13 & GOD Men of Station / Soft Atlas (Anticon) 12" 8.98

13 & GOD s/t (Anticon / Alien Transistor) cd 14.98
This is essentially the perfect mix of Anticon's off kilter avant indie hip hop, and the Notwist's melancholy electronic bliss rock. Which makes perfect sense considering that 13 And God is made up of 3/5 of the Notwist (Markus and Micha Acher, Martin Gretschmann) and all of Anticon's Themselves (Doseone, Dax, and Jel). The rest of the Notwist (drummer Martin Messerschmid and guitarist Max Punktezahl) help with production and several tracks feature guest vocals from Steffi Bohm of Ms. John Soda and Valerie Trebeljahr of Lali Puna. That should give some idea of what 13 And God is all about. Dreamy expanses of melancholy glitchpop, wistful and wandering, simple shuffling and loping drum beats, fuzzy synth melodies, warm warbling loops, soft focused and otherworldly, and then the strange entangling of Notwist-like breathy effervescent vocals and Doesone's rapid fire tongue twisting helium affected flow. Seems like it would be a mess, but surprisingly, they manage to make it all fit perfectly. Fans of the Notwist's Neon Golden should find this essential (assuming they aren't averse to a little hip hop here and there) and fans of Themselves, Doseone and those sorts of things will most likely just find this to be yet another perfect piece in Anticon's always evolving musical puzzle.
MPEG Stream: "Low Heaven"
MPEG Stream: "Men Of Station"
MPEG Stream: "Superman On Ice"

13 & GOD s/t (Anticon / Alien Transistor) 2lp 14.98
This is essentially the perfect mix of Anticon's off kilter avant indie hip hop, and the Notwist's melancholy electronic bliss rock. Which makes perfect sense considering that 13 And God is made up of 3/5 of the Notwist (Markus and Micha Acher, Martin Gretschmann) and all of Anticon's Themselves (Doseone, Dax, and Jel). The rest of the Notwist (drummer Martin Messerschmid and guitarist Max Punktezahl) help with production and several tracks feature guest vocals from Steffi Bohm of Ms. John Soda and Valerie Trebeljahr of Lali Puna. That should give some idea of what 13 And God is all about. Dreamy expanses of melancholy glitchpop, wistful and wandering, simple shuffling and loping drum beats, fuzzy synth melodies, warm warbling loops, soft focused and otherworldly, and then the strange entangling of Notwist-like breathy effervescent vocals and Doesone's rapid fire tongue twisting helium affected flow. Seems like it would be a mess, but surprisingly, they manage to make it all fit perfectly. Fans of the Notwist's Neon Golden should find this essential (assuming they aren't averse to a little hip hop here and there) and fans of Themselves, Doseone and those sorts of things will most likely just find this to be yet another perfect piece in Anticon's always evolving musical puzzle.
MPEG Stream: "Low Heaven"
MPEG Stream: "Men Of Station"
MPEG Stream: "Superman On Ice"

2PAC Until The End Of Time (Interscope) 2cd 22.00

50 CENT The Massacre (Shady) cd 15.98

8 MILE (OST) (Interscope) cd 19.98
Here's the soundtrack to 8 mile, Em's new hit, semiautobiographical movie. I have yet to see it, but even our pickiest friends liked it and it made something crazy like 54 million the first weekend at the boxoffice. Eminem donated three new songs to this soundtrack, Lose Yourself is the first on the disc and is already all over the radio, a totally great song. He also produced much of the album, which includes Gang Starr, Jay-Z, Rakim, Nas, Xzibit, D12 and Macy Gray. Em's Shady Records signees 50 Cent and Obie Trice are featured throughout. Obie was on Eminem's song "Drips," from The Eminem Show album. 50 cent is a New York artist who Dr. Dre and Eminem co signed to their labels. He's been self promoting with mix tapes, and apparently has cred in NY. Eminem says he wrote these three songs through his character "Rabbit's" voice. Comes with Shady / Aftermath artist sampler.
RealAudio clip: EMINEM "Lose Yourself"
RealAudio clip: EMINEM/OBIE TRICE/ 50 CENT "Love Me"

A-TRAK Enter Ralph Wiggum (Stones Throw) 7" 3.99
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
The newest member of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz releases on 7" on Peanut Butter Wolf's local label.

