ALUMNI ROUNDUP 2017: The Year in Review
Jan 30, 2018
We may have shut our doors in 2016, but 2017 was still a banner year for the World Around family. Here’s a list of all the new music released by former World Around artists.
This long-awaited LP from rap classicist Louis Mackey features some of his deftest, most heartfelt lyricism to date, signalling a huge step forward in style while simultaneously serving as a return to the funkier roots of his early work. The whole affair is conducted over a backdrop of Dr. Quandary beats with a distinctly dusty, old-school vibe, adding to the air of nostalgia.
Man Mantis — Boss Skeleton + Dawn of the Def (Reissue)
Released in July, Man Mantis’ Boss Skeleton is a collection older tracks from his Majestic Dimensions EP series. The project features Mantis’ signature sonic landscapes, lush with otherworldly synthesizers. Though mostly instrumental, you’ll find a couple of expertly-placed, late-game features from Terra Lopez, Nocando, Decomposure & Sole.
As if new Mantis wasn’t enough, we also got some classic Mantis: as an added year-end bonus, the long-defunct imprint Loretta Records resurfaced in December with an official dead-stock reissue of his 2005 debut, Dawn of the Def. The album follows in the footsteps of RJD2’s Deadringer, blending soul & funk into a cinematic instrumental experience.
The latest EP from UK gloom king S.maharba is a ...
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Farewell, World Around (2006–2016)
Feb 14, 2017
To Our Loyal World Around Family,
You might have noticed that things have slowed down here over the last year or so — our last official album release was Waldo from Cincinnati’s Yonder Works (And Then Some) back in September of 2015; things are quiet on Facebook; we haven’t tweeted in almost a year.
For the most part, this is due to bandwidth issues. The administrative side of World Around has always been a two-person operation (three at the absolute zenith), and keeping things running is an insane challenge, especially since we’re all artists too. We all know that balancing everything demanded of us — family, friends, life, art, work, school, etc. — can be challenging enough; the full-time management of a label is really tough to fit into that mix. That said, we did it for as long as we could, out of love — for our music, for each other, and for everyone who listened and supported us along the way.
Justin & Kyle in 2006
On top of that, a lot has changed since we opened our digital doors on MySpace in 2006. There have been career changes, new opportunities; some of us have married, started families. Musically, many World Around artists have gone on to do bigger, better, more beautiful things: after a brief stint with our friends at Potholes Music, Man Mantis linked up with legendary rapper Sole and joined the ranks of Shoeboxx Recordings; Daimyo fell in with the amazing crowd of beatmakers at Cult Classic ...
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New Music: "Leather Apron"
Jun 14, 2011
We’ve got a pretty exciting new track for you today: the debut single from Devastate, the Bearded Terror of Las Vegas and second-most elusive emcee on our roster.
On “Leather Apron,” Dev spits his finely-crafted fury alongside World Around mainstays Louis Mackey and Humpasaur Jones. What would WA-branded horrorcore sound like? We’re not sure we want to find out, but this track is epic all the same:
Keep an eye out for more music from Devastate this summer, and catch the Zero EP when it comes to World Around Records on October 14th, 2011.
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Classic Logo Shirts Now Available!
May 18, 2011
Now available in our newly-opened store on BigCartel, our Classic Logo shirts feature an original design by Cole Eggen that was among the many emblems used by World Around Records in the early days.
Each one of these pre-shrunk, 100% ring-spun cotton shirts is individually hand-screened by our team of artificers at World Around East and shipped to you swiftly via USPS Priority Mail.
Supplies are limited, so make sure you order yours today!
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Devastate Joins the World Around Roster
Aug 30, 2010
Ladies and gentlemen, mammals and mutants, we’d like to introduce one of our 2010 Draft Picks: the Las Vegas rap terrorist, Devastate. Before we drop his debut on World Around, the Zero EP, we rented out a boardroom at the Mandalay Bay for a signing ceremony and recorded interview.
Dr. Quandary: What are the influences who have shaped your vision, your music, your weltanschauung?
Devastate: Let’s start this bad boy off with a cliche…. Every day life. In this beautiful, macabre and entertaining world, its damn near impossible to not be influenced one way or another. I don’t think its about what influences my music though, I think its more about what adds fuel to that metaphorical fire.
These ideas are going to be thought, these emotions are going to be felt, right? Right. The interesting part is what grabs the abstract, molds it and then hammers it into something tangible.
Days in front of the radio got my feet wet. The desire to mimick what i was hearing put me on the diving board. The fact that my parents loathed my efforts, well… Hell, that gave me the balls to front flip into this metaphorical pool.
Hundreds of human beings have inspired me. Musicians, philosophers, authors, mythical heros and friends. They’ve all inspired me to take certain steps. They all gave me the tools to grow, but the primary goal is to feel the joy that kind in front of the radio was drenched in ...
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