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I think it'd be safe to call this double-disc set "the definitive Baron Zen release." Not only does it include all the new of remixes from the Stones Throw elite (Madlib, J.Roc, et al.) but the second CD contains the full At...
expand review The Mall album released last year (but recorded from 1988-92 with drum programming from PBW himself). The insanely lo-fi Baron (aka Sweet Steve) gets completely overhauled on the remix disc. Our man Blu Jemz' remix of "Walked In Line(1)" is minimal and menacing, with just enough guitar shreaddage thrown in to keep things moving. James Pants turns in a bumping mix of "Gotta Get Ridda Rick(2)," Arabian Prince murders on the dark electro "Money(3)" and J.Rocc works some weird synthy magic on the already bizarre Debbie Deb cover, "When I Hear Music(4)." It wouldn't be a Stones Throw project without Mr. 'Lib, who remixes the early sneakerhead anthem "Shoes(5)." Even the names you might not know come through on this one - check out dam-funk's remix of "Burn Rubber(6)," all Zapp'ed out. Booklet has tons of pics and liners from PB Wolf, including a breakdown of how each remix came about. (Choice quote: "Sure, I'll do it, but I want an uptempo track. 150 BPM's is my shit right now." - Jemz) 29 tracks total. -Larri Byrd
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SPECIAL OFFER: Get a Stones Throw Fan Club 45 (featuring Madlib's "Footwork Size 12 Version" and instrumental) when you purchase this item.
So the Stones Throw squad is armed and ready for combat in '08, and Guilty's leading their street platoon. The dirty...
expand review Detroit native has been frontmanning their entire ghetto rap faction for some time with a fair share of singles and featured guest tracks, but the time has come for his full length debut album to drop. Will he be able to stand on his own two? Only time will tell. At least he has the help of some of the Throw's finest producers to back him up on beats - Dilla, Madlib, Oh No, Mr. Porter, Black Milk, J-Rocc and Babu (damn, that's quite a roster!). You might already know the singles, "Get Bitches(1)" and "Ode To The Ghetto(2)," but you gotta check the street game come through on "Footwork(3)," the ghetto love vibe on "Kinda Live(4)," the b-team emcee haterade on "Run(5)" and the ill Madlib beat backing him up on "The Future(6)." For now, he's the only alternative filling the space between average thug rap and intelligeble indie rhymes. It's a dirty job, but somebody's gotta do it. 16 tracks total. -Chris Lemon-Red
Bitches! Guilty Simpson's back and guess what? he's not a featured artist anymore! This is his solo project, mixed by DJ Rhettmatic of the World Famous Beat Junkies, and features 16 original tracks with Rakaa Iriscience, Phat Kat, Black Milk, and King...
expand review Gordy. A nice change from all the cameos he's been doing: B-Ball Zombie War, Heliocentrics, etc... The whole mix is paced by interludes from Planet Asia, Royce 5'9", Rass Kass and Bishop Lamont giving it the true street feel, missing from indy hip hop. You know that dirty detroit slump a la Dilla is Guilty's shit and he doesn't waste a second to furiously attack the mic with that real talk. Definitely the most complete project from him yet. Over an hour long. -Cmish
Leave it to Stones Throw's resident leftfield electro dude James Pants to do the kind of spaced-out electronic mix that'll get you travelin' high speed on the astral plane properly. This is "Ice Castles - The Coming Of A New Age", or...
expand review maybe the coming of "New Age"? (har har) No seriously, I wish I could listen to this thing on full blast surround sound in a planetarium. The mix starts off real slow and easy with some Gregorian chant type ish to get you in the mood, then onto a wiiiide medley of moogy, proggy, ambient cuts chock full of vintage analog synths and electronics (with a couple current cosmic disco tracks mixed in for good measure). The whole mix has that same quirky, but cool vibe that many of Pants' own tracks possess... spacious and spacey! Features tracks from Brian Eno, Racines Synthetiques, Weather Report, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Tonto's Exploding Head Band, Tangerine Dream, Ardy, The Painter Of Love, Dick Hyman, and of course James Pants. I can't help but picture Pants burning special candles and gripping crystals while he made this mix, but honestly I can't hate - I'm a fan of this sort of stuff. About 40 minutes long. -snackmaster
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For all the Madlib and J Dilla fans, you can finally get all the tracks from their collaboration Champion Sound, as a double CD with the all the Instrumentals (previously only available on LP) and bonus remixes and tracks never released! ...
