UK Hip Hop 21 Items

cLOUDDEAD's debut album, compiling six 10" EPs that appeared between 2000-2001, is aurally dense and obscured. A sprawling mass of miniature beat-suites and Dadaist lyrics, this strange and beautiful 3xLP would influence a myriad of sub-genres (cloud rap, hauntology, lo-fi hip-hop, etc.) in the two decades since its initial release.

Only the three members of cLOUDDEAD – Why?, Doseone and Odd Nosdam – can speak to the group's origins, but in the context of underground hip-hop towards the end of the 20th century, their arrival makes perfect sense. Cincinnati had a vital scene; home to Scribble Jam, an annual confluence of MCs, DJs, B-boys and graffiti artists. While the trio soon relocated to the Bay Area where they co-founded the Anticon collective, their Midwestern roots – in ramshackle basements of off-campus hovels, as the "cerberus of Southern Ohio" – would remain the atomic heart of their early recordings.

As Chris Martins writes in the liner notes, "The only reason we know their names today is because of how loudly and curiously they aired their insularity. They rewrote the entire world as they knew it through their own fucked perspective, and when those mysterious 10-inches started popping up in record shops, it wasn't just a puzzle to investigate: there seemed to be a whole cosmology hidden in those grooves."

Each side of the album represents one of those elusive 10-inches, each embodying a universe unto itself. Opening salvo "Apt. A" and "And All You Can Do Is Laugh" are perhaps most emblematic of the cLOUDDEAD experience. Why? and Dose create a new language through boundless non-sequiturs, sing-song non-choruses and call-and-response hooks, while Nosdam's dexterous production shifts from crackling ambience of Flying Saucer Attack to tight Ohio Players drum breaks and oblique film samples.

Taken all together, cLOUDDEAD is an original interpretation of hip-hop in the surreal Y2K glow – a bizarre meeting point between William Basinski's Disintegration Loops and MF DOOM's Operation: Doomsday. All it took was a Dr. Sample Sp-202, Tascam cassette eight-track and cheap RadioShack mic. There's truly nothing like it.

This edition has been faithfully restored by Nosdam. Comes with poster.

After over a year spent in a slight creative slump in a crumbling terraced house in Tottenham, Jam Baxter rang his label boss while heavily intoxicated to request they fly him to Bangkok forthwith, to rejoin forces with '...so we ate them whole' producer and engineer, Chemo. After an initial period of understandable hesitancy, the flights were booked and Baxter found himself suddenly regurgitated from the belly of a Jet Airliner into the magical and surreal surroundings of ‘Mansion 38’.

The album features Dirty Dike, Dabbla, Lee Scott & Trellion and comes shrink wrapped with a full colour 8 page booklet containing photos and Jam Baxter's 'Morning Revelation Elixir' recipe.

Cover and vinyl are very close to NM.

Jam Baxter, Dabbla and GhostTown return to complete the Dead Players trilogy this September.

‘Faster than The Speed of Death’ expertly represents the most recent chapter in a decade (or more) of music making from the trio. Born in Soul-2-Soul’s old studio, turned legendary squat, in Holloway, North London, before evolving into a collaboration from three different corners of the globe (Baxter living in Mexico City, Dabbla hopping around Europe and GhostTown settled in sunny Yorkshire) ‘Faster than The Speed of Death’ celebrates evolution, while staying true to the previous iterations of the Dead Players universe.

Collaborating from distance can have its pitfalls, however, this isn’t Dead Players first rodeo. Once the blueprint was established, Dabbla and GhostTown flew out to Mexico to be in the same timezone as Baxter; finalising songs, shooting videos and eating tamales at the summit of ancient temples all vital parts of the album process.

The result? A pitch perfect listen that emphatically completes the triptych. ‘Faster than The Speed of Death’ is a powerful reminder of the Dead Players universe; a joyride back down the rabbit hole where everything sparkles crimson and green, streetlights bouncing off the side of the getaway car, Baxter and Dabbla’s inimitable lyricism expertly propped up by GhostTown’s thunderous production across 13-tracks.

