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After a couple of years without a new solo release & makin moves with his
Betty Ford Boys Brenk & Dexter, it was time for Suff Daddy to lay another
egg in the form of a new album entitled „Birdsongs“.
Deeply rooted in the Suff Daddy signature sound, it is also proof of an
evolutionary process. A little less sample chops, a little more synth, a little
less straight hip hop, a little more melody. This doesn’t mean that you won’t
be able to recognize the bird by its call anymore, it’s just a slight change in
tonality.
After extending his stomping grounds to neighboring European countries by
frequently playing international shows, including a London Boiler Room, he
also opened for the mighty Anderson.Paak during his German shows in
early 2016. Suff Daddy also remixed Lion Babe's “Wonder Woman” for
Gilles Peterson Worldwide. He'll also be featured on the next “Spring in
Jakarta“ compilation.
The album features some of the fellow birds Suff Daddy is known to fly
with. Betty Ford Boy's Dexter adds drums and baselines, and Mayer
Hawthorne delivers some vocals.

Limited to 500 copies.

Classic der Dicke & Snares release their new groundbreaking record titled '1990'. The EP contains six carefully selected songs that are characterized by personal experiences and thoughts. The lyrics are profound and offer an honest insight into the life of Classic der Dicke. The beats are thoughtful and powerful, literally carrying the listener through the tracks. With this album, the artists manage to create a perfect blend of honest lyrics and infectious beats. For the first time, Classic der Dicke shows a very open side - this is exactly how hip-hop should be!

Alive on Arrival is the new album by Danish producer Shatter Hands. The album was made over the course of 2022 when Johan got together in intervals with a few of his musician friends to collaborate in its creation. Each track was a specific shared moment between the artists and has a special meaning. While inspired by Electronica, Jazz and House music the foundations of the album are built with new techniques compared to Shatter Hands former works. Making „Alive on Arrival“ a brand new chapter in the producer’s musical career. The album originals are 7 impactful songs that are complimented by 4 remixes each as meaningful as the others. The project all together explores a lot of different genres that complement each other very well. Ranging from Hip Hop, R&B, Jazz, Electronica, Disco and House music, the listen flows in a very pleasant and familiar way. A lovely experience from start to finish with the touch of a talented bunch and their respective styles and vibes that were all masterfully curated and produced/mixed by Shatter Hands. The result is simply put delightful.

Radio Juicy is proud to announce the new album by French producer C Y G N. Goodbye Planet is a very futuristic exploration of C Y G N's music. Based in Romania C Y G N started writing and producing music 10 years ago and released many projects over the years including production work for other artists. Is mainly famous for his albums and renowned sample packs and drum kits. His music is versatile and eclectic. Ranging from hip-hop, chill, lo-fi, ambient, trap and future beats like club bangers. C Y G N is known for his smooth chords and uplifting melodies. He's a very talented artist with really wide range. This new album Goodbye Planet delivers something totally fresh and new for him. Like a side step to his previous releases. The quality is high as ever and his music will directly win you over if you are discovering him or even if you have been used to a slightly different vibe from him in the past. C Y G N began his career via Soundcloud and he quickly became considered as one of the main actors to what's referred to as the golden era of Soundcloud producers alongside famous artist such as Monte Booker, Gravez, Sango, Mr. Carmack and more. He lifted off thanks to his albums on Chill-hop specially "Body n Soul" that culminated into over 50 million streams on Spotify alone.

Today we are glad to be part of the labels he can call home and family as we are honored to bring you his new body of work. Goodbye Planet takes off as a spaceship heading into the unknown universe. Exploring a new spectrum of sound for C Y G N and giving out a fresh new taste to into his repertoire. We'll be offering the album on 2 vinyl versions, the first is a limited transparent with gold filaments/nuances and the second is the standard black edition.

Please note that our manufacturer is more backed up than ever and the situation is the same all over the world at the moment making waiting times on vinyl manufacturing longer than normal.

All compositions and arrangements by C Y G N

Wherever he goes they're falling for him. Like a stab to the heart his words are charming and his eyes pierce right through you. More than just a card at the end of the day, everyone eats in his hand because he is truly the King of Hearts.

Smoke Trees did us the honors of making the first entry in this brand new series and collection of 7 inches vinyls that we'll be releasing periodically called "777". The 3 sevens stand for 7 inches, 7 minutes, 7 euros. The series will showcase some of our most prominent producers and their take on the incredibly powerful but devastating world of gambling.

