AnkhDeLillo

Slightly less soulful and jazzy than the first Slime Patrol - it's balanced out by more rap vocal samples, more psychedelic moods, and some really interesting riffs on jersey club. I think I prefer the first LP, but this is a solid complement to it that carries over its core strengths.

FAVORITE TRACKS: Flocka 2, Throwsom$, Rounia

Fascinating take on Chicago footwork from a Tunisian producer: across this thing, you can feel the influence of terminally-online plunderphonics, lo-fi instrumental jazz-rap, and dreamy psychedelia. Al Hanafi really minces these samples up, reshaping tiny scraps of melody into stuttering passages that drop in and out like a bad WiFi signal. This is definitely some of the best stuff I've heard in the footwork/juke tradition.

FAVORITE TRACKS: Baklava Dance Club (ft. Velvetian Sky), ... read more

The most heterosexual album of the year so far--this is the trap equivalent of fishing and drinking cheap, watery beer with your guy friends while one of them says, “Women… can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em.” Cool to see Neph fitting so well on the PluggnB sounds here.

FAVORITE TRACKS: New Pap And Neph PlugnB, Fingers Cramping, Sport Plus Wit It

Unbridled fun from Keem and K-Dot--feels like they've sharpened the approach they took on "Family Ties" and "Range Brothers" by grounding it in a poppier, more mainstream sound. There are already rumors about a collab album... I would like to see it.

Shout out to Evilgiane for the great beat, too. Surf Gang's been on my radar since last year, but this might be their big breakout moment.