Speaking on the release, Dabbla explained…

“This album was made with love across time zones and territories. We almost killed ourselves making it. It might be our last, it might not, one thing is for sure, it’s the best Dead Players album yet…”

UK rap legend Mr Key returns alongside Illinformed with flash album KEZ.

12" Black Gatefold Vinyl w/ 12-Page Comic Book ~ Limited TO 250 Copies!

After yet another extended hiatus, Mr Key is back with an unexpected concept album that combines tongue-in-cheek Viz mag humour, razor sharp lyricism, and pitch perfect boom bap production, to paint a surreal technicolour portrait of life amongst the freaks at the glorious, grotty edges of society.

Cutting his teeth as 1/5 of UK hip hop supergroup Contact Play, which he followed with two acclaimed experimental segues alongside Greenwood Sharps, Mr Key’s musical journey has been far from mundane. His new flash release - ‘kez’ - a concept album which documents the rise of a plucky kestrel through an off-grid anarchist commune - 'Bene' - populated by an ensemble cast of misfits, lost souls, drug dealers, new age healers, and would be cult leaders, is without doubt the weirdest and most wonderful twist yet.

´kez´ is a kaleidoscopic offering which diffracts the four years Mr Key spent in a chaotic off-grid commune in Southern Spain through the conceptual lens of cinematic New York golden age classics like ‘Only Built 4 Cuban Linx’ and ‘Prince Among Thieves’; the zero f**ks given energy of Contact Play and early era High Focus, and the foul mouthed British surrealism epitomised by Monty Python and Viz magazine. Such a strange concoction could easily miss the mark, but in the hands of a trio of veterans - Key, Illinformed and cartoonist Monsta - the results are as exceptional as they are unique.

With features from Dirty Dike, Jam Baxter, Ronnie Bosh, Smellington Piff, Leaf Dog, BVA and Sammy B-Side, and art from longtime friend and collaborator Monsta bringing the story to life at the crumbling edges of modernity.

Versatile barsman Vitamin G and prolific producer Mr Slipz unite on future classic ‘Prophet Of Doom’; an ambitious and expertly crafted collaborative LP across 18-tracks.

Meticulously engineered by Slipz and absolutely bodied by Vitamin G across wave-after-wave of flows and schemes, ‘Prophet Of Doom’ has all the hallmarks of a golden-era record; Slipz’ signature style and cuts courtesy of Ram One backed by movie samples and skits; pitch perfect foundations for Vitz’ unique deliverables.

With a list of feature verses including UK legends Jehst and Farma G, HF stalwart Verbz, Bristol’s Bil Next and Axel Holy, Shogun from Paisley, Manchester’s Pique Roscoe, Sk!nt from Sheffield, soul vocalist Kieran, and Wates & Tommy Mila from Cambridge, ‘Prophet Of Doom’ is poised to offer up something for everyone when it lands on October 25th, 2024 on High Focus Records.

Jam Baxter, Dabbla and GhostTown return to complete the Dead Players trilogy this September.

‘Faster than The Speed of Death’ expertly represents the most recent chapter in a decade (or more) of music making from the trio. Born in Soul-2-Soul’s old studio, turned legendary squat, in Holloway, North London, before evolving into a collaboration from three different corners of the globe (Baxter living in Mexico City, Dabbla hopping around Europe and GhostTown settled in sunny Yorkshire) ‘Faster than The Speed of Death’ celebrates evolution, while staying true to the previous iterations of the Dead Players universe.

Collaborating from distance can have its pitfalls, however, this isn’t Dead Players first rodeo. Once the blueprint was established, Dabbla and GhostTown flew out to Mexico to be in the same timezone as Baxter; finalising songs, shooting videos and eating tamales at the summit of ancient temples all vital parts of the album process.