Are you ready for a musical journey that will challenge your expectations and stimulate your senses? If so, you will love the new album by jazz pianist Joost Swart, drummer Bjorn Waling and producer Jesse Koolhaas. The album is the result of a two-day session where they recorded their improvisations on various instruments, and then mixed them with the sounds from Jesse Koolhaas’ vintage synthesizer collection. The result is a unique blend of jazz and electronic music that defies genres and labels.

The album features several guest musicians who added their own touch to the music. For example, on the track In Tongues, you can hear the bass clarinet of Joris Roelofs and the bass of Jeroen Vierdag, creating a rich and deep sound. On another track, Six Shooter, you can enjoy the guitar of Reinier Baas and the bass of Jeroen Vierdag, adding some groove and funk to the music. The album also includes Amalgam, a song that showcases the synergy and creativity of the trio.

The album is a musical adventure that will surprise and delight you with its diversity and richness. It is a testament to the talent and vision of these three artists who have created something new and original.

“Tre” is cinematic/trip hop duo The Dining Rooms’ third re¬cord, and their first on Schema Records. Originally released in 2003, it contains songs that have been synchronized in popular TV series (C.S.I. Miami, Six Feet Under, Sex and the City) and it’s finally available again on vinyl!

For long time out of stock - finally a new reissue to give light to one of the most important albums by the Milanese duo Cesare Malfatti and Stefano Ghittoni aka The Dining Rooms “Tre” (3) was also released in America by Chicago's Guidance Records. One of the most represented albums of the trip hop scene again available in a double LP format

Cover as new with slightly dented corners.
Record with just a few paper scuffs.

"Teklife presents Afterlife, the first release on the new Teklife Records label. The album is a celebration of the life and music of the late, great DJ Rashad and features 15 previously unreleased tracks, each a collaboration between DJ Rashad and friends from the Teklife crew and beyond. A limited edition double vinyl will accompany the digital release.

Afterlife is testament to an incredible breadth of influences and love of music with soul, hip-hop, house, techno and many more all brought together at 160bpm. Rashad's presence is felt throughout in the boundless energy and creativity which run through the album, whilst each collaborator brings their personal touch to the compositions.

With such a prolific body of work as both a solo artist and in collaboration with other musicians, it would be impossible to present a definitive collection of DJ Rashad's music and many many classics will remain unreleased for ever.

Afterlife is our tribute to our friend and our inspiration. Rest In Peace DJ Rashad.

A percentage of the profits from the album will be donated to Rashad’s family.

"PET SOUNDS IN THE KEY OF DEE" is a reimagining of the BEACH BOYS' classic album in the style of J DILLA using his arsenal of beats by deejay/producer BULLION. 13 tracks reworked into something totally new & modern. New edition (not the same one we used to have years ago) with brand new sleeve art and labels. Limited stock.

Canadian beatdown master “eddie c” is back with fourth full length on endless flight! This new album is his unique mixture of laid back hip hop and lo-fi house sound which is inspired from late 80’s to early 90’s and much more darker than usual. The album kick off by old school hip hop tracks of “carbondate”,in the park” then new wave disco sound of “way uptown” it reminds us nyc post punk/new wave artist “konk”,dubby brazilian percus-sive disco track “batucada”,”berlina” is early 90’s nyc house like pal joy, probably most club friendly track “bad words” is wired new wavy vocal house madness and the album close with dreamy down tempo track “an der wedding” heavy kraut rock influenced stuff.

Nothing But Net presents “Perceptions”, the debut LP from Los Angeles producer/beat maker Jamma-Dee aka Dyami O’Brien. Jamma-Dee has been a figure in the west coast modern funk and boogie scene, both as an accomplished DJ and music producer, having released records under his own name and producing for the likes of Joyce Wrice, Mndsgn and others.

From a musical upbringing in Los Angeles, Dyami’s adolescent obsession with record digging and beatmaking eventually led him to Dam-Funk’s renown Funkmosphere parties where he built friendships with key players in the LA funk scene and began to make a name for himself as a DJ and producer. In the second half of the 2010’s he released a series of EPs on Arcane and hosted the legendary Soul In Paradise show on NTS radio.