ABSTRACKT KEAL AGRAM Cluster Ville (Gooom) cd 15.98
The last AKA record was such a huge hit around these parts we figured we would go back a bit and track down their earlier album. And good thing we did 'cause it's pretty darn great. On Bad Thriller, AKA spun a sugary web of M83-ish shoegazey blisspop, with the occasional bit of glitchy electronica and out of left field hip hoppery. Well, here we are back a few years and AKA's penchant for hip hop is in full effect. And it definitely suits them. The record is a dark, head nodding assemblage of DJ Shadow-ish ambient groovescapes, and full on hip hop. But the hip hop is constructed from the Gooom sonic staples we should all be familiar with by now, blissed out slightly melancholic ambience, buzzy fuzzy summer-y day soundscapes, electronic birds singing, digital clouds drifting by, occasional DJ scratching. Think M83 meets Boards Of Canada with Del or Sensational rapping. A super dense and a rich sonic stew of trad hip hop, modern glitch pop, eighties shoe gaze, a truly weird concoction, but it works somehow. Might be too much rapping for some (those of you coming at it from the fuzz pop angle) but avant hip hop headz will be blown away and anyone who's been jonesing for a record that hits the same sweet spot Shadow's Endtroducing did, should definitely check this out!
MPEG Stream: "Del"
MPEG Stream: "Piece"
MPEG Stream: "Brouillard"

ABU-JAMAL, MUMIA 175 Progress Drive (Alternative Tentacles) cd 13.98
Hopefully all AQ-list readers are aware of the plight of Pennsylvania journalist and death row inmate Mumia Abu Jamal (sentenced to death for a cop killing that he may, or may not, have committed -- regardless, his trial was hardly fair, making him indeed a true American political prisoner). Alternative Tentacles have done their part to keep Mumia's words and cause in the public eye, this release being the latest to feature his prison radio essays. But it also features Mumia pieces from his pre-conviction radio days (including his interviews with Bob Marley, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Hugh Masekela, and others). It also features musical and spoken word contributions from hip hop luminaries like Chuck D, Dead Prez, Michael Franti, and others. In case you were wondering, "175 Progress Drive" is the address of Mumia's prison cell, from where he continues to fight the power and speak for the black (and non-black) underclass.

ACEYALONE Accepted Eclectic (Ground Control) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Formerly an MC with cult LA underground hiphop group Freestyle Fellowship, Aceyalone continues the positive flow with his third album. Kinda reminds us, delivery-wise, of Young MC (blasphemy!) but then again our favorite hiphop is of the more commercial, aboveground gangsta Cash Money/No Limit/KMEL variety, not the Cali underground positive stuff a la Del and all the rest (Zion I excepted).
RealAudio clip: "Accepted Eclectic"
RealAudio clip: "B-Boy Real McCoy"

ACEYALONE (ACCOMPANIED BY RJD2) Magnificent City (Decon) cd 14.98

AESOP QUARTET s/t (8thHB) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Chicago new jazz group, with Hamid Drake (well known Peter Brotzmann sparring-partner) on drums, Jeff Parker (of Tortoise) on guitar, Ernest Dawkins playing reeds, and Rollo Radford on bass. With special guests DJ Rob Swift of the X-ecutioners doing his turntable thing, and Reggie Gibson (1998 National Poetry Slam Winner, ack!) doing some spoken word stuff.

AESOP ROCK Bazooka Tooth (Definitive Jux) cd 16.98
It's been a constant and strangely evolving battle, in one corner, Cannibal Ox, El-P, Mr. Lif and the whole Def Jux crew, while in the other, Dose One, Why, Jel and the ever expanding Anticon stable, all doing their best to bastardise, distort, destroy, and/or reinvent hip hop. And it's been a tough race to call, both camps have lots to offer, bizarre samples, damaged drum loops, and weird and warped flows, from the nasal high pitched whine of Dose One to the langorous drawl of Aesop Rock. And while maybe Anticon would win for straight up weirdness, Def Jux are definitely more likely to sway the hip hop masses over to the darkside, with their mutated take on classic hip hop.
The latest salvo comes in the form of Aesop Rock's Bazooka Tooth, a dense barrage of creepy crawly, lugubrious lo-fi hip hop weirdness, with stuttery, shuffling beats, dreamy eastern melodies and rhythmically machine-like scratching, the whole thing is swathed in a shimmery pot smoke haze like looking at the world through bongwater, everything distorted and dreamy, head nodding and hip swaying, with occasional spatters of crunchy drum and bass and skeletal junkyard funk, all anchored by Aesop's wordy worldly flow. Destroys most of the currently over-hyped avant/underground hip hop whatever (Atmosphere, Buck 65).
Plus how often do you hear a rapper use the word "alacrity"?! Not often enough!!
MPEG Stream: "NY Electric"
MPEG Stream: "We're Famous"