The result? A pitch perfect listen that emphatically completes the triptych. ‘Faster than The Speed of Death’ is a powerful reminder of the Dead Players universe; a joyride back down the rabbit hole where everything sparkles crimson and green, streetlights bouncing off the side of the getaway car, Baxter and Dabbla’s inimitable lyricism expertly propped up by GhostTown’s thunderous production across 13-tracks.

Speaking on the release, Dabbla explained…

“This album was made with love across time zones and territories. We almost killed ourselves making it. It might be our last, it might not, one thing is for sure, it’s the best Dead Players album yet…”

His most striking offering to date, ‘Tears Of The Dragon’ is an evolutionary listen, Onoe staying true to the primordial pillars found in the DNA of all the great albums; love and lust, loss and heartbreak key players in an inspired narrative arc that sees Onoe reveal all about his recent past in unmistakeable fashion.

Having written a heap of songs and arranged a number of versions he was More than happy with, real life events saw Onoe return to the bones of the album, with a desire to create something truly timeless. As a result, he moved away from a mixtape mentality and began to carve out the real truth along a stricter, more considered sonic path, crystallising his experiences with an immediacy that makes the album even more unique.

Writing a love album made all the more sense after speaking directly to fans when touring Europe late last year. Stories of love, heartbreak, and the positive influence his music has in moments of extreme emotion became a driving force for Onoe when writing the record and constructing the arc…

“…everything is fine, then they break up, then follows the aftermath. Repeat.”

‘Tears Of The Dragon’ follows the same aesthetic that has become synonymous with Onoe’s universe. A tapestry of speeds and rhythms, nights and days, smooth and hardcore; expertly tied together by Onoe's love-fuelled source code.

15-tracks, with features from Lofty305, Ledbyher, Eter & 169 stalwart L-Zee Roselli, ‘Tears Of The Dragon’ really is an album for the ages.

As Onoe explains…

“I want this album to be my Michael Jackson ‘Thriller’ … I also listened to Prince a lot and would tell people my next album is gonna sound like Prince meets Max B at a Halloween party…”

Limited TO 350 Copies!

Ocean Blue vinyl, full colour 350gsm reverse board sleeve with Gold Embossed accents. 14-track album. Shrink wrapped.

“Well travelled in my life got the maddest mileage…”

One year on from the release of ‘Mantra No. 9’, Fliptrix returns with his tenth solo album ‘Dragonfly’.

Written and recorded off grid in the Portuguese mountains and produced in full by the Leigh Brothers (Leaf Dog & Illinformed), ‘Dragonfly’ is Fliptrix’s lightning in a bottle moment; a series of life-changing events compelling Fliptrix to hole up in the studio to capture the true essence of his recent experiences in real time.

The result is his most alive offering to date; handbrake fully off, emotions and energies dialled up to 11 across 14-tracks. Each unpacking a tumultuous year which included the birth of his daughter and unexpected passing of his father, all this while navigating the ever-shifting music scene he has championed for so many years as the founder of High Focus Records and 1/4 of supergroup The Four Owls.

Exploring the connections between the natural landscape and the spirit world, the dragonfly as a totem to the other, but more poignantly, in the fact that Fliptrix’s late father played drums in his own rock band of the same name in the 1970’s, ‘Dragonfly’ carries a personal weight that sets it apart from his previous album offerings, Fliptrix delving deeper than ever before; incredible highs paired with moments of introspection, reflection and mourning as he searches for meaning in the songs that he writes.

And with a stunning feature courtesy of psychedelic RnB superstar Greentea Peng on huge single ‘Cosmic Scenes’, ‘Dragonfly’ is the perfect body of work to round off Fliptrix’s canon of ten solo albums, spanning seventeen years (and counting) of music making at the very top of the scene.

Record with just a few paper scuffs.
Includes booklet.