His first full-length, “Perceptions” is a long time in the making. Beginning with studio experiments nearly a decade ago, a version of the album found its way to producer and Nothing But Net label boss Onra, who helped guide the project to completion. The album artwork was created by outsider soul music conceptualist and painter, Mingering Mike, whom O’Brien felt compelled to reach out to after discovering his work years earlier. Thematically, the artwork, record, and its title touch on very modern themes: the alienation of life in a world of instant-gratification, an overly-connected society of masks, distorted realities and shifting identities.

Musically, “Perceptions” is the culmination of a life lived under the groove. Featuring a long list of collaborators, including Benedek, Mndsgn, Koreatown Oddity, the legendary Craig T. Cooper and fellow NBN labelmate, Devin Morrison, the double album touches on all of O’Brien’s musical influences. Album opener “Up N Down” sets the scene with it’s syrupy g-funk impressionism, before “Jamma’s Jam” bounces out of the speakers through an auburn-colored sunset haze of lush Rhodes chords and sparkling vibraphones. “It Takes A Freak” and “Datafile Groove” shuffle westward, re-imagining New Jack Swing grooves through a distinctly Californian lens. Elsewhere, the album touches on classic deep house rhythms (“Tic Toc” and “Silly”) and crystalline, downtempo R&B and UK street soul (“Joy”, “Saturday”).“U.R.” features legendary L.A. guitarist Craig T. Cooper laying down a network of stunning, silken guitar lines with absolute class.

Over the course of these 15 tracks, Jamma Dee consolidates, renovates and perpetuates the sound of his influences. “Perceptions” is a masterclass in modern funk and soul production.

Birds of a feather, flock together. It is a very old saying; It means that people with the same interests 'move' the same way. Fate, to some, is but a mere theory human beings adopt to try and make sense of the world around them. To others it is something solidified in the belief of serendipity, luck or good fortune if you will. Whatever the listeners personal concept of the term, the results of two musical minds from foreign lands meeting by accident is something I find difficult to believe happened by chance.

During a cold winter in Innsbruck, while snow slept on the early morning streets, something was happening between the four walls of Philanthropes’ top floor apartment, as the rest of the city slumbered. Was it the mix of caffeine, lost love and their fondness of jazz? Or simply the right time and place, that gave way to these artists embarking on this instrumental journey together? I guess that is a question for the listener themselves.

Whatever the conclusion, I’m sure you will enjoy the fruits of their musical labour during those times. Sit down, relax and take flight; let this record give you a time for contemplation, reflection and peace.

-Eugene Saunders New Musical Times

Beat Art Department and HHV proudly present this limited edition of Flips new album that comes with a bonus 45 including two productions by Flip with vocals by Sadat X & Fokis as well as ONYX! Only 100 copies. Only at HHV.

As instrumental HipHop albums seem to be at an all-time high, ranging from so called lo-fi aesthetics to progressive sounds with electronic vibe, one of Austrian HipHop’s godfathers and OGs on the boards has finally dropped an instrumental album on his own. The title “Experiences“ has been chosen not without reason as it both reflects the personal experiences the artist has gone through in his 25 years plus career but also hint the influences and musical aspects that went into this album.
Flip has tried to give insight into his musical influences that began in the 80ies with groups like Public Enemy or EPMD into the 90ies era with sounds ranging from Native Tongue territory to a DJ Premier or Pete Rock or the DITC producers, when he started making beats on his own for his rap group Texta. You can hear links to other production wizards like J Dilla, Hi-Tec or Madlib that changed the sampling techniques post 2000 with albums like Donuts, Hi-teknology or Madvillain. So yes, „Experiences“ is sample-based but further developed by Flip with original basslines, keys, guitar riffs played by the producer himself.
The final result though is not just a simple look back into the golden era but more a retro-futuristic approach that Flip tried to execute within those sixteen compositions. Additional scratches and vocal chops add more flavor to the tracks and as one song flows with ease into the next one, this makes „Experiences“ an experience for the listener, too. While a lot of HipHop instrumental albums just let some loops run for two minutes, Flip took a more ambitious approach where continued listening to the album will reveal new details and musical ideas every
time.

