By Bandcamp Picks of the Week, as large and in charge as ever
Airospace- NOCTURNE
Genre: Experimental Hip Hop, Abstract Hip Hop
Favorite Tracks: “Twilight,” “On the Day the Sun Died,” “An Open Letter to Helen, Pt. 1,” “Meridian,” “Nocturne”
It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of Washington D.C./Baltimore based rapper Airospace. Even so, it doesn’t feel like hyperbole to call this one of the more exciting rap records of this year. Airospace draws in dedicated fans due to his deep-cut pop culture references (which often skew towards the anime-friendly crowds), but his knack for confessional honesty is what really makes him exceptional. Airo draws from a huge array of different influences, but the rapper who he most closely resembles is Slug, with a similar knack for heart-on-the-sleeve storytelling, particularly notable on tracks like “An Open Letter to Helen Pt. 1” and “Nocturne.” (That’s not at all to say that Airospace is strictly a sad boy backpack rapper, see the dude live sometime to realize how well he can turn the fuck up.) The production on this album is also next level; he’s always picked great beats, but this NOCTURNE is another beast entirely, demonstrating a perfect selection of lo-fi production to match his flow. We’re living in a second golden age of rap, but even so, Airospace fills a unique and specific niche that’s really not anywhere else to be found, and it’s my sincere hope he blows up like he deserves to. You can listen to NOCTURNE here. [Carter Moon]
Secret Drum Band – DYNAMICS
Genre: Experimental
Favorite Tracks: “DaDaDa,” “Big Metal”
Rarely does a release rocket with such speed up my personal year ranking as did Secret Drum Band’s DYNAMICS. Now I know what you’re thinking—five drummers making an album of “living, breathing soundscapes”? Thomas, you’re On One again. But trust me, dear readers, drums have never sounded so warm, melodic, and welcoming as they do here. Don’t fret too much, there are other instruments present as well, but Secret Drum Band shows that one of the most popularly neglected instruments in ensembles can be just as or more artistically evocative as any of its peers, a far cry from the popular conception of drummers as mere timekeepers. A layered cacophony of timbre envelopes the listener in a cyclical, ritualistic thrum, buzzing with the vitality of rhythm as life-force. It’s not quite danceable as much as it is hypnotic, but in that regard it delivers in spades, a sheen of psychedelia consistently rearing its shimmering, multi-faceted head. Anyone with even a minor background in the percussion-heavy music of the African continent will have the easiest time diving in, but I truly believe anyone can be swept away by DYNAMICS. If nothing else, producers and composers will find a goldmine of stellar examples of loops and patterns constructed into something larger-than-life and endlessly enjoyable. You can listen to DYNAMICS here. [Thomas Seraydarian]
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