Releasing now for well over a decade - Neue Grafik: known to friends as Fred, has successfully transplanted from Parisian rookie to one- man London Institution. Beginning as a solo producer and DJ,Fred spread his wings upon relocating to South London - at first with his Neue Grafik Ensemble and later with his now iconic twice-weekly Orii Jam - the latter of which has given agency to an entire new generation of musicians; spawning an aesthetic, nurturing a unique sound and becoming a launchpad for countless artists.

Dalston Tape Volume 1 is Fred’s attempt to fall back in love with beatmaking - taking it back to the roots of where the project began. I say “attempt” because he’s simply learnt too much and made too many friends along the way to make a mere DIY beat tape. Since his early MPC-led productions on Parisian label, Beat X Changers, Fred has learnt to play the keys to a concert hall standard, he has become proficient in double bass and built up a dense network of collaborators who he has composed, recorded, engineered and produced for both at home in SE London and in the iconic Total Refreshment Centre Studios in Dalston.

This experience adds unavoidable dimensions to his toolbox - resulting in something more akin to a miniature-magnum-opus than a simple beat-tape.

Yes, we hear the influences of Pete Rock, Mad Lib, J Dilla and Al Dobson Jr but we also hear the musicality of D’Aneglo, James Blake and live contributions from an ever growing army of young graduates of the Orii School.

Versatile barsman Vitamin G and prolific producer Mr Slipz unite on future classic ‘Prophet Of Doom’; an ambitious and expertly crafted collaborative LP across 18-tracks.

Meticulously engineered by Slipz and absolutely bodied by Vitamin G across wave-after-wave of flows and schemes, ‘Prophet Of Doom’ has all the hallmarks of a golden-era record; Slipz’ signature style and cuts courtesy of Ram One backed by movie samples and skits; pitch perfect foundations for Vitz’ unique deliverables.

With a list of feature verses including UK legends Jehst and Farma G, HF stalwart Verbz, Bristol’s Bil Next and Axel Holy, Shogun from Paisley, Manchester’s Pique Roscoe, Sk!nt from Sheffield, soul vocalist Kieran, and Wates & Tommy Mila from Cambridge, ‘Prophet Of Doom’ is poised to offer up something for everyone when it lands on October 25th, 2024 on High Focus Records.

Jam Baxter, Dabbla and GhostTown return to complete the Dead Players trilogy this September.

‘Faster than The Speed of Death’ expertly represents the most recent chapter in a decade (or more) of music making from the trio. Born in Soul-2-Soul’s old studio, turned legendary squat, in Holloway, North London, before evolving into a collaboration from three different corners of the globe (Baxter living in Mexico City, Dabbla hopping around Europe and GhostTown settled in sunny Yorkshire) ‘Faster than The Speed of Death’ celebrates evolution, while staying true to the previous iterations of the Dead Players universe.

Collaborating from distance can have its pitfalls, however, this isn’t Dead Players first rodeo. Once the blueprint was established, Dabbla and GhostTown flew out to Mexico to be in the same timezone as Baxter; finalising songs, shooting videos and eating tamales at the summit of ancient temples all vital parts of the album process.

The result? A pitch perfect listen that emphatically completes the triptych. ‘Faster than The Speed of Death’ is a powerful reminder of the Dead Players universe; a joyride back down the rabbit hole where everything sparkles crimson and green, streetlights bouncing off the side of the getaway car, Baxter and Dabbla’s inimitable lyricism expertly propped up by GhostTown’s thunderous production across 13-tracks.

Speaking on the release, Dabbla explained…

“This album was made with love across time zones and territories. We almost killed ourselves making it. It might be our last, it might not, one thing is for sure, it’s the best Dead Players album yet…”

Written and recorded off grid in the Portuguese mountains and produced in full by the Leigh Brothers (Leaf Dog & Illinformed), ‘Dragonfly’ is Fliptrix’s lightning in a bottle moment; a series of life-changing events compelling Fliptrix to hole up in the studio to capture the true essence of his recent experiences in real time.