Another fact that won t go unnoticed is the heavy punch of the drums which is due to the As instrumental HipHop albums seem to be at an all-time high, ranging from so called lo-fi aesthetics to progressive sounds with electronic vibe, one of Austrian HipHop’s godfathers and OGs on the boards has finally dropped an instrumental album on his own. The title “Experiences“ has been chosen not without reason as it both reflects the personal experiences the artist has gone through in his 25 years plus career but also hint the influences and musical aspects that went into this album. Flip has tried to give insight into his musical influences that began in the 80ies with groups like Public Enemy or EPMD into the 90ies era with sounds ranging from Native Tongue territory to a DJ Premier or Pete Rock or the DITC producers, when he started making beats on his own for his rap group Texta. You can hear links to other production wizards like J Dilla, Hi-Tec or Madlib that changed the sampling techniques post 2000 with albums like Donuts, Hi-teknology or Madvillain. So yes, „Experiences“ is sample-based but further developed by Flip with original basslines, keys, guitar riffs played by the producer himself. The final result though is not just a simple look back into the golden era but more a retro-futuristic approach that Flip tried to execute within those sixteen compositions. Additional scratches and vocal chops add more flavor to the tracks and as one song flows with ease into the next one, this makes „Experiences“ an experience for the listener, too. While a lot of HipHop instrumental albums just let some loops run for two minutes, Flip took a more ambitious approach where continued listening to the album will reveal new details and musical ideas every time.
Another fact that won t go unnoticed is the heavy punch of the drums which is due to the ́ usage of old samplers like the legendary SP-1200, the ASR-10 or the MPC2000XL that Flip is still using, blending it though with the power of modern soft and hardware. So put your headphones on take a trip through Flip s musical mind.

The man of many practices; beatmaker, instrumentalist, one half of The DarkHouse family (first Word), and proud new father … Don Leisure is a familiar name in the world of beat driven, post hip hop, electronic based music that we now take for granted and is a championing force along with the likes of Samiyam, Eric Lau, Dibia$e and Flako of bringing it into the limelight.

Don is also a well-known procurer of weird and wonderful records from the far stretches of the globe and is no stranger to taking the listener on these journeys with him.

Evidence of this can be found on the highly notable Turkish psych influenced ‘halal cool J’ as well as ‘Shaboo’, a vibrant and textured beat tape inspired largely by Don’s Bollywood actor uncle, Nasser ‘Shaboo’ Bharwani. Both released via the mighty First Word Records.

Don made his Group BraCil debut this year with the lush sunkissed ‘Just Remember’ featured on the Label’s latest vinyl compilation ‘happiness we’re all in this together’.

This regular LP edition does not come with the (Bandcamp-only) seeds!

Amsterdam's resident by choice, Torky Tork's Seed Tape Vol.1 is a reminiscences to his love for growing plants. Having created his own personal "music for plants" project, to keep flora and fauna entertained and triggering the blooming process.
Simultaneously to the album, Torky's own OK KUSH weed-strain will be introduced to the world. The lush & laid-back stimulating sounds and baselines are beneficial for the plants and the listeners cortex equally.
Torky's sound - even across various projects can be described with the broad spectrum of influences. The restless Berlin native has never stuck to one formula. His urge for ever new input is reflected by the constant change in the centre of his life - for some years now, he has been constantly traveling back and forth between his Berlin Bunker studio and Amsterdam, his home of choice. So the influence of weed has naturally been around him for a while, yet inspiring him to dive into the album TWO BE OK.
The illustrious line-up of musical guests on the album contains Germany’s most in-demand producers, the self-taught bedroom beatmaker FloFilz, Berlin’s bunker studio affiliate S. Fidelity, wine aficionado Dexter (also mastering engineer of the album), Wandl and more. This is the perfect soundtrack for watering your favourite plants while watching them grow.

Over the last two decades, 20syl has crafted a unique, hip-hop infused, electro musical universe. He inherited a rich musical knowledge and a genuine understanding of analog and vintage sounds form years of classic beat making. He first got his start with Hocus Pocus, a band he founded in 1995. As the mastermind behind the band’s five LPs, including their Gold Record Place 54, 20syl has proved himself to be a visionary artist. A member of C2C - a turntablist quartet with whom he has won 4 DMC world titles – he took the genre mainstream with the groundbreaking album Tetra (2012). This successful opus was rewarded with 4 French Grammys and a Double Platinium Record.

In 2014, 20syl launched his solo career while still working with a few hand picked underground artists such as Grems, Raashan Ahmad and Blitz the Ambassador. In the recent years the prolific producer has taken his trademark overseas with popular remixes of ScHoolboy Q, Rihanna, and King Krule – setting up a booming environment for the 2014 release of his anticipated first solo EP, Motifs.

Co-founder of On And On Records, 20Syl has imposed himself as a flagship of the expanding new scene. Passionate about visual arts, 20Syl designs his artwork and direct his music videos.

