Versatile trip hop compilation. From ethnic ambient to catchy pop rock, all genres may apply.
Over 5 years after my review on Fusion Compilation 8, I return to this netlabel with their most recent instalment to the series. Comparing both compilations back to back highlights how professional the free music scene has become during the course of the decade: all ten tracks have major-label grade production, crisp recording and tight arrangements. Which tracks am I gonna highlight?
Continue reading “Various Artists – [2019] Fusion Compilation 12”Laidback easy listening. Simple ambient tracks with distinct flavour.
Another entry from prolific netlabel Enough Records, who have been releasing over 400 albums and EPs since 2002, and are – unlike many others – still active. This weeks album features guitar-based trip hop served on top of ambient synth sounds. A bit too busy for coding, this album makes for a great pool party backdrop (not that I had a pool to test this). Continue reading “Daizy – [2011] The Daizy Factory”
Indie trip-hop. 4 track EP full of intriguing tracks and collaborations of creative musicians.
Netlabel Sirona Records specialises in specially sounding music. Just looking at their link of backlinks to reviews, music blog “Yeah I know it sucks” is among the most frequent listed; it specialises in reviewing “underground stuff”. So why I am I writing about one of their releases here? Find out for yourself: Continue reading “Sister Soleil – [2012] Haunted EP”
Vintage trip hop. Old music samples, forming auditory dioramas above contemporary beats.
Netlabel Dusted Way Kingdom is a reliable supplier of (instrumental) hip hop music. This release even leans towards trip hop sound (think: early Massive Attack), while not forgetting to sport slow, fat beets. Continue reading “Zifhang – [2017] Two Worlds”
Powerful big beat trip hop. High-concept sounds meet instrumental hip hop.
This is an instrumental EP by a Russian ex-graffiti artist music producer, featuring six quite diverse tracks. The last track features spoken lyrics, but the rest of the release is instrumental (except for mixed-in vocal samples). Continue reading “Cutside – [2016] Paramnesia”
Carefully crafted electronica. This is a gem from now defunct netlabel Sutemos, back from 2009. Artist stockfinster, whom I have reviewed in this blog before, is a household name in the Creative Commons scene, and for a reason. His productions occupy a quiet, warm corner somewhere between New Age ambient and IDM electronica. I like it there, so his tracks end up in my playlist regularly. Here I present two of the 13 tracks this release contains. Continue reading “stockfinster – [2009] Dead Line”
Diverse trip hop lounge world jazz… did I say diverse? Oh my gosh is this album diverse. The common theme is laid-back background music, but otherwise all bets are off. Just listen to the three picks I have selected this week and decide for yourself… Continue reading “Triplexity – [2008] Between Light and Shadow”
Melodic instrumental hip hop. Soft beats and beautifully aranged samples make this album a very special and very seductive entry into the instrumental hip hop genre. The tracks are not completely free of repetitive arrangements, but they have less repetetive arrangements than this sentence contains repetitive arrangements… 😉 Continue reading “Frenic – [2011] Lessons From The Past”
A lesson in Funk remixes. This classic release by from Bulgarian netlabel Dusted Wax Kingdom showcases UK artist Frenic. His trademark is blending together vintage voice samples and funk music, served with some big beats. Continue reading “Frenic – [2012] Present And Correct”
Vintage remixes done right. Wow, simply wow. Before encountering this album, I thought that remixing old vinyl recordings necessarily leads to repetitive hip hop background tracks. But this release, presented by netlabel Dusted Wax Kingdom, fortunately breaks with this rule. Modern sounds seamlessly blend with old audio samples. Continue reading “Boogie Belgique – [2013] Nightwalker (Vol. 1)”
