Notes from the Underground #44:
“Dpad UP” / KeithCharles Spacebar
BeforeCommonEra (Bandcamp - 2011)
KeithCharles Spacebar is an Atlanta producer/MC who refers to himself as a neo-hip-hop artist. It’s not a misnomer, he takes an approach that blends electronic and neo-soul movements on low key hip-hop tracks. “Dpad UP” is a different look at the hustle/I need to succeed/”Dollar and a Dream” archetype song. The look is actually pretty fresh; it puts the dream in hazy background of video games and ethereal vocals. The fact that it’s concrete as opposed to an abstract bit on determination makes the idea of getting there that much more real; Spacebar is Mario hitting the Dpad in a dangerous cavern trying to get out. BeforeCommonEra (along with the new “00 / ≠”) can be found at Spacebar’s bandcamp below.
Bandcamp/Twitter/NFTU
Source: SoundCloud / inklinemgmt
Notes from the Underground #43:
“Falcon” / Spvce
Weird Beats for Weird Rappers, Vol. 4 (Soundcloud - 2012)
Hailing from from the NYC/NJ, Spvce has been putting our chilled, weirdo beats for a minute now. Check out the rest of Vol. 4 at soundcloud below.
Tumblr/Twitter/BndCmp/Sndcld/NFTU
Source: SoundCloud / Spvce
Notes from the Underground #41:
“Costumes” / RAJA
Witch (Bandcamp - 2011)
Raja, a young NYC producer, has been prolific in the last few months. Witch, one of three beattapes that dropped in october, features thirty-some beats colored with occult samples and cold 808’s.
Bandcamp/Notes from the Underground
Notes from the Underground #40:
“Rhythm (LFDF Edit)” / A Tribe Called Quest (Soundcloud - 2011)
LFDF, a Dallas, Texas based beatmaker, gives Tribe a crazy edit. It’s somewhere between what Screw used to do with Native Tongues ish and the trap euphoria of new Araabmuzik. Check out more at the Soundcloud below.
Tumblr/Soundcloud/Notes from the Underground
Source: SoundCloud / LDFD
Notes from the Underground #39:
“Ruthle$$ or Die” / Halloweed
Halloweed (Bandcamp -2011)
This recent project finds a bunch of underground dudes making beats in the Halloween spirit. These beats alternately echo RZA’s dark production circa ‘95, the comic mysticism of (so called) witch house, the bounce of early nineties fighting games and the cold 808’s of trap house. The bandcamp claims beats from “Skywlkr, Silky Johnson, Ryan Hemsworth, Quelle, LW, Julian Wass, Jrsty, Dos4gw, Black Noi$e, Big Fellas on Da’ Track, Dayggs.” You should probably have this.
Bandcamp/Notes from the Underground
Source: SoundCloud / julianwass
Notes from the Underground #37:
“Finally”/AHYVE (Soundcloud - 2011)
AHYVE, frequent Main Attrakionz visual collaborater, returns to his drugged out world of bedroom space drama. ”Finally” starts out muddy and lo-fi, bouncing around fuzzy 808’s and empty planets. However, if you stick around, the outro flips over into into a piece of beauty.
“I don’t blame you, this shit is hard, to live inside a dream”
Tumblr/Soundcloud/OnTaskFam
Source: SoundCloud / AHYVE
Notes from the Underground #36:
“From Dusk Til Dawn”/Carios & DKXO P/ Friendzone (2011)
One of the stranger rap songs I’ve heard this year. The Friendzone beat is crazy swag with a rap dialect to match. D/L + other FZ stuff at their tumblr.
Friendzone/Notes from the Underground
Notes from the Underground #35:
“Gawwwn (2008)”/JOOB 森本” (Soundcloud -2011)
Is it just me, or are the best beats coming from the Bay area these days? This is what apperas to be an older one Joob uploaded to his soundcloud. Make sure to check out the (free) Nebula EP on bandcamp as well.
Bandcamp/Soundcloud
Source: SoundCloud / JOOB 森本
