World Around listeners were first introduced to smooth-talking SeniorClassman J. Dante when he cranked out a whirlwind EP with our resident boom-bap specialist Man Mantis; the result, the Whole New World EP, was an instant classic, and earned the duo a lot of accolades in the blogosphere.
Dante has big plans, and we’ve already received word that the Whole New World LP is in the works for 2010. Meanwhile, the ever-hungry rapper keeps breaking new ground and concept-to-fruition speed records. This time around he linked with his cousin, producer and vocalist DawnsSon, for the Destiny EP. It’s a bit of a departure from his laid-back and classic style, featuring heavy electro influences and autotuned choruses alongside Dante’s signature delivery, but it’s dope and different nonetheless.
Here at World Around, we’ve been fans of Witness ever since he dropped his outstanding EP Ever Since, way back in 2005. After that, he stepped up his game ferociously with the Evermore EP (Buy it here) and dropped a collaboration with AZ producer Mobb Robb named .45 Sweetheart.
Whatever he’s working on now, it’s crazy. Nobody knows if this collaboration will grow into something bigger, but for now — enjoy this for what it is. An exceptionally dope song.
Releasing this project is a huge milestone for World Around Records. Beyond All Spheres of Force and Matter is a vision that Dr. Quandary had back when we first started World Around, and I’ve listened to this album evolve for several years now.
I thought what I was hearing back then was dope, but Quan had a very specific vision and he kept pushing himself until he achieved it. Clearly, he was going for one of the most epic, spaced-out, and cinematic instrumental hip hop albums humanly possible, because that’s pretty much what happened.
After years of building the huge, intricate percussion and the rich layers of samples, Dr. Quandary turned to synthesizers to flesh out his vision even further. For several of the tracks here, he’s also worked with multi-instrumentalist mastermind Matt Scott who laid down (fretless) live bass to bring the final mix together. The result is something timeless, and the sci-fi cover painting by Federico Piatti compliments the project perfectly.
Yes, there will be posters. And vinyl.
For now, though, we’ve got it up on Bandcamp for $5. You can of course listen to the entire thing, for free, all day at work. We encourage that sort of thing. As a “thank you” for helping us to fund our operations, Dr. Quandary is including a bonus EP, Semuta, with every Bandcamp purchase.
We’ve been tracking this one here for a while now, brothers and sisters, but the wait is finally over — our friends over at Ocular Science have officially released the new vinyl edition of s.maharba’sself-titled beat tape.
Originally produced by our fellows at Sassbologna Records, an Iowa-based label specializing in cassette-only releases, the tape quickly sold through it’s initial run, after which it was made available as a free download. Since then, it’s exploded into the international blogosphere, where it continues to generate a ton of positive buzz.
The new pressing features brand new artwork by Maharba himself, silk-screened and hand-stamped by the Oc-Sci staff, as well as four bonus tracks exclusive to the vinyl edition. This is a beautiful package sure to please new and old fans alike, and it’s already sold through two pre-releases, so make sure you get your copy today!
“We’ve been sitting on this track for way, way too long and it’s probably my favorite track I’ve ever been on. Today being my birthday, we decided to go ahead and drop it. Enjoy.” — Thirtyseven
s. maharba has been on fire lately, getting great reviews and international attention for his upcoming vinyl beat tape release, S/T. That’s dropping on May 18th, but you can pre-order a vinyl/shirt combo now by clicking here…
The man Man Mantis never stops moving — he’s always got something new in the works. Case in point: this amazing EP he threw together on the quick with slick-talking emcee J. Dante of Minneapolis’ Senior Class. It’s coming your way for free on April 16th, but you can grab a sneak peak of two tracks today by stopping by their Bandcamp page.
After the 2008 release of his mind-bending, lucid-dream-inducing EP She, UK producer s.maharba wasted no time in creating a stellar followup — a short-form, self-titled beat tape (yes, tape as in cassette) for our esteemed colleagues at Sassbologna Records. The tape sold quickly through its initial run and went out of print, after which it was made available for free via Bandcamp.
Since then, the record has becoming a startling viral success. Every week, our Google Alerts hip us to new blogs and podcasts from all over the world that sing its praises, including some heavy hitters like INQ and even Steady Bloggin’. All the buzz is great news for S, who will be re-releasing the album in a sexy vinyl package this year, including brand-new silk-screened artwork and a side order of banging bonus tracks. It’s being handled by our good friends at Ocular Science, so we guarantee it’ll be quality.
Stay tuned for more information on the re-release, and check out “When I Go to Sleep” in the meantime — people can’t seem to get enough of this joint.
By our best estimates, Louis Mackey has well over 100 full-length tracks that have never seen the light of day beyond MySpace or SoundClick. The man is a machine, constantly cranking out beats and lyrics — however, the adverse effect of his rigorous routine is that he’s moved on to the next project by the time the first is finished.
That’s why Funky Motherfucker, Yeah! has been so long in the making: ever since it was conceptualized, it’s been restructured, rewritten and further honed by Lou’s ravenous appetite for quality. In the end, we’re glad he decided to just pull the trigger on the project, because the result is an excellent “best-of” style collection spanning Lou’s entire rap career, from as far back as 2004 to the present.
The record features Lou’s signature brand of lyrical wit and funky production, with cameos from beatmakers Dr. Quandary, Man Mantis and The Banana Hammocks, as well as guest verses from AnP and Vermont freestyle veteran Chris Dizzy.
Click on the cover to download Funky Motherfucker, Yeah! in 320k MP3 format, with high-quality album art by Jacob North and PDF liner notes.
Man Mantis brings his sampling skills to the world of visual media once again, with this rhythmic wash of human body imagery for his new song Minor Aches and Pains. He’s got a great collection of dumate and STINK TANK™ performance footage, along with some live MPC antics, and he’s always adding new stuff, so be sure to check out his channel on Youtube.
World Around listeners were first introduced to smooth-talking SeniorClassman J. Dante when he cranked out a whirlwind EP with our resident boom-bap specialist Man Mantis; the result, the Whole New World EP, was an instant classic, and earned the duo a lot of accolades in the blogosphere.
