryley Walker and Kikagaku Moyo team up for two heavy, slow-building psych cuts.

Ryley Walker / Kikagaku Moyo

Information (Redacted)

Electronic

Hazy house maestro Galcher Lustwerk’s latest is a collection of instrumentals taken from two previous releases, 2019’s Information and last year’s Proof EP.

AJ Galcher Lustwerk

With Darth Sueder VI, AJ Suede proves he’s one to watch in a Seattle rap scene which also gave rise to fellow iconoclasts like Shabazz Palaces and Nacho Picasso. The beats (produced entirely by Suede himself) are lush, somber and soulful, providing a fresh palette for Suede’s conceptual flow. A welcome addition to the experimental rap sound being spearheaded by rappers like Navy Blue and billy woods.

AJ Suede

Darth Sueder VI

Rap/Hip-Hop

Bugseed

Down East

Beats

Japanese producer Bugseed drops a beat tape of blunted, soulful head nodders. This latest release continues Bugseed’s impressive, torrential output, which sees him dropping an album a month on average.

Bugseed

Down East

Beats

Televangel

Perception Management

Beats, Electronic

The latest release from Portland-based producer Televangel is much more upbeat than his usual material. A former member of prolific production duo Blue Sky Black Death, Televangel crafts evocative, bass-heavy beats that typically hover around the 80 bpm mark

Televangel

Perception Management

Beats, Electronic

Madlib

Sound Ancestors

Beats

Madlib's first solo album is a real triumph, sure to grace many year end best of lists.

Madlib

Sound Ancestors

Beats

Planet Giza

Don’t Throw Rocks At The Moon

Rap/Hip-Hop

Rap, R&B and future funk collide on the latest album from Montreal-based rap group Planet Giza. A solid, well-rounded release exhibiting a sound without boundaries and borders.