AESOP ROCK Bazooka Tooth (Definitive Jux) 3lp 19.98
It's been a constant and strangely evolving battle, in one corner, Cannibal Ox, El-P, Mr. Lif and the whole Def Jux crew, while in the other, Dose One, Why, Jel and the ever expanding Anticon stable, all doing their best to bastardise, distort, destroy, and/or reinvent hip hop. And it's been a tough race to call, both camps have lots to offer, bizarre samples, damaged drum loops, and weird and warped flows, from the nasal high pitched whine of Dose One to the langorous drawl of Aesop Rock. And while maybe Anticon would win for straight up weirdness, Def Jux are definitely more likely to sway the hip hop masses over to the darkside, with their mutated take on classic hip hop.
The latest salvo comes in the form of Aesop Rock's Bazooka Tooth, a dense barrage of creepy crawly, lugubrious lo-fi hip hop weirdness, with stuttery, shuffling beats, dreamy eastern melodies and rhythmically machine-like scratching, the whole thing is swathed in a shimmery pot smoke haze like looking at the world through bongwater, everything distorted and dreamy, head nodding and hip swaying, with occasional spatters of crunchy drum and bass and skeletal junkyard funk, all anchored by Aesop's wordy worldly flow. Destroys most of the currently over-hyped avant/underground hip hop whatever (Atmosphere, Buck 65).
Plus how often do you hear a rapper use the word "alacrity"?! Not often enough!!

AESOP ROCK Daylight (Definitive Jux) cd 10.98
So now I (Windy) am feeling really stupid for not paying enough attention to Aesop Rock's last full length Labor Days, because this new followup cdep is so great! The title track "Daylight" is seriously geting multiple repeat plays here in the AQ-back office (it's also on Labor Days, fyi). "Daylight" is melodic (something I miss a lot in hip hop) and sort of smartly epic without being overly dramatic like the JayZ record I was listening to this morning. Hit us over the head with your sappiness, why don't you, JayZ. Aesop Rock's flow is just incredibly tongue-twisting and learned and thoughtful... I can't even describe it. Here, just read some of "Daylight" while you're listening to the soundclips:
"Yo...put one up shackle me, not clean logic procreation
I did not invent the wheel I was the crooked spoke adjacent
While the triple sixers lassos keep angels roped in the basement
I walk the block with a halo and a stick poking your patience"
The remaining 6 tracks are similarly good. Blockhead provides most of the instrumental backup and man, I can't wait for a solo LP from this producer, he seems to have impeccable taste. One of the tracks is ever so timely -- "Nickel Plated Pockets" references "anthrax in the mailboxes and xanax in my tummy." Yeah, Aesop's got his finger on the zeitgeist. And there's a hidden track wherein he gives his full, real name, and proceeds to sincerely, poignantly thank four people who literally saved his life once. Another worthwhile title from the practically flawless Def Jux label.
RealAudio clip: "Daylight"
RealAudio clip: "Forest Crunk"
RealAudio clip: "Maintenance"

AESOP ROCK Daylight (Definitive Jux) 12" 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
So now I (Windy) am feeling really stupid for not paying enough attention to Aesop Rock's last full length Labor Days, because this new followup cdep is so great! The title track "Daylight" is seriously geting multiple repeat plays here in the AQ-back office (it's also on Labor Days, fyi). "Daylight" is melodic (something I miss a lot in hip hop) and sort of smartly epic without being overly dramatic like the JayZ record I was listening to this morning. Hit us over the head with your sappiness, why don't you, JayZ. Aesop Rock's flow is just incredibly tongue-twisting and learned and thoughtful... I can't even describe it. Here, just read some of "Daylight" while you're listening to the soundclips:
"Yo...put one up shackle me, not clean logic procreation
I did not invent the wheel I was the crooked spoke adjacent
While the triple sixers lassos keep angels roped in the basement
I walk the block with a halo and a stick poking your patience"
The remaining 6 tracks are similarly good. Blockhead provides most of the instrumental backup and man, I can't wait for a solo LP from this producer, he seems to have impeccable taste. One of the tracks is ever so timely -- "Nickel Plated Pockets" references "anthrax in the mailboxes and xanax in my tummy." Yeah, Aesop's got his finger on the zeitgeist. And there's a hidden track wherein he gives his full, real name, and proceeds to sincerely, poignantly thank four people who literally saved his life once. Another worthwhile title from the practically flawless Def Jux label.

AESOP ROCK Float (Mush) cd 14.98

AESOP ROCK Labor Days (Definitive Jux) cd 16.98
We asked beloved AQ-friend Alexis G to write this review, since he loves the record (and we think he's such a good writer too):
Since the demise, or rather, mutual split of pseudo-legendary hip-hoppers Company Flow, journalists and fans alike have been spittin' all manner of hyperbole in the direction of all associated with El P's Def Jux imprint. Maybe it's a way of giving the Flow, a group whose releases were largely ignored and hard to find until recently, belated props. But though the Hype Machine is admittedly in full effect - designating Def Jux as Hip-Hop's new saviors, and making those of us skeptical of hipster press idolatry, well... skeptical - both Cannibal Ox's recent The Cold Vein and Aesop Rock's Labor Days have convinced me that, in fact, such boasting may be dead on. First, the Music: you won't find the murky underwater-via-nitrous-and-coke vibe that has made The Cold Vein a staple on my phonograph lately; As the moral goes, Aesop's gots his own bag. And it's a decidedly cinematic one. Rock's man Blockhead delivers most of Labor Days' musical nourishment (along with a few contributions and scratches from Omega One) in the form of obscure soundtrack, rare groove and, bewildering as it may sound, classical music breaks. Chock full of string and brass sections, harp, glockenspiel, flutes and slinky bottom heavy bass lines, the filmscore mood that pervades most of the album should make fans of Automator, DJ Shadow, and Wu-Tang happy folk. As it should fans of Italian soundtracks, Lalo Schifrin and David Shire's The Taking of Pelham 123 (re: I'd love to see this guy's soundtrack collection). And The Words? Ace's flow is furious and frenetic. Actually, I can't really figure out when this guy finds time to breathe. Maybe he does that circular breathing shit. Seriously though, his rapping style is ceaseless, restless and full of slurred rhymin' and bangin'. After all, anyone whose mic rockin' skills have garnered comparisons to Kierkegaard deserves a listen, no? All said, this is a damn fine hip-hop album. Maybe a contender for hip-hop album of the year in my book. And an instrumentals version wouldn't be wrong either.
RealAudio clip: "Daylight"
RealAudio clip: "Flashfloor"
RealAudio clip: "Bent Life (with C-Rayz-Walz)"

AFRIKA BAMBAATA, DJ Death Mix "2" (Paul Winley) cd 13.98
As influential and prolific as Afrika Bambaata is, it's always baffled us how damn hard it actually can be to get your hands on his music. Luckily we finally managed to get copies of this, a previously ultra rare mix that Bambaata whipped up back in the day. A 20+ minute continuous-mix made in the early '80s showing off his legendary chops and demonstrating loud and clear how he was able to dig into crates of records and create an instant party.
MPEG Stream: "Death Mix 2"

ALIAS All Things Fixable (Goodwithmoney) cd 14.98

ALIAS Collected Remixes (Anticon) cd 14.98
As the title states, this cd is a collection of Alias remixes! Over the years along with his own compositions, Alias (alias Brendon Whitney) has also meticulously sliced, diced and craftily reassembled tunes by the varied likes of LaliPuna, Lucky Pierre, John Vanderslice, Sixtoo, 13 & God, Boy In Static and Giardini Di Miro among others. Processing their dream-tronica, hip hop and indie pop originals in richly contrasting shades, he brings bassy funkiness to the breezily poppy, washy atmospheres to the cleaner beats, and defined melody to the more abstract tracks. Came out last year, but just as nice now.
MPEG Stream: "Exodus Damage - Remix For John Vanderslice"
MPEG Stream: "Given Ground - Remix For Giardini Di Miro"

ALIAS Eyes Closed (Anticon) cd ep 7.98
Nice little instrumental gem from Anticon soundsmith Alias, who's finally taking his lo-fi hip-hopscapes up a notch and giving DJ Shadow a run for his money. The sound here is moody, dark, gritty and cinematic, with loping downtempo beats, hazy sepia-toned ambience, and a dreamy, muted funkiness. Alias still keeps some of that Anticon under-produced weirdness intact, but manages to weave a thick sonic web that should appeal to Shadow fans as well as folks that dig Boards Of Canada and all sorts of dreamy/dreary electronica.
MPEG Stream: "What Used To Be"
MPEG Stream: "Must Consume"

ALIAS Muted (Anticon) cd 14.98
People tuning into this new Alias, looking for another dose of that Anticon off kilter whine-y avant hip hop we all love so much might be a little disappointed. Hopefully not to much though, as Alias has taken the Anticon sound to a whole new level. Other Anticon members have dabbled outside of hip hop with fairly dismal results, mostly of the tepid bedroom indie rock variety. This Alias record is something else entirely. Muted sounds like it could have just as easily been released on Morr Music or French electro-shoegaze-pop label Gooom, a gorgeously lush melange of chopped, loping beats, dreamy instrumental rhythmic workouts and glitchy avant pop. Think Massive Attack meets the Notwist. In fact Markus Acher from the Notwist sings on one song that sounds like it came straight off the Notwist's genius Neon Golden album. And actually, Neon Golden is probably the record that comes to mind most when listening to Muted. Imagine a less techno, more beat heavy, hip hop flecked, mostly instrumental new Notwist album. Hooky and epic, dreamy and hypntoic and totally amazing. Hip hop does surface once in a while, with big ol' beats, some human beatbox, brief snippets of somebody rhyming, but it's all subsumed into the gorgeously hazy and deliciously narcotic whole. Hip hop headz may be shaking theirs, but this could be the best Anticon record yet.
MPEG Stream: "Unseen Sights w/ Markus Acher"
MPEG Stream: "Shoes, Cars and SoftdrinksBeginagain"
MPEG Stream: "Sixes Last"
MPEG Stream: ""

ALIAS Muted (Anticon) 2lp 14.98
People tuning into this new Alias, looking for another dose of that Anticon off kilter whine-y avant hip hop we all love so much might be a little disappointed. Hopefully not to much though, as Alias has taken the Anticon sound to a whole new level. Other Anticon members have dabbled outside of hip hop with fairly dismal results, mostly of the tepid bedroom indie rock variety. This Alias record is something else entirely. Muted sounds like it could have just as easily been released on Morr Music or French electro-shoegaze-pop label Gooom, a gorgeously lush melange of chopped, loping beats, dreamy instrumental rhythmic workouts and glitchy avant pop. Think Massive Attack meets the Notwist. In fact Markus Acher from the Notwist sings on one song that sounds like it came straight off the Notwist's genius Neon Golden album. And actually, Neon Golden is probably the record that comes to mind most when listening to Muted. Imagine a less techno, more beat heavy, hip hop flecked, mostly instrumental new Notwist album. Hooky and epic, dreamy and hypnotic and totally amazing. Hip hop does surface once in a while, with big ol' beats, some human beatbox, brief snippets of somebody rhyming, but it's all subsumed into the gorgeously hazy and deliciously narcotic whole. Hip hop headz may be shaking theirs, but this could be the best Anticon record yet.
MPEG Stream: "Unseen Sights w/ Markus Acher"
MPEG Stream: "Shoes, Cars and SoftdrinksBeginagain"
MPEG Stream: "Sixes Last"
MPEG Stream: ""

ALIAS Other Side Of The Looking Glass (Anticon) cd 13.98
Do these guys have nothing to do but record a new record every week?! And how the hell do they manage to keep spitting out gems like this? Normally I'd be running around yelling 'Quality control!!!!!' at the top of my lungs, but damn if these boys don't keep coming through with the goods! You should all know the sound by now, but if you don't, here's a quick run down: dark, moody blissed out hip hop, with bizarre samples, gothy atmosphere, skittery spazzy drum loops, and a breathless, manic whiny white boy flow over the whole thing. And it's fucking great. A totally refreshing, original take on hip hop, with lyrical thoughtfulness that doesn't take away from the often venomous delivery, and some of the coolest most creative sounds we've heard in a long time. We've been singing the praises of Anticon since day one and this missive from Anticon producer/underdog Alias keeps the bar high and definitely makes him one of Anticon's shining stars. Also features AQ fave Dose One (from cLOUDEAD).
RealAudio clip: "Jovial Costume"
RealAudio clip: "Angel Of Solitude"
RealAudio clip: "Dying To Stay"

ALIAS Other Side Of The Looking Glass (Anticon) lp 14.98
Do these guys have nothing to do but record a new record every week?! And how the hell do they manage to keep spitting out gems like this? Normally I'd be running around yelling 'Quality control!!!!!' at the top of my lungs, but damn if these boys don't keep coming through with the goods! You should all know the sound by now, but if you don't, here's a quick run down: dark, moody blissed out hip hop, with bizarre samples, gothy atmosphere, skittery spazzy drum loops, and a breathless, manic whiny white boy flow over the whole thing. And it's fucking great. A totally refreshing, original take on hip hop, with lyrical thoughtfulness that doesn't take away from the often venomous delivery, and some of the coolest most creative sounds we've heard in a long time. We've been singing the praises of Anticon since day one and this missive from Anticon producer/underdog Alias keeps the bar high and definitely makes him one of Anticon's shining stars. Also features AQ fave Dose One (from cLOUDEAD).

ALIAS & EHREN Lillian (Anticon) cd 14.98
Despite what I am about to say, this is indeed an ultra groovy dream of an album and is well worth picking up. Really! It is unfortunate that these associations do tend to cloud the listening experience, but even without being much of a TV watcher I have to say that this new collaboration between Alias and his little brother Ehren (particularly the fifth track) really reminded us of that (albeit great) Aphex Twin track that was used in a bank commercial... alas! What distinguishes Alias & Ehren from Richard D. James here though is that they direct their spotlight to the sounds of saxophones for the melodic elements in their music. Overall, they're sound is more in line with the likes of Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel, Postal Service), Canada's Caribou, or the artists on the German pretty pop-tronic label Morr Music. Breezy and blissful, but not unexpectedly with a little more rhythm and bass presence.
MPEG Stream: "Back & Forth "
MPEG Stream: "Miso Stomp"

ALIEN ARMY The End (Hip Hop Slam / Bomb Hip-Hop) cd 12.98

ALL NATURAL Second Nature (Thrill Jockey) cd 14.98
I imagine some Thrill Jockey completists will be a little shocked when they throw on this record and discover a super moody, old school hip hop record. But the ones that actually give it a listen will find that once again the unflappable Thrill Jockey followed their own star and have managed to release probably one of the best underground hip hop records so far this year.
Dark and intense and with a certain anger and intensity bubbling right below the surface, All Natural manage to take simple old school beats, looped pianos and string swells, and a smooth lyrical intensity, and turn them into a seriously aggressive, totally funky and catchy, kick ass record. Recommended.
RealAudio clip: "The Stick Up"
RealAudio clip: "Think Again"

ALLIES, THE D-Day (Asphodel) cd 11.98
A veritable turntablist super-group featuring the likes of Invisibl Skratch Pikl A-Trak, Craze, Develop, Infamous, J-smoke & Spictakular. The Allies are here to school the world with their turntable wizardry and demonstrate how the turntable might replace the guitar.

ANALOG BROTHERS Pimp To Eat (Nu Gruv Alliance) cd 15.98
Brand new hip-hop project featuring Kool Keith and Ice T. The joke is really wearing thin now, guys. We've listened to it, and we don't wanna be nasty, but that prevents us from saying anything about this record.

ANALOG BROTHERS Pimp To Eat (Nu Gruv Alliance) lp 15.98
Brand new hip-hop project featuring Kool Keith and Ice T. The joke is really wearing thin now, guys. We've listened to it, and we don't wanna be nasty, but that prevents us from saying anything about this record.

ANDY, HORACE / SOLID C., BOBBY D. & KOOL DROP Musical Episode / Wack Rap (Wackies / Dis-Joint) 12" 8.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A couple of excellent, albeit *completely* different, tracks extracted from the archives of Bronx's now legendary Wackies label & recording studio. The A-Side is a super sweet discomix of Horace Andy's "Musical Episode" from 1982. Clocking in at 6 minutes it's one of the nicest cuts I've heard come out of Wackies, replete with pounding kumina drumming even; so it's all the nicer that it's extra long. The B-Side is equally great, but such a polar opposite that it's amazing they grace the same slab. Legend has it, that this 1979 track was Lloyd Barnes' (a.k.a. Bullwackie) only attempt at breaking into hip hop. On it three kids, apparently young Jamaican emigrees to the U.S., give their all in true Sugarhill Gang form, doing their best to imitate the New York patois with their stream of consciousness lyrics which go on endlessly. What's better is that the version offered here was the B-Side to the original single, so about half way through it gets totally fucking dubbed out, with drums and bass dropping in and out, echo bounced off the vocals -- which sounds totally strange on frenetic hip hop delivery, as opposed to a slow reggae track -- and kooky electronic sounds. The total length of the track is almost 11 minutes, putting it up there as one of the longest hip hop tracks ever. For those without access to a turntable, fear not, these two tracks are a preview to a full length compilation being released by Dis-Joint.
RealAudio clip: HORACE ANDY "Musical Episode"
RealAudio clip: SOLID C. ET AL "Wack Rap"

ANGLE OF REPOSE My Escaping Shoes (In Your Eardrums) cd-r 5.98
Angle Of Repose's My Escaping Shoes is comprised of a dozen ominous, looming downtempo hip hop tracks laced with samples of dialogue, horns and a little flute too -- very much in the DJ Shadow Endtroducing camp. If there's to be any escaping to be done by this Bay Area artist, it'll be a sneaky creep through the shadows, not a mad frenzied run-for-it. Limited pressing of 100.
MPEG Stream: "Children Of Phoebus"
MPEG Stream: "The Phalanx"

ANNA, DJ Live At The Den Of Iniquity (Beta Lounge) cd-r 9.98

ANTICON. We Ain't Fessin' (Double Quotes) (Anticon) cd ep 7.98
East Bay hip hop crew Anticon continue to impress with their wordy, staccato raps, so speedy that they sound like when you run your finger up piano keys really quick. They're really into the texture of the vocals as well as the lyrics, and as always there's that Cannibal-Ox-style heavy rumbling melodicism to the production. Hey, John Herndon of Tortoise produced one of the three tracks here. Featuring Slug, Dose, Alias, Sole, Why? and a whole lot more. All three tracks are good, no filler.
RealAudio clip: "We Ain't Fessin' (Double Quotes)"
RealAudio clip: "Deep Puddle Dynamics"

ANTICON. We Ain't Fessin' (Double Quotes) (Anticon) 10" 7.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now on vinyl. East Bay hip hop crew Anticon continue to impress with their wordy, staccato raps, so speedy that they sound like when you run your finger up piano keys really quick. They're really into the texture of the vocals as well as the lyrics, and as always there's that Cannibal-Ox-style of heavy rumbling melodicism to the production. Hey, John Herndon of Tortoise produced one of the three tracks here. Featuring Slug, Dose, Alias, Sole, Why? and a whole lot more. All three tracks are good, no filler.
RealAudio clip: "We Ain't Fessin' (Double Quotes)"
RealAudio clip: "Deep Puddle Dynamics"

ANTIPOP CONSORTIUM Antipop vs Matthew Shipp (Thirsty Ear) cd 16.98
Seems like this would be the perfect AQ hip hop record. Minimal stream-of-consciousness rappers Antipop Consortium rapping over modern/free jazz courtesy of AQ fave Matthew Shipp. Initially we thought/hoped it would be some sort of live improv/jam thing, which would seem ideal as far as tapping into both groups' strengths. But Antipop simply sample Shipp tunes. While it is cool and few groups sample 'modern' jazz, rap songs based on chopped and looped jazz tunes are really nothing new. And the result just doesn't sound as inspired as we had hoped, with the rapping sounding sort of tossed off and stilted, and the 'jazz' sounding a little too lite, ala dinner jazz. Fans of both may find something to like, but I think maybe we just had our sights set too high.
MPEG Stream: "Staph"
MPEG Stream: "Slow Horn"

ANTIPOP CONSORTIUM Arrhythmia (Warp) cd 16.98
First new full length since the waaay expensive Japanese import 'Shopping Carts Crashing' which we also carry, and it's a good one. With every release, the NY avant hip hop crew of rapper/producers Beans, M Sayyid and High Priest along with engineer extraordinaire E. Blaize continue to surprise us and isolate themselves from the rest of the pack. With "Arrhythmia", their highly anticipated debut long player from the premier UK electronic label Warp, the once abrasive and sonically confrontational crew take an unexpected, much more 'conventional' and accessible production route (ala Timbaland), yet remain fresh and highly original. Rather than relying on recycled breakbeats and appropriations of sounds vaguely familiar, APC whip up their own brand of electro street funk: hiccuping, misshapen beats complement speaker-rattling analogue synth stylings, topped with a generous amount of modulation, vocal transformation treatments and other studio stunts. APC are certainly more true to the classic electro sound, making bandwagon revivalists and overnight laptop superstars sound like it's fucking amateur night. Plus the fact that they independently produce their shit is astounding, a hip hop outfit that makes an electronica record better than most electronic artists. Jesus, I haven't even started on the dope flow, amazing wordplay, alliteration or street surrealist lyricism. Nor do I think I'm qualified. All I know is it's slammin'. And then there's "Mega", in which an aggressively arrhythmic syncopated beat underlies a dissonant algorithmic melody that suspensefully climaxes with an amazingly rendered faux operatic orchestration. Amazing, I say. Another great record from true hip hop visionaries.
RealAudio clip: "Mega"
RealAudio clip: "Dead In Motion"
RealAudio clip: "Ping Pong"
RealAudio clip: "Bubblz"

ANTIPOP CONSORTIUM Shopping Carts Crashing (Antipop Recordings) cd 26.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Anti-Pop has been one of my favorite hip hop groups almost from the first time I heard them, melding an old school, deadpan sort-of tongue-tied De La Soul flow, over unlikely loops and strange samples, with bizarre and confusingly brilliant lyrics that occasionally move beyond bragging and boasting. The deal was sealed when I got to see the ultimate soundclash: Alec Empire spinning rafter-rattling, hyper-distorted beats, Merzbow spitting out shrieking, hissing white noise, and the Anti Pop Consortium, somehow rapping over the whole mess, and fitting perfectly. 'Shopping Carts Crashing' is a Japanese-only release that came out last year, but we only just now got enough to list it. And it's worth the wait. Sparse and dark loop-scapes under a landslide of rapid fire rhyming, boasting on a level so beyond mere mortal rappers that those dissed will very likely not even realise it, instead, scratching their chins, confused, and reaching for their dictionaries. Awesome production, with soaring strings (plucked and bowed), buzzing electrical interference, woofer-rattling synths, old 606 and 909 drum programming, vocoder, space echo, and of course...shopping carts crashing, literally. But the MCs are the main attraction, spitting out rhyme after rhyme of verbose lyrical fuckery, free flowing non-sequiters, mutated metaphors and straight up old fashioned bad ass mouthing off! So so good. Worth the import price tag! And I like it even more since I discovered that one of the guys in the Anti-Pop Consortium is the same guy who is always mean to me whenever I visit a certain 'other' record store.
RealAudio clip: "Angular"
RealAudio clip: "Tilt"
RealAudio clip: "Throat Cultures"

ANTIPOP CONSORTIUM Tragic Epilogue (75 Ark) cd 15.98
The Anti-Pop Consortium's strategic positioning outside of the mainstream of hip-hop landed them a 10" on New York dub label WordSound a few months back, as well as a notorious gig rapping alongside a live noise battle between Merzbow and Alec Empire! Their fluid verbal stylings, recalling the historically charged old school delivery of The Last Poets, are matched with the minimal production techniques often used by the WordSound crew (though without the stoner/darkcore references).

AQUARIUS BUTTONS 2 x 1" buttons 1.00
Spread the word! Show the world your true aQ colors! COOL COOL COOL aQ buttons, in 5 different colors. TWO FOR $1!!! Colors are random, but buy enough and you'll be guaranteed to get 'em all! All 5 feature our spiffy James Gang style logo!!

ARSONISTS As The World Burns (Matador) cd 13.98
Hip hop on Matador! One of the songs: Lt. Worf & Chewbacca!

ARSONISTS As The World Burns (Matador) 2lp 10.98
Hip hop on Matador! One of the songs: Lt. Worf & Chewbacca!

ARSONISTS Date of Birth (Matador) cd 14.98
Bushwick, Brooklyn-based Arsonists release their second album. Apparently the trio of MCs have a really loyal following, but maybe that's based on their live shows cos I find their rhyming a little clunky and stumbling, somehwat awkward and kind of obvious. If there are any hedz out there wanna disagree with me, I'd welcome your comments -- I *wanna* get it, I just can't see the light.
RealAudio clip: "Language Arts"

ASCOLTARE VS. KEITH Drugs (Tripel) 3" cd 9.98

ASSAULT, DJ Jefferson Ave. (Intuit-Solar) cd 16.98
The king of Detroit ghetto-tech returns with seventeen new tracks of accelerated funk. Much to our disappointment, the spastic intensity which made 'Belle Isle Tech' and 'Off the Chain for the Y2K' so exciting is lost to expanded track lengths, mild and tired rhythms, and boring reiterations of old material ("Ass-N-Titties 2001?" anyone?). However, "Nipples-N-Clits" (a play on the Kibbles & Bits jingle) is good for a laugh first time 'round. Nowhere near as abrasive as we expected, especially not the track about women's panties.

ATOM FEATURING TEA TIME XXX (Rather Interesting) cd 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We've all been keeping a watchful eye on Mr. Atom Heart lately. Watching bemusedly as his relocation to Chile prompted him to reinvent himself as Senor Coconut, and listening, as his techno turned to mambo, and his obsession with the indigenous music of his new home seeped into every facet of his music making. The first Senor Coconut record (out of print, it seems) was a glorious mix of Perez Prado style mambos and Squarepusherish drum programming. The Senor Coconut we listed on the last AQ list took a bizarre turn no one could have predicted, consisting of all Kraftwerk covers done Chilean style, all mambo and rhumba, barely a hint of his former Atom Heart remained. On "XXX", Atom hooks up with Chilean rapper Tea Time, for a wickedly clever record of X rated rapping (in Spanish of course) and convuluted hip hop, complete with plenty of turntablist trickery and hard disc scratching. And it's practically perfect; funny and catchy and smooth and super wicked. Tea Time's got a super smooth flow (sounding a bit like MC Solaar) and the music is just completely bizarre, lots of hiccuping loops, low end rumble, crazy scratching, and bizarre hard disc editing, making for probably one of our favorite (albeit quite odd) hip hop (Latin American glitch-rap?) records of the year, and it's easily the best Atom Heart...er...Senor Coconut record yet.
RealAudio clip: "Mis Chiquitas"

AUTOMATOR A Better Tomorrow (Ubiquity) cdep 8.98
With a title such as that you know the music is ferociously cool. Local boy and frequent Mo'Wax engineer/remix-savant Dan Nakamura recently broke out with this exciting ep. He says it pushes OUTward the boundaries of (american) hip hop, a very good thing to do, no? If you dig the Dr. Octagon record, then you'll like this one -- Dan along with Kool Keith are the principals on both albums.