expand review If you've ever heard the album, you know "McNasty Filth(1)", "The Red(2)", "The Official(3)", "The Exclusive(4)", "Starz(5)" and "No Games(6)". Those are just a handful of the bangers on this, all of them fusing heavy beats and rhymes from legendary hip hop duo. Eyes up though! This deluxe version also holds a couple of tracks that weren't on the original like, "Raw Addict(7)"(like those pounding kicks?). Also, check the remixes: "Heavy - Chronic Mix(8)," "Champion Sound - Remix(9)", and "The Mission - Stringed Out Mix(10)." And if you include every instrumental.... well then, you've got quite a deal going. This is the ultimate Jaylib comp! Recommended. -C'mish
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More buried treasure from the vaults of Dilla! This was one of his last projects he worked on before his passing. Thanks to the mastering by Ricci Rucker, it's now available to the public. Like his last album "Donuts," these tracks flip...
expand review soulful samples and snippets to true work of art. Ta'Raach lends a mic on "Say It(1)," and Baatin jumps in on the funky slump of "First Time(2)." Also peep the addictive soul on "Yesterday(3)" and "Oh Oh(4)," "Believe In God(5)" and "Can't You See(6)." As a bonus, the "Say It" instrumental is also included(yes!). A treat as always for the listener and true gold for the collector. Recommended. -C'mish
Like this needs any kind of intro - it's the official J-Rocc J-Dilla mixtape part two! Over an hour and a half of Dilla's deepest cuts mixed effortlessly by Beat Junkies superstar, J-Rocc. Besides hearing the greatest bumps he produced for the...
expand review Pharcyde, Tribe, Common, De La, you get an entire mix of his most sought after instrumentals flipped and blended. Obviously, this a must have for the Dilla fans. But for those who are just getting into it, this also makes for the bomb spring mix. Gotta re-up on fresh joints to bump in your whip. -C'mish
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Madlib's never been one for long songs (at least not under his own name), but the latest release from the Prolific One reads like three dozen pages torn right out of his sketchbook. Forgoing a more traditional album approach and going the...
expand review Donuts route, the Beat Konducta CD collects all 16 tracks from 2005's vinyl-only Volume 1, and adds all 19 joints from the just-released Volume 2. There's a tendency for some people to shy away from new Madlib releases, since the dude's catalog is just so overpopulated, but this is a genuinely interesting release, one that junkies and newcomers alike will find something do like about. It's interesting to see some of these "rough drafts" that have evolved (or maybe devolved?) to/from other projects: check the way he drops beats and vocals from the Madvillain project into "The Payback(1)" and "Sir Bang(2)". Dude is definitely still digging for obscure/quirky samples, too, as evidenced by "Filthy(3)" and "Black Mozart(4)". The majority of the 35 tracks are under 2-minutes long, lending to the feeling that you're just channel-surfing through Madlib's brain, or sitting around in his studio while he fucks around, like "Check out what I did last night". -the mgmnt
I interviewed Madlib recently, which is not the easiest thing to do since the guy isn't real talkative. Not that he's sullen or withdrawn, but it's plain that his favored mode of expression is via music. You could say this CD, an...
expand review illuminating glimpse of the mad scientist's head music, is the equivalent of a 50 minute-long hang out session. The mix is the second of two discs recorded for release in Japan last year, and is dedicated to electric jazz. Beginning appropriately with Brian Auger's "Starting Again," the disc moves through an anonymous selection of fusion nuggets, with the occasional awkward transition smoothed out by bold song selection and bugged out vocoder drops. The CD does not come with a tracklist, but expect abstract jazz with plenty of the little quirks and heavy rhythms that Mr. Jackson loves to digitally purloin. Of the recognizable tracks, I liked Johnny Hammond's "Back to the Projects" and a version of "Baltimore Oriole" that sounds like YNQ in broken beat mode. The sound is also heavy on Brazilian flavor, with Azymuth popping up at least once, creating an airy feel that is far from hip hop headnod. Intense art from Manuel Ocampo and appropriated liner notes from free jazz collector Thurston Moore complete the package. -monk
I always thought that Madlib had skipped number 3 in the Mind Fusion series
to create a wrinkle for all the collectors to obsess over. This mini-mystery has now been solved, as he finally delivers the elusive 3rd volume, which was previously only...
expand review available on the recent tour. Like other volumes, this mix is surreal mix of Madlib influences from X-rated comedy records, reggae, jazz, and latin (and that's all within the first section). This one in particular has a strong spacey jazz feel to it. The upper-echelon of stoner music. Approximately one hour. -the mgmnt
Madlib returns to grey areas with two more simultaneous releases in his Mind Fusion series. Much like its surrealist covers, the series is hard to define: not really a mix and not really a compilation. It's an impromptu Madlib stew, put together...
expand review with heaps of randomness and mysterious herbs. The series skips volume three and heads directly to this volume four. The theme here is hip-hop and features indy hip-hop, remixes, freestyles, a sizeable Nas vs. Jay-Z section using Madlib beats, and tracks from Lib's own Crate Diggas Palace archives. Over one hour of music. -the mgmnt
Madlib returns to grey areas with two more simultaneous releases in his Mind Fusion series. Much like its surrealist covers, the series is hard to define: not really a mix and not really a compilation. It's a impromptu Madlib stew, put together...