A free electron, he seduces the public with his sharp identity and his ability to turn his own original creations into major musical trends.

As a multidisciplinary artist, Evidence is able to effortlessly express his creativity in many forms. From his early success, rapping in the seminal independent hip-hop group, Dilated Peoples, before excelling as a solo artist, to earning praise as an esteemed photographer, to becoming a Grammy-award winning producer, it’s clear that Evidence has an ability to achieve greatness in his creative endeavors. No matter what discipline he chooses to explore, all of his compositions are lauded as both cutting edge and familiar.

Following the vein of his earlier beat-tape series (Yellow Tape Instrumentals, Green Tape, Red Tape, etc.), Evidence continues his production legacy with a brand new series to raise the bar. Squirrel Tape Instrumentals Vol. 1 is a 26-track collection of unreleased instrumentals, packed full of emotive melodies woven into hard-hitting drum breaks. Each beat transports the listener to a hypnotic state of nostalgia, perfect for study sessions or writing your own hits.

As a special treat, the vinyl has been pressed on three different, limited colors of vinyl, and packaged at random, so opening the record is just the first of many pleasant surprises in store for you. Also available on three different colors of cassette tape to rock your box.

Just like the front teeth of a squirrel, Ev’s growth is never-ending.

New LP from the famous french beatmaker, available on black vinyl and a limited green vinyl edition 2LP. With Soul Food II, Kognitif remains consistent with his previous release, and delivers once again, a high-powered Soul-Electro album. The colorful, dancing universe of this beat-maker is filled with Hip-Hop, World Music and Jazz, mingled with Funky Trip-Hop beats. This is food for the soul. Kognitif is a self-taught musician and a Trip-Hop/Abstract Hip-hop producer.His music incorporates various influences and offers a plentiful Soul Groovy Funky Beats buffet. After Soul Food , his successful 3rd album, Soul Food II comes as the second volume of a great collection with the same ingredients, but a different recipee. Kognitif is now a major figure in the "à la française" Tip-Hop, in France and abroad.

Bluestaeb's evolution from a beatmaker to a producer is his sophmore album “Everything is Always a Process”.

He is one of the key figures of a new generation of up and coming HipHop beatmakers, who have emancipated from genre thinking and instead merge old school aesthetics with a new school attitude and organic instrumentation.

Everything Is Always A Process re-iterates Bluestaeb's overall approach to life (and thinking), but also has direct reference to the making of the album itself, which began with moving from Berlin to Paris in 2015 in the search of new influences and a new creative environment.
Created between 2015 and early 2018, EIAAP embodies the process of this transition - as well as collaboration with instrumentalists and vocalists from all over the world and recording in different studios in Paris, London & Berlin.

"Meeting all those musicians and trying out new ways of producing by using real analogue synths, Rhodes, drums and percussion etc. made it possible to overcome the creative boundaries of a home studio with just a midi keyboard" / Bluestaeb

Influenced by Madlib's "Shades Of Blue" and trained in African drum techniques such as Djembé and Daruka, Bluestaeb had been crafting his own beats since his teenage years and gradually found his sound identity through experimenting with HipHop and Jazz – first to be heard by a broader music community in 2013, when he released his debut album "1991 Extraterrestrial" (Radio Juicy). Since then the prolific young artist has released numerous solo and collaboration projects ("B.L.U.E. Friday" in 2015 and „Sidekicks“ with S. Fidelity in 2016). In 2016, he produced collaborative album "LIT - Lost In Translation“ with rapper JuJu Rogers, a keen manifesto against racism, xenophobia and the rise of anti-heroes such as Donald Trump.
Today, Bluestaeb lives and works in Paris and Berlin and is set to release his third solo album “Everything Is Always a Process”, a smooth Neo Soul-induced epic featuring artists such as Noah Slee, Harleighblu and Melodiesinfonie.

After a Classic/Defected release and a string of edit projects/remix work Snips returns to his own Barbershop Records for his latest release "Blasphemy", a project drawing solely on Gospel samples from Snips' personal collection. Barbershop sticks with the theme of re-imagining the past to create something new while continually offering an alternative to todays mainstream. With Gospel music being the least commodified of its contemporaries yet the most essential element of them all, it would seem the perfect sample source for a Barbershop release and a sonically perfect fit for Snips' brand of Hip Hop, Soul & House inspired beats. From future club friendly anthems like "Feed The People" and "Feel The Spirit" to the true school Boom Bap sensibilities of "Pattersons Pilgrims" and "Never Waltz Alone" this release has all bases covered.

Ol’ Burger Beats & Vuyo – Norway’s latest dream team in terms of soulful and jazz-vibed HipHop music with thoughtful lyrics and attitude – present their full-length debut album “Dialogue.” via Jakarta Records. Following up on their acclaimed 2020 EP „All Yours“ (2M streams to this day) northern lo-fi patron Ol' Burger Beats and up and coming rapper Vuyo now succeed with the awaited debut LP “Dialogue.” in February 2021 - accompanied by three single-drops and a music video by Ruffmercy.

Since 2014 Oslo-based producer, DJ and record collector Ol' Burger Beats has been releasing music and instrumental HipHop albums steadily, establishing a dedicated following to his heavily jazz- and soul influenced sound. That very own signature sound of his has been likened to many of his personal heroes and taken him to playing Boiler Room shows, collaborating with numerous names of HipHop’s underground such as Quelle Chris, Jeremiah Jae, Illa J or Chester Watson and counting more than 10 records on wax gaining over 40M Spotify streams on his profile to this day.

In 2018 MC Vuyo released his debut EP ‘Home Cooked Meals’ in collaboration with the arts collective North Of., showcasing his abilities as a songwriter and a producer. Besides that the South-African decendant became one of Norway’s most exciting lyricists, continuing his sonic journey by joining forces with Boy Pablo drummer Sigmund Vestrheim and his neo soul group GiddyGang in 2019. However, it should be his collaborations with the certified beat-maker OG Ol’ Burger Beats to become the most fruitful after all.

In the span of a year the two Oles - Ole Vuyo and Ole-Birger - recorded what would become not one but two collaborative projects to be released via Jakarta Records. Now following up on the 1st one - their critically acclaimed, heavily streamed and quickly sold-out debut EP “All Yours”, released in the summer of 2020 - the newly founded tag team present the 2nd one, the full-length album “Dialogue.” An album that has become a left field and conceptual rap album, inspired by spiritual and revolutionary jazz records, sweet soul music and classic New York HipHop, exploring Vuyo’s diaspora experience as well as the youthful hunger of the two creatives inviting the album’s listeners to take part in their Dialogue.

­­­The record’s unique artwork design comes from South African based visual artist and photographer Lunga Ntila - who also happens to be Vuyo’s sister, narrating through the album as she can be heard on the interludes, sharing insights and family business lovingly tying together the album as a whole.

We are excited to present Tom Misch and Yussef Dayes’ “What Kinda Music” – an astonishing collaboration between two artists of very different disciplines, and one of the most unique and seamlessly original projects of its ilk to date.

Moving fluidly through sleek electronica, avant-garde jazz, vintage hip hop and so much more, Misch and Dayes take you on a journey that is by turns surprising and spontaneous, heady and head spinning, and nothing less than compelling – a singular vision which fuses the DNA of both musicians with spectacular results, as can be seen in the title track, which comes backed by a gorgeously atmospheric video by XX.

Even though the fundamental bones of this project came together very quickly, its actual provenance stretches back much, much farther back, with the pair not only growing up in the same area of South East London, but Misch actually seeing Dayes play on drums in the school talent show for the first time when he was roughly 8 or 9. They both kept tabs on each other – Misch becoming a fan of Dayes’ act Yussef Kamaal, Dayes clocking his videos in 2014 – but it was only when they met at a launch party for Misch’s debut LP “Geography” in 2018 that the proverbial creative sparks began to fly. “As a musician you’re always looking for contemporaries who can push you and challenge you and make you better”, says Dayes. “I instantly felt that with Tom – he was such a gifted musician, and so prolific”. That summer they decided to go into the studio together, jam a little, and see what happens, with no other expectation placed upon it.

As it turns out, the music came fast and furiously. Two initial tracks were suddenly followed by a handful of others, and the pair found themselves contemplating what to do next. “Pretty soon, we knew that something was gelling”, Dayes says. “It didn’t feel like a one-off collaboration, it felt like a body of work”. What made the pair click, according to Misch and Dayes, were the exact same factors that meant it shouldn’t, by all rights, work. Misch says, “Yussef comes from a more experimental background, and he has a lot of loose, crazy ideas. I know how to write a catchy melody, but with interesting chords and have a good understanding of popular song forms, so I think I streamlined those ideas and made them accessible”. And certainly, in “What Kinda Music” you can sense the DNA of both musicians, but fusing so effortlessly and beautifully that it creates something else entirely, the appropriately named “Lift Off” sending goosebumps with its jazz flecked crescendo, and “Night Rider” hynotising with its deeply mesmeric grooves. “I have a love for harmony and chords”, Misch adds. “Working with someone like Yussef, who has such a gifted sense of rhythm allowed a perfect balance”.

Throughout the record, there is an utterly joyful feel of two musicians at the top of their game sparking off one another, picking up ideas and running with them – zigging where the other zags, ebbing where the other flows, with Misch producing the majority of the record and both having a hand in the overall sound and feel of the record.

“Working with Yussef has actually changed the way I work as a musician”, Misch muses. “He’s pushed me and unlocked a more experimental part of me that I hadn’t really allowed myself to explore before. I think we really did impact each other in a fundamental way”. Dayes is similarly effusive in his praise for Misch. “A musician like him, who’s at the top of his game, he doesn’t need to do this”, he raves. “He can just keep doing the same thing and why not? He’s killing it. The fact that he’s so humble, that he’s so curious about everything and open to collaboration, speaks a lot to him as an artist, because it’s not easy finding musicians who want to collaborate. Something always gets in the way, whether it’s ego or their team or whatever. But with Tom it felt like the intention was purely creative, and that’s what made it exciting”. In fact, Dayes says that the intentions of the record go even deeper than just music. “Both our parents who’d never met each other before, are now best friends as a result of this, they now see each other more than we do! I’d like to think, in some small way, that this album has a similar impact for people too – everything feels so divided these days, it would be nice for people to hear the record and hear two very different musicians coming together and realise it doesn’t have to be that way”.

It's been four years since Sweatbox Dynasty, the fourth solo LP from Pennsylvanian experimentalist Tobacco. In that time, Tom Fec's project has toured with Nine Inch Nails, provided the theme song to HBO series Silicon Valley, and teamed with Aesop Rock for a collaborative album as Malibu Ken. He now returns to Ghostly International for Hot Wet & Sassy, a full-length album oozing with his most playful and approachable songs to date, which, conversely, express notions of antilove, self-hate, and disappointment in others. Pop impulses have always surged beneath the surface of his sound - blown-out bass, analog synths, drum machines, and Fec's unmistakable analog gurgle and hiss - here they've bubbled to the top. "I feel like it's the most I've been able to refine what I'm doing," says Fec. "For the past decade I've had this motherfxcker on my shoulder that makes me pick away at structure and melody. Purposely covering up moments because I can. That really came to a peak on Sweatbox. So I wanted the opposite this time. Write the songs without ripping them in half. I went from 'what would the Butthole Surfers do?' to 'what would Cyndi Lauper do?'" And what would Trent Reznor do? Fec found his answer straight from the source. Their collaborative track, "Babysitter," fuses their voices into one deranged presence: "I'm the new babysitter," they alert, before pivoting into a menacingly saccharine bridge. The track tumbles on a tom fill, then a punishing synth line rips into a cacophony of drums and feedback like a lawnmower gnawing through the living room carpet. "This was new for me, but I wanted to write a song that was everything I am and have been, and then like one notch further. Trent was the notch further," adds Fec. The collaboration is a work of alchemy seamlessly blending Tobacco's trademarks with Reznor's industrial rust and sonic gore. Downcast, sincere, woozy, "Jinmenken" might be the closest Fec has come to a ballad. "Maybe you can find me down the line," his vocoded delivery bounces along the beat. "It's me trying to write a Jets song," says Fec. Album opener "Centaur Skin" presents the stylistic concoction that has been the Tobacco MO from the beginning, crossing dreamy melodic shimmer with the sinister tones and slime. This has become easier to digest, but also far more potent. A motorik beat steadies the track's galloping arpeggio, acting as a springboard for Fec's dark ruminations as well as an uncharacteristically crystalline synth solo. "It's my feel good self hate anthem. Don't worry, I'm good. It was fun to write." Tobacco hasn't been reinvented, but it has been refined and distilled. Brighter, sharper, and far more dangerous because of it. Hot Wet & Sassy is practically staring at the sun without shades and feeling those corneas roast. Everything looks good as your vision fades. The pop-forward structures exert their undeniable hooks with baneful precision, pulling listeners into their clutches; once there, sugary melody rewards submission.