The result is his most alive offering to date; handbrake fully off, emotions and energies dialled up to 11 across 14-tracks. Each unpacking a tumultuous year which included the birth of his daughter and unexpected passing of his father, all this while navigating the ever-shifting music scene he has championed for so many years as the founder of High Focus Records and 1/4 of supergroup The Four Owls.

Exploring the connections between the natural landscape and the spirit world, the dragonfly as a totem to the other, but more poignantly, in the fact that Fliptrix’s late father played drums in his own rock band of the same name in the 1970’s, ‘Dragonfly’ carries a personal weight that sets it apart from his previous album offerings, Fliptrix delving deeper than ever before; incredible highs paired with moments of introspection, reflection and mourning as he searches for meaning in the songs that he writes.

And with a stunning feature courtesy of psychedelic RnB superstar Greentea Peng on huge single ‘Cosmic Scenes’, ‘Dragonfly’ is the perfect body of work to round off Fliptrix’s canon of ten solo albums, spanning seventeen years (and counting) of music making at the very top of the scene.

Limited TO 50 Hand Numbered Copies!

His most striking offering to date, ‘Tears Of The Dragon’ is an evolutionary listen, Onoe staying true to the primordial pillars found in the DNA of all the great albums; love and lust, loss and heartbreak key players in an inspired narrative arc that sees Onoe reveal all about his recent past in unmistakeable fashion.

Having written a heap of songs and arranged a number of versions he was More than happy with, real life events saw Onoe return to the bones of the album, with a desire to create something truly timeless. As a result, he moved away from a mixtape mentality and began to carve out the real truth along a stricter, more considered sonic path, crystallising his experiences with an immediacy that makes the album even more unique.

Writing a love album made all the more sense after speaking directly to fans when touring Europe late last year. Stories of love, heartbreak, and the positive influence his music has in moments of extreme emotion became a driving force for Onoe when writing the record and constructing the arc…

“…everything is fine, then they break up, then follows the aftermath. Repeat.”

‘Tears Of The Dragon’ follows the same aesthetic that has become synonymous with Onoe’s universe. A tapestry of speeds and rhythms, nights and days, smooth and hardcore; expertly tied together by Onoe's love-fuelled source code.

15-tracks, with features from Lofty305, Ledbyher, Eter & 169 stalwart L-Zee Roselli, ‘Tears Of The Dragon’ really is an album for the ages.

As Onoe explains…

“I want this album to be my Michael Jackson ‘Thriller’ … I also listened to Prince a lot and would tell people my next album is gonna sound like Prince meets Max B at a Halloween party…”

Versatile barsman Vitamin G and prolific producer Mr Slipz unite on future classic ‘Prophet Of Doom’; an ambitious and expertly crafted collaborative LP across 18-tracks.

Meticulously engineered by Slipz and absolutely bodied by Vitamin G across wave-after-wave of flows and schemes, ‘Prophet Of Doom’ has all the hallmarks of a golden-era record; Slipz’ signature style and cuts courtesy of Ram One backed by movie samples and skits; pitch perfect foundations for Vitz’ unique deliverables.

With a list of feature verses including UK legends Jehst and Farma G, HF stalwart Verbz, Bristol’s Bil Next and Axel Holy, Shogun from Paisley, Manchester’s Pique Roscoe, Sk!nt from Sheffield, soul vocalist Kieran, and Wates & Tommy Mila from Cambridge, ‘Prophet Of Doom’ is poised to offer up something for everyone when it lands on October 25th, 2024 on High Focus Records.

Jam Baxter, Dabbla and GhostTown return to complete the Dead Players trilogy this September.

‘Faster than The Speed of Death’ expertly represents the most recent chapter in a decade (or more) of music making from the trio. Born in Soul-2-Soul’s old studio, turned legendary squat, in Holloway, North London, before evolving into a collaboration from three different corners of the globe (Baxter living in Mexico City, Dabbla hopping around Europe and GhostTown settled in sunny Yorkshire) ‘Faster than The Speed of Death’ celebrates evolution, while staying true to the previous iterations of the Dead Players universe.