expand review with heaps of randomness and mysterious herbs. The series skips volume 3, and heads into volume four and this volume five. The theme here is "Dirty Crates From Around The World" aka the fruits of Madlib's many tour travels. The second half of the CD consists of a 36 minute live set from LA's best kept secret, the Do-Over party. Over one hour of music. -the mgmnt
First of all, you can't really beat the $15 CD & DVD combo, especially when it's a Madlib mix and a Peanut Butter Wolf DVD (and you guys already know the Beat Konducta always comes correct on the mix). Previous volumes in...
expand review this series have included Fischerspooner and Black Strobe. For "The Other Side of LA," Madlib blends an eclectic set of tracks from the likes of Quasimoto, Cybotron, Jaylib, Dabrye, Sun Ra, Prince Jazzbo, Freestyle Fellowship and then some. I feel the vibe here really fits that conscious, smoked-out LA mindstate (but what do I know, I'm from BK transplanted from the Yay). For the DVD, Stones Throw head honcho Peanut Butter Wolf gives you a personal tour of all the best shopping spots, food (my favorite part), nightlife, sights and accommodations in downtown LA. It's kind of like something off the Travel Channel, but with dope beats and hosted by PBW so you know you can trust. In addition, PB Wolf throws down a revealing interview about the 10+ year history of Stones Throw, from its early beginnings to becoming the one of the biggest indy labels of today. You also get videos from Dudley Perkins, Oh No, Aloe Blacc and Roc C. Worth every penny, especially if you plan on stopping by LA anytime soon. -snackmaster
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Unless Stones Throw gets into porn (Madlib vs. Butt Dentist!), I don't know how they are going follow this up. Without exaggeration, this is one of the greatest meeting of the minds in this whole SP1200 using, dusty records searching, notebook rhyme...
expand review tagging, state of mind. MF Doom arguably at his amoeba genius prime, mixed with the unpredictable stoned aesthetics of Madlib? Kids in Germany are going crazy over this! Stones Throw has always been soft-spoken and classy in their marketing (which I respect them for), but with this they need to pop in some "boo-ya's!" and "fo dat azz's!!!" Aside from the silliness, I'm here to tell you that this album lives up to the billing, reading like a mesmerizing novel. The inclusion of lyrics in the CD insert is a welcome introduction into the world that is Doom (no more rewinding!); and Madlib, who sometimes is stretched too thin, steps up to this encounter with some of his most textural work. This is X-factor issue #1, you don't know what the hell will happen. Instead of ruining the story, I'll let you explore the audio clips, here are some to nipple at: "Accordion(1), Raid(2) feat. Medaphoar, America's Most Blunted(3) feat. Quasimoto, Money Folder(4), Shadows Of Tomorrow Feat. Quas(5), Operation Lifesaver Aka Mind Test(6), Figaro(7), All Caps(8), Curls(9)" and Rhinestone Cowboy(10)." CD version also features video for "All Caps." -the mgmnt
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It seems like every big West Coast producer has been called to duty for videogame soundtracks lately, so it's not surprising that the big daddy at Stones Throw gets passed the pill. Remember Automator's and Z-Trip's b-ball soundtracks? I hardly do. They...
expand review were alright, but they sounded like videogame soundtracks. Nothing too special. PB Wolf pulls through like a champ though. He's got the entire Stones Throw crew to help him out (see tracklist) and the whole project comes together like a family compilation with special editions and bonus tracks. First off, the money track on here is "Lightworking(1)," which was the ill track from Dilla's Donuts, now featuring Q-Tip & Kweli. How's that for the fans? Don't miss Supreme Team's (Madlib + Karriem Riggins) "See(2)," the hype track "Break It Down(3)," Beat Konducta's "Trouble(4)," the ladykiller Aloe Blacc's "Finda Way(5)," James Pants' "Ka$h(6)," the electro jam on Arabian Prince's "Professor X Saga(7)" and the slumpy funk on "Sidewayz(8)." There's literally a sound for every fetish out there. Hiiighly recommended. -C'mish
A unique addition to the PB Wolf mix canon, for sure. Recorded on the most demonic day of the century (June 6, 2006), the 666 Mix is divided into six "books," each crammed to the brim with the finest in metal, industrial...
expand review and just plain spooky shit. Features artists like Black Sabbath, Ministry, Slayer, Morbid Angel, Cabaret Voltaire, Faust, Metal Church, Deicide (nice one!), Front 242, Revolting Cocks, Led Zeppelin and more. And of course, it's all mixed with that signature PB Wolf flair… except just a little more evil. 6 tracks; 66 minutes. -Chris Lemon-Red
Look who's the ladies man. Straight from the Stones Throw tour, this special mix is the newest from PB Wolf, giving it up to the flyest girls of hip hop. Hold any scoffing, this is not a novelty my dudes! If...
expