Oh hell yeah, I made more than 1 of these within a month - Here's some scary pictures as celebration:
Nah, but I'm just going to go through a few things from the last month that I think many of y'all should check out, so without further ado, let's get started!
Play That Funk Music White Boy (You gotta say it like the Brazilians for it to be funny)
Funk never sleeps and neither do I, so here's a bunch of crazy shit that has happened in Brazil throughout the month.
VOLTMIX - A Return to Tradition
As someone who has tried to study and appreciate this culture in the most comprehensive and respectful way possible, seeing the sound cross onto the normal gringo ear over the past few years has been terrifying to say the least. Whether it's water-downed performances (that even discredit the artists) at award shows, lazy comparisons to any artist with a tinge of experimentalism, or even full-blown, sacrilegious name revisioning of the entire culture, os gringos are really doing a disservice to funk music as a whole - If I'm losing my mind about it, can you imagine how a Brazilian feels when they see Kyle posting his "PHONK WORKOUT GAINS MIX" on Instagram?
The thing with Westerners is that we're ignorant - We refuse to take the time to form deep reverence for the things we enjoy and consume. Moreso in the realm of music, one thing that is practically unheard of nowadays is reading up on the history of the genres we listen to in order to gain that full appreciation for the art. Especially with funk, I feel like you don't truly understand the insanity of it all until you trace back its roots in the 80s - Whenever you watch early Furacāo 2000 performances, it boggles the mind to think that 30 years later, that sound from Rio will spread throughout the country and be practically unrecognizable to the blueprint. That Point A to Point B journey is why I love funk so much.
You may ask, "Doesn't that early shit just sound like electro?" If you did, then shame on you for not reading the history like I told you to, as you are finally connecting the dots. Without electro and Miami bass, there wouldn't be any of the funk that we know today. A reoccurring theme in most regional genres, it's the sharing of those types of records that sparks the creation of these movements- Here, you had Brazilian DJs go to cities like Miami, London, and LA in the 80s to buy these albums that were just alien to almost everyone back home. From there, with other Brazilian influences, funk was created!
I think the MAIN record that really defines that primitive era of funk is DJ Battery Brain's "Volt Mix," a Los Angeles electro classic that changed the history of a city 6300 miles away. The story is that at the time (late 80s), that sound was quite scarce in Rio until the emergence of one of their most important record dealers - DJ Nazz. It was him who had trekked out to the states and Europe to find these particular tracks, and for a time, he was the only DJ in the city who even had the ability to play them. Like folks went to parties just to listen to this sole beat - It was insane. Before you know it, you get dudes rapping and singing freestyle over it, and voilá, funk! "Volt Mix" was really that underground hit that changed the trajectory of Brazilian music for the next 30-something years, as it's opened the floodgates to one of the craziest and most diversified genres in the world today.
Now in 2023, funk can practically be anything at this point - You got shit sounding like nuclear bombs, exploding Sega Genesises, alternate universe haunted house music; it can seriously be overwhelming at times, so it's nice to go back to the classics. Luckily, it seems that we're dealing with a Volt Mix renaissance at the moment. Ever since Rio's 2L MOTTA posted this quick 2 minute mix, mixing modern funk motifs with its 808 roots, there really has been a revitalization of the sound as many other DJs are following suit. It's so straightforward, but the beat just breathes so much life into more modern funk tunes. In funk, a world full of maximalism nowadays, sometimes less is indeed better. Here are a few Volt Mixes that I enjoyed over the past few weeks:
2L MOTTA - 10 MINUTINHOS DE VOLT MIX
DJ YURI DA ESCÓCIA, DJ CN DA TERRINHA, DJ LD DA ESCÓCIA - PIQUIZIN VOLTMIX 2024
LC22 DA ALBÂNIA - MTG = PORRADEIRO NO PIQUE DO VOLTMIX
DJ GIIAN - SETZIN VOLMIXADO
DJ DENILISON O CLÍNICO - SETMIXADO VOLTMIX DA PUTARIA 2023
DJ SORRISO 22 - VOLTMIX BOLDĀO DO FUNDAMENTO
DJ TQ SUCESSO - 10 MINUTINHOS DE TAMBOR VOLTMIX PORRADAOOO
Ronaldinho's Funk Supercollective is One of the Hardest Things in the World
Being a kid in the 2000s, the Brazilian national team was my first glimpse at the country and its culture, as they were the first soccer stars in my life - Ronaldo, Cafu, Roberto Carlos are all legends, however, it's the bravado of a certain number 10 that wowed me more than anyone else. Ronaldinho was and still is, to a lot of people, THE GUY when it comes to football - Jogo Bonito personified. Above all else, this man loves to party more than anything. Since retirement, Ronaldinho has done nothing but that, and with the Kangol hat and all, he started his own music collective Tropa do Bruxo. Obviously, this is going to have the who's who of funk in it - At first, it solely focused on the poppier funk ostentação, where you had many popular MCs get on these poppier, more gringo-friendly trap beats, however over the past few months, Ronaldinho has been going back to his Mineiro days, as he has focused more on the goliath that Belo Horizonte's funk scene.
Baile do Bruxo is the first non-single release from Tropa do Bruxo, as this 6 track EP has almost everyone you need to know if you're trying to get acquainted with one of funk's most prosperous scenes in Belo Horizonte - DJ WS da Igrejinha, MC Saci, DJ PH DA SERRA, MC Laranjinha, GORDÃO DO PC, MC Rodrigo do CN, among many more. The title track is one of the biggest songs in the country right now and deservedly so. A lot of that can be attributed to Producer WS da Igrejinha, as this interpolation of an interpolation of an interpolation of the classic Enya tune is one of the best things I've heard in funk all year - The hums mixed with that signature WS weepy theremin float as a ghastly figure over the MCs, as the real standout here is Triz, sounding like she's performing a ritual with that coarsely silk voice - This track needs a Lil Baby remix so bad (it doesn't). Another great track here is "Todo Aleatóio," a FUCKING LIL JON THROWBACK, as DJ PH DA SERRA summons that iconic melody like a snake charmer playing the flute - The track itself feels like you're in a desolate desert just running endlessly for your life. There's loads of other great tracks too on there, so give it a peep! Need more athlete music collectives - Can you imagine like a Messi IDM Label or Giannis invests heavily into Milwaukee hip hop lmao.
Lastly just going to run through a few tracks throughout the country - First, we're going to stay in Belo Horizonte and see what else is going on there:
More gringo interpolations and this time, we got Mr. Worldwide and Neyo meeting the wrath of tinnitus Bart Simpson himself, Wesley Gonzaga. This time, he hovers over the 2011 hit like an alien surveying their prey from their ship, bombastically emitting tractor beams of bass and atonal autotune singing spreading his message to the world. Ridiculous.
This is actually a live recording of when Beethoven played in Belo Horizonte back in the day - All he had was a 4th grade recorder and a delay pedal while Rayan, Karuso, and DIDI hypnotize the audience. Barn burner.
I just adore the BH tunes that don't rely on hard hitting drops or absurd samples and just focuses on the melodic aspect of it all - You get these constantly-mutating, sample-based melodies that don't sound like anything else. If you really look back at the emergence of BH funk in the mid to late 2010s, that template exhibited here was really the blueprint for this distinct style to flourish. One of a kind.
It sounds like Cyndi Lauper is trapped inside one of those Mario pipes while DJ Lucas is just smacking the shit out of everything with a huge hammer. That part towards the end where he throws that thud into a lower octave could probably register the on Richter scale given the right circumstances.
Imagine that instead of a rubber chicken, you have a larger and much scarier rubber ostrich. Invite him into the studio to squawk a little bit and you get this song from hell. That obnoxious noise isn't even the most maddening thing in this song - It's that wimpy-ass trombone that sounds like it has a sinus infection. It just keeps lingering and lingering until I eventually lose my mind - Psychological terror.
Now onto São Paulo to see what type of audio hell they're coming up with:
This is some shit DJ Shaq would stumble upon and throw in his sets in between a Macarena Zeds Dead remix and Flux Pavilion - Attracts evil but good all-around.
DJ Big Original & DJ Léo da 17 - BRUXARIA DE EXTREMA PERICULOSIDADE
DJ Rossini ZS & DJ Duh 011 - AUTOMOTIVO DO JAGUARÉ 2
This one has that good ol' mandelão sound, as the gritty whine of that sitar tone reverberates through everything here. And don't even get me started that super fat synth that comes in randomly half-way through - It catches you off guard and it's so damn good.
DJ P4K - AUTOMOTIVO HISTÓRICO INFERNAL 2.0
Well I'll be damn.....even Pitchfork are trying ride the wave as well smh
DJ KAUAZINHOOO DA 011 ft. MC G15 MC GIIH & MC ELODIE - DESCE ATÉ O CHÃO
I LOVE when Youtube starts recommending me <200 follower accounts, who are probably 11 year olds making music on their phone, because you get shit like whatever this is. You'll press play and immediately your face turns to this - Like you're standing inside of a malfunctioning elevator and all of sudden,
Beep Boop Boop Bop
One of the hardest working folks in the SoundCloud underground, it's practically unheard of associating Louisiana native Dani Kiyoko with electronic music. However, they have taken their creation Vamp Plugg and has turned it into almost these drumless, New Age synth-heavy soundscapes that are just incredibly serene. They dropped a collection of these tracks a few days ago and they're all in the same vein of these superfluous textures that wash over you. Highly recommend.
Subjxct5 - 4 Min.
Another producer that really isn't synonymous with electronic music is Elizabeth's Subjxct 5, easily one of the best hip hop producers of the past few years. Recently, he dropped an experimental EP AM/PM that strays away from most of his usual Papo/DJ Lucass/Wiki shenanigans and leans more towards genres like techno, jungle, and Jersey Club to really show off his stellar production chops. "4 Min." is a notable cut off of there, as it's a no-bullshit 4 on the floor techno ditty that feels like you're in a chrome nightclub full of robots. Lots of other good stuff here too.
Lil Texas kinda pisses me off despite looking like one of my really good friends if they were addicted to steroids (Sorry John), however I can't deny that he can make some ridiculous songs from time to time. Hence this Spongebob tune with Dutch Uptempo producer Pinotello is one of those times where I set my reservations aside to get my ears absolutely demolished by this. Laughable but so damn good.
BUNDA - TRUCKER DUB TWINGO EDITION
Some really good trance music that I stumbled upon from this Polish producer Baeldorf. I really only fuck with this music if it invokes feelings of browsing through Newgrounds back in the day, and this passes the test greatly. I get that and Xbox Live Arcade game vibes from this - Check it out if you dig that type of stuff
Speaking of Newgrounds, how about NOLA Bounce meets Punk o Matic? You know damn well it's real, as Dess Montana dictates over those mohawk-drenched guitars.
With his latest EP 25, Lisbon's Dj Narciso is conjuring up some of the most evil and darkest imaginings of batida I have ever heard. You get these waves of uncomfortableness in a lot of these tracks that feel nihilistic and dystopic, as Narciso is throwing so many dissonantly grating sounds at you, whilst still keeping that irresistible Lisbon groove. The standout here is easily the closer "NO SMOKE," this incredibly unsettling song that feels like creepy crawly spiders emerging from your speakers, invading every crevice of your safety net. It's just manic, berating, and makes your stomach turn as Narciso does not lift an inch to make you feel any bit of comfort. A super underrated release from the month from one of batida's greatest.
An oldie, but a goodie from arguably one of footwork's greatest ever producers, DJ Yung Tellem. Just the way whole movie soundtracks like this can get mutated into these dancefloor battle bangers is only some shit Chicago could muster up - One of the greatest ever music cities.
Quite possibly Jersey Club's most insane producer at the moment even though he lives in Miami, I don't think there has been a moment from Burto this year where I've been like "Ah, he's finally chilling out." This dude is seriously at 150% every single damn second of the day, whether he's uploading insanity on SC or constantly live streaming his ridiculous producing process on IG Live. That work ethic has really made him into one of Jersey Club's most unsung and underrated heroes. In a scene that has been watered down to oblivion, Burto has seriously created his own style, breaking off the influences of greats like Steez, and single-handledly influenced a sect of producers as well with this insane ideology. This Jurassic Park track showcases that manifesto, as this is nothing like anything else you have heard in the genre - Dubstep wobbles, 808 bass lines like they're being played by Charles Mingus, spaceship noises. None of these things should even be close to Jersey Club but Burto just makes it as natural as possible. Just press play and see for yourself.
Staying in the Jersey realm with another one of the modern greats, Jersey's rrodney, as he injects Waka Flocka Flame with about 500mg of caffeine and gives him some smelling salts afterwards to make this kinetic tune that can make you run on water. It's so fast and constantly-moving, you look like you're tweaking like those white ladies spreading vaccine propaganda when this shit is on. This shit could get everyone back to life at Rolling Loud Mesopotamia.
Uptempo's GOAT with more insanity that bridges the gap between classic Dutch 90s Thunderdome hardcore and the modern absurdity of uptempo music - While maintaining that heritage in the sound, Dimitri just unleashes such energy that was never attainable back in the 90s. Guilty pleasure music easily, because I can see how this can become "Coworker Core" if put in the wrong hands.
I honestly don't even have the words to describe the demented insanity of this so I had to use AI to create the images from my nightmares induced by this one:
I'll say it, you are NOT a real DJ if you aren't dropping Elephant Competition tracks in your sets. I go to the club to hear elephants yelling over bass and that's it. If you really want to get into a music hole that you'll never get out of, just go through the related videos on here that'll show you a whole entire new universe. Insane lmao.
Lagniappe
More slop for y'all's ears!
Jay Hound x Jay5ive - Ukraine
Alright, so the song is just okay - Standard brooding Sweepers shit, but I had to give this a quick shout out to the ridiculous visual effects in this music video. I like to think they really flew out into a warzone to shoot the video, so let me be imaginative here. Shit's like a desolate PUBG map meets the early 90s WWF RAW wasteland aesthetic they used to have.
Baby 3 - Easy
Folks from the DMV just like to get on evil noises I guess - Shit's like some horror movie music.
Evian Christ — Yxguden (feat. Bladee)
Wow Evian Christ actually being alive and Bladee actually making good music in the 2020s (I know you teenagers shaking y'all fist right now) - Who woulda thunk. Seriously though, great callback to the DJ Hixxy classic "More and More" here. The return of Barcelona great Ibrahim Afellay has been a wonderful one, as his highly-anticipated debut album from a weeks ago was surprisingly worth the wait. Time to get xxyyxx and balam acab back too....
Mal Devisa & Gods Wisdom "The Mystery" (full ep 2023)
Two Western Mass (I know Mano's popping rn) legends back together again. Both are so one-of-a-kind, it's like splitting an atom when you get them together. Really dig the last track - It feels like a Dean Blunt song that's dying of thirst. Mal is carrying it here, but God's Wisdom is delirious on here like dry Spongebob. Incredible stuff.
jovan - celine like selina (luvpurp&symels)
Shit makes me feel like
Ariana Grande - #LuvInDaAir (crusi & 177p)
This Allen Iverson shit is really getting out of hand - Sure, it's just a touched up frendi acapella, but it's so uncanny valley, I almost kinda hate it lol. Stuff is so hard tho - She needs to stop talking to her 12th century peasant boyfriend and get in the studio to do this shit for real.
DJ CL DA RATOLANDIA - #5 MINUTOS DE EMBRAZAMENTO TOTAL
Perfect outsider funk from Juiz De Fora, Brazil's best kept secret, to get you in the mood for Halloween - The inhuman drum patterns juxtaposed with the evilness of EDM Calvin Harris will keep you up at night for weeks on end. Nothing like JF right now and hopefully I'll put out a proper rundown of that scene soon.
Christian Dior Denim Flow (Snow Strippers Remix)
This shit brings back that blog house late 2000s feel - Polo shirts 2 sizes too small and jeans that cut the circulation off of your legs. Need more of this from these 2.
hyde - (1/2) elysium veins حر نفسي
A collection of some of the most insanely textured beats I have ever heard on SoundCloud - Tinges of field recordings, ambient, dub, and a bajillion over things, resulting in something you've never heard before.
harmoni frog
FIFA Youtuber intro music if you gave it magic beans.
anarchy - skull prod fuckboysex
More insanity from one of SoundCloud's most promising young artists. Here, he's psychedelically reverberating around you, as the bass from Ginuwine "Pony" is possessed and chasing after you. Eerie and chilling.
lostrushi - FIRST ROUND PICK (BESIDE ME)
This feels like this should be playing over the menu of a PS2 Madden game. So good. Plus, what a year for lostrushi - One of 2023's best rising stars imo.
Anycia & Karrahbooo - SPLASH BROTHERS
Why the fuck is Cartman sliding on this shit 😂😂😂😂
RANDYWORLD KOOP x OTM KRAZO x BOOBIE354 x 00$$o x BABY SLIMEE “DYNAMIC BOYZ”
More DMV craziness and this just feels like an anxiety attack the entire time - The beat feels like it's off the rails, as those damn kicks are marching by its own drum (literally). There's these bells, guitars, and other sounds that are slightly mixed above everything else to an almost maddening effect and I seriously think it adds to how chaotic this song is. The quintet here all slide, but OTM KRAZO might be my favorite here. It's like if Patrick Starr was from the DMV lol. Really good though..
yen - plead
Need more folks on SC to lean towards stupid metal shit like this. Joke or not, it's so damn good. Like yen here went from Peter Steele bellows to Vorgdar Vorggorsson black metal blast beast frenzies in like 20 seconds and it's so god damn hard. Speaking of rappers delving into black metal, reminder that Little Ugly Man's best work is his black metal project.
Jack Frost - Roxy w/ Ss3bby (prod Jack Frost)
Goddd this beat - Feels like I'm eternally sliding on a sheet of ice, trapped in an endless loop of coldness. Guess that's why a snowman made this shit...
OOSKULLY - GHOST RIDIN PART 3 [PROD. OOSKULLY]
They're finally unearthing club music from hell and this shit is probably going to be on Satan's Spotify wrapped by the end of the year - Everything is just so ridiculously muddled and then you have those twerk team claps snapping you back to reality. Just fucking insane.
Spookyli - Let Me Know (Prod. KRXXK)
Two of the underground's most revered and underrated get together once again to create more murky swamps of sound. Like this shit is seriously what it feels like getting your foot stuck inside of a crawfish field - It's so muddy and grimy, and then there's this suction that keeps you submerged and stuck in that nastiness. This shit somehow encapsulates that feeling that probably none of y'all have experienced. Aside from that, I think it's super cool that these SoundCloud mainstays get proper music videos like this - Much deserved.
Barry970 - Sudor y Sangre
Mist X MoStack - I Admit
YT - Pocket Full of Money Got My Trousers Falling Down
A little late to this one, but this seriously might be one of my favorite tracks to come out of this worldwide internet swag renaissance that has been occurring over the past year or so. London's YT might seriously be one of the best UK-based artists in this realm of SoundCloud - Maybe second to phreshboyswag at the moment. That London accent is such a nice change of pace over these beats - I just bought a Vodafone plan for a flip phone to go with my lifetime supply of Young and Reckless clothing. Lowkey song of the year candidate. OI!
M Row - Gassed Up (PT 2)
This dude is doing like an inverse Quanny here where he's putting the low pass on the beat and it's just him rapping instead - Kinda sounds a little like a New York version of him too lol. But, this feels like when you have to go throw out the trash when it's 11 at night - It feels like you the only person outside and you're scared as shit. Oh just me? Damn...
Mustafa - Name of God
Just a really beautiful song here - Mustafa's voice is just a warm blanket of comfort that never gets old...
Niontay - Real hiphop (feat. Earl Sweatshirt, El Cousteau, & MIKE)
I mean, the title ain't no false advertising... MIKE is doing like Madden Circle Button Spin moves on this shit. Best posse track of the year.
Best Mixes of October
Just like last month, I wanted to showcase a few notable mixes from October that you should really check out:
This honestly feels like the quickest 2 hour mix ever as these 4 just go absolutely insane for their slot at The Lot Radio earlier in the month. There isn't a millisecond wasted here, as you'll find yourself swimming in a puddle of your own sweat by the end of it. Four of the greatest in the world, in my opinion.
DJ KIW KIW CUKURUKUK X DANZA KUDURO REMIX FULL BASS VIRAL TIK TOK TERBARU 2023
More bass-boosted apocalyptic Jungle Dutch out of Indonesia, as I'm sure your speakers are going to blow out by the end of this mix. It starts off with this super upbeat remix of "Danza Kuduro" that sets the pace for the next hour, as you're getting strapped down and blasted off to the Jakarta Space Station.
Chase & Status | Boiler Room: London
One of the best mainstream Boiler Room sets I've ever seen - Big shoutout to the 3 lads in the back. Absolute legends who need to be put in the Boiler Room crowd rafters next to Kaytranada girl and Burial rolling a J during a James Blake set over a decade ago.
DJ DUCKY LIVE AT MYRTLE MYSTERY MOON HARVEST FESTIVAL AND FRIGHT FEST
The greatest duck-based DJ in the world playing more sinister underground music for the most internet-poisoned people in New York.
DJ RICK GEEZ - PHILLY CLUB MIX
This is actually a mix from 2011 that really shows how primitive club music was at the turn of the new decade - Very rooted in its Jersey/Baltimore origins, but that distinct Philly party vibe is still present here. A must-listen to any club music historian.
Cathedral Music - Cthrl Mix
Now that you listened to some old-school, no-frills club music, it's only right for me to throw you back into the insane wormhole of modern club music. Here, we got the best of the best - Steez, qua, 2napps, and Jern continuing that ideology of bringing Jersey Club music into uncharted territory for the regional genre. From blasted off into hyperspace melodies, to this evil and brooding cadence that the 4 go about here, to just the pure insanity of it all - I feel like I'm constantly saying that these producers are constantly innovating, but when you keep coming across stuff like this, you'll find yourself sounding like a broken record too. Some of the best music in the world right now.
Hero.created - GQOM MIX
A really good and overlooked blend of Gqom tracks from Berlin-based DJ Hero.created - Can get any party to lose their minds.
REVENGE DEVIL’S DANCE 18.11.23 MIXTAPE BY APHRODITE
If you don't already know, uptempo is one of my biggest guiltiest pleasures in music, as the European dingen-dargen-ass sound is just irresistible to my constantly-deteriorating ears. Here, Dutch (derogatory) producer Aphrodite is just injecting 100% pure adrenaline into your ear canal, as this is just blunt force trauma in auditory form. For such a male-dominated scene, she is really making a name for herself - Don't know how many more of Max Verstappen's cousins I can take making the same tunes over and over again lmao.
PRYZD - HELL ON EARTH VOL. 6
Continuing my journey showcasing music designed for the Kappa Kappa Gamma frat at Arizona State University, as I still kinda fuck with riddim, one of the silliest genres in the juvenile landscape that is EDM. Those wobbles just give me late 00s dubstep vibes, so I just keep coming back to this type of stuff. Here, Florida producer PRYZD is making noises that sound like Transformers beatboxing the entire time - You got these grimy industrial sounds that feels this being played inside of a burning foundry. This music is totally a "you either like it or don't" type of thing so understandable if you closed out of the screen once this came up lol.
Merki - Bonkers Promo Mix 10.13.2023 (Makina)
KEEEEEEMONNNNNN - If you're a fan of the site, you already know about the craziness that is Makina, a Valencia-originated rave genre that has taken storm in Northern England and Scotland over the past few decades. This is just an hour refresher for the folks that aren't too familiar with Makina, as this will get you calling every lad by the first 10 minutes. Honestly the closest we have to UK rave music from the 90s
Best Releases of October
Keeping up the bit from last month and just mentioning a few of my favorite releases from the month - Loads of variety here.
MIKE - Burning Desire
Without a doubt, an album of the year contender, as the New Yorker continues one of the most absurd runs of form out of any artist in recent memory. This new album feels like the warm hiss coming from a tape - It's almost hallucinogenic, as MIKE mesmerizes throughout the psychedelic journey. Cover art too is also just as incredible as the music. All in all, MIKE is seriously one of the best in the world right now.
Ken Carson - A Great Chaos
A redeeming album from someone I wasn't really too hot on - I think the concept of "rage" and people talking about it is stupid, because all in all, this is music that is designed for my car doors to be ripped off of the fucking hinges at my stoplight. Just barbaric music for your Project X party where everybody is fighting each other.
XEXA - Vibrações de Prata
Principe Records really can't do any wrong - This album from XEXA really strays away from the usual straight-forward batida feel that most of the Lisbon outfits puts out. Lots of atmospheric freeform palettes of sound that feel like waves crashing upon you. Like seriously, it's more akin to something like Ana Roxanne rather than a Nídia or Danifox. Really nice change of pace.
Speaking of batida, Setúbal's D'Cantwo Junior has been one of the scene's best this year, releasing beaucoup amounts of bangers throughout the year. This time, the producer has a proper album out and it just delivers. That undeniable groove is bouncing back and forth through your body like a jumping bean throughout the entire runtime. There's also some surprise appearances Brazilian producers Klean and Klap who lend a helping hand to bridge the two mammoth realms of funk and batida. Just a really great album that not many folks are aware of.
Devstacks - Scriptures
This is like the soundtrack to a JRPG starring a man from Massachusetts who can fly through the clouds - More incredible opulence from one of the underground's most grandiose.
Devin Morrison - Dream Lobby Vol. VIII & IX
A surprise drop from one of R&B's best, as we get another 2 stellar installments to the legendary "Dream Lobby" series.
DJ Jeeh FDC - Alcateia
7 insane tracks from one of Sāo Paulo's most inventive producers.
DJ P7 - Funk Deluxe 3
Another 7 insane tracks from another one of Sāo Paulo's most inventive producers (let's see if y'all actually realized I wrote the same thing twice because it's true lmao)
Klein - touched by an angel
More freeform auditory bliss from one of electronic music's best. Crazy how I've heard no one talk about how there's a damn Klein x Matana Roberts collab now because of this.
OSSX - WHO HAS THE TIME
A super underrated Jersey Club producer with a more old-school approach to the club, as these three tracks just GO. The real standout is the opener "!!!," a remix to one of the greatest songs ever created, "Moments In Love" by Art of Noise, as this can set any dancefloor ablaze.
Smokingskul - BREADY 2
Angry Swede getting mad over really angry beats once again - It never fails. Yeah sure, we always freak out about the absurdity of the beats, but the way how melodic these beats are is second-to-none - TDF, Perc40, and Boolymon are seriously some of the best producers in the biz right now.
65 CENT - 10/17
Mary Lattimore - Goodbye, Hotel Arkada
More otherworldly harp music from the best - I don't know if I get this feeling from the title, but it seriously feels like the peaceful serenity of an empty hotel lobby. Loads of pretty, ornate things just frozen in time. Great record.
If Gurners of the Galaxy (legendary Youtube channel) was a singular music album, it would be this shit because oh my god.
Ὁπλίτης - Ἀντιτιμωρουμένη
A Chinese extreme metal band that has all of their shit in Greek with a third album this year, chock-full of insanity. This is like an inverse Ghost Bath lmao
Mg Burto - Evil Flow Album 23
Jersey Club man of the year with a victory lap, full of that signature Burto bassy goodness.
DJ Remizevolution - Álbum Process Evolution
An overwhelming collection of internet funk from a kid in Rio - Ranging from automotivo, to Rio, mandelao, to bruxaria, to even.... *shudders* "phonk." Regardless, it all follows the same pattern - Good as hell. Gotta mention that Backyardigans remix too - What the fuck lmao