Collaborating from distance can have its pitfalls, however, this isn’t Dead Players first rodeo. Once the blueprint was established, Dabbla and GhostTown flew out to Mexico to be in the same timezone as Baxter; finalising songs, shooting videos and eating tamales at the summit of ancient temples all vital parts of the album process.

The result? A pitch perfect listen that emphatically completes the triptych. ‘Faster than The Speed of Death’ is a powerful reminder of the Dead Players universe; a joyride back down the rabbit hole where everything sparkles crimson and green, streetlights bouncing off the side of the getaway car, Baxter and Dabbla’s inimitable lyricism expertly propped up by GhostTown’s thunderous production across 13-tracks.

Speaking on the release, Dabbla explained…

“This album was made with love across time zones and territories. We almost killed ourselves making it. It might be our last, it might not, one thing is for sure, it’s the best Dead Players album yet…”

Written and recorded off grid in the Portuguese mountains and produced in full by the Leigh Brothers (Leaf Dog & Illinformed), ‘Dragonfly’ is Fliptrix’s lightning in a bottle moment; a series of life-changing events compelling Fliptrix to hole up in the studio to capture the true essence of his recent experiences in real time.

The result is his most alive offering to date; handbrake fully off, emotions and energies dialled up to 11 across 14-tracks. Each unpacking a tumultuous year which included the birth of his daughter and unexpected passing of his father, all this while navigating the ever-shifting music scene he has championed for so many years as the founder of High Focus Records and 1/4 of supergroup The Four Owls.

Exploring the connections between the natural landscape and the spirit world, the dragonfly as a totem to the other, but more poignantly, in the fact that Fliptrix’s late father played drums in his own rock band of the same name in the 1970’s, ‘Dragonfly’ carries a personal weight that sets it apart from his previous album offerings, Fliptrix delving deeper than ever before; incredible highs paired with moments of introspection, reflection and mourning as he searches for meaning in the songs that he writes.

And with a stunning feature courtesy of psychedelic RnB superstar Greentea Peng on huge single ‘Cosmic Scenes’, ‘Dragonfly’ is the perfect body of work to round off Fliptrix’s canon of ten solo albums, spanning seventeen years (and counting) of music making at the very top of the scene.

Limited TO 200 Copies!

His most striking offering to date, ‘Tears Of The Dragon’ is an evolutionary listen, Onoe staying true to the primordial pillars found in the DNA of all the great albums; love and lust, loss and heartbreak key players in an inspired narrative arc that sees Onoe reveal all about his recent past in unmistakeable fashion.

Having written a heap of songs and arranged a number of versions he was More than happy with, real life events saw Onoe return to the bones of the album, with a desire to create something truly timeless. As a result, he moved away from a mixtape mentality and began to carve out the real truth along a stricter, more considered sonic path, crystallising his experiences with an immediacy that makes the album even more unique.

Writing a love album made all the more sense after speaking directly to fans when touring Europe late last year. Stories of love, heartbreak, and the positive influence his music has in moments of extreme emotion became a driving force for Onoe when writing the record and constructing the arc…

“…everything is fine, then they break up, then follows the aftermath. Repeat.”

‘Tears Of The Dragon’ follows the same aesthetic that has become synonymous with Onoe’s universe. A tapestry of speeds and rhythms, nights and days, smooth and hardcore; expertly tied together by Onoe's love-fuelled source code.

15-tracks, with features from Lofty305, Ledbyher, Eter & 169 stalwart L-Zee Roselli, ‘Tears Of The Dragon’ really is an album for the ages.

As Onoe explains…

“I want this album to be my Michael Jackson ‘Thriller’ … I also listened to Prince a lot and would tell people my next album is gonna sound like Prince meets Max B at a Halloween party…”