So after doing a few music blogs earlier in the year, I planned to do some 10 of the best style music blog come 2012 so I sifted through my Hip-Hop purchases from the year and ended up with 10 of my best. It's mostly Japanese imports and that but there you go. Pretty cool stuff, all mellow, all chilled out, mostly jazzy. The text is there to attempt to get people to try the songs but it's not very good.
A cool sorta trancey album with lots of floaty and airy synths. I Knew it would make the list as soon as I heard it. Digi-Crates records also sent me a free AGQ CD from 2011 too so that's pretty sweet.
A really funky album really based around 60s and 70s disco, funk andsoul but retuned and refreshed. It's got a real unique sound, full of extended solos and sweet beats. The whole album is mixed brilliantly and tracks merge into one another really well with upbeat funk merging seamlessly into an extended chilled out vibe. A must check out for everyone interested.
I'm still not sure how good this album is, but it's got a massive variety in production styles. The group are a bunch of undergrads from a University in Malaysia so there's a lot of live instrumentation and different styles on offer. I'm not too certain if I think the two main rappers are any good or not but I really like the album overall. Try it out.
A cool producer from London who stands as a very accessible artist for this genre. The tracks are part synthy-vibe and part jazzy. He also has that all too rare quality of knowing when to ride a beat out and when to cut it short. It's chock full of great guests from the Goon Trax scene.
This one's a freebie, so go grab it. It's got a different vibe from the rest, focusing less on hip-hop and more trip-hop style. It has quite a wide range with a focus on atmosphere (think Emancipator style) and ambience. I realised it deserved a spot in the top 10 as soon as I realised I'd been playing it every day for a month. You're guaranteed to find one or two new artists in here.
Ok, let's start this off by saying this: This album is tracks that the producer didn't feel were good enough to make it onto the main release (Melancholy Hopeful, coming out 2012). The album is amazing. Check it out and goddamn pray that Melancholy Hopeful comes out soon.
Whether you see it as unfinished or purposely stripped down, this is a Nujabes album so you have to listen to it. I really like the more minimal nature as it is jazzy to the core. Some of the tracks are super short but still amazing. The album definitely earned its spot in the top 10 and all the rap tracks are fantastic.
18 jazzy beats all inspired by colours (bar one). This is a really good album and a much better effort than Alone Journey. Every track has a good vibe and for once Blazo actually rides out some of the beats. A very easy album to listen to a lot. I found myself stuck playing this and Spiritual State again and again.
These last two albums are collaborations between incredible producers and incredible rappers. This one is an absolute treat. I'm not too great with words and descriptions in text so just go listen to this album. Also go to their youtube and listen to everything there. The 49ers are great, ZDW?! are insanely good, this album is a real gem. More than just beats and rhymes. If this was in any order, this album would be #1 for 2011.
Marcus D + Substantial = Bop Alloy and Bop Alloy = incredible. This is their second release and is a real smooth and jazzy effort. It's remixes of old tracks with a few originals thrown in and while one track still feels odd to me this album is probably the smoothest rap release of the year. Chilled out and laid back to the extreme. Oh yes.
I am waiting for Marcus D's Melancholy Hopeful which should be coming out soon! I donated to his KickStarter when it was up and running so a copy is guaranteed to be in the mail...some day .
I think an excellent artist to be on the lookout for is the producer "Knxwledge" who makes beats similar to the ones listed with an experimental flavor. Personally, I enjoy it very much and most of his releases are free on his bandcamp.
nice selections! love that cult classics compilation... also check out "fallen skies" mixed by bob42jh if you get the chance (google it, it's free!) you guys peeping the new blazo reflections album? thoughts? you both may also like soulchef (http://www.soulchefmusic.com/). knxwledge is dope but may be too experimental for me, just starting to get into him.
Heard of a majority of this. I donated to Marcus D's solo Melancholy Hopeful campaign and waiting for that to drop in March I think? I have high expectations for it after hearing the first single. Also, was a backer for the new Bop Alloy remix album. Bought the new nujabes album, didn't listen to it until it shipped from Japan, waited about a month even after it was leaked/officially released. xD
The one and only jazzy hh i know is J. Rawls - Presents The Liquid Crystal Project II ( does it even fit in this genre?) and i used to and still like it a lot, so i'll definitely check all things in your selection, interesting blog
Which ones of these are instrumental/mostly instrumental?
Sky Rhythms, Construction of the Loop and Friends and Family are all entirely instrumental. Melancholy Prequel and Colors of Jazz have one song with rap on it each.
I implore you to try out the other albums if you like these even if you don't normally like rappers.
Never heard of any of these. Bop Alloy and The 49ers are really nice and relaxed. I haven't heard a lot of hip hop like this before except a single song here or there. Will check out a couple more of these tomorrow. Thanks a lot for these recommendations and it's really nice to add some new flavors to my music taste.
Flicky mate, can you make another blog, introducing this genre to the people? I would be sooooooooooooooooooooooo0ooooooooo glad if you did so. Tnx for the recs. ^_^
What's interesting about Through the Jazz is that it was from his first album Alone Journey and was called Through the Way. There's also a pretty good rap version. Either way, it was the best song on Alone Journey by miles and still stand up on Colors of Jazz.
On February 05 2012 08:41 Steveling wrote: Flicky mate, can you make another blog, introducing this genre to the people? I would be sooooooooooooooooooooooo0ooooooooo glad if you did so. Tnx for the recs. ^_^
I guess I could do that at some point. I'll think about how to do it. I wanna write a blog about my favourite metal/other albums from 2011 first.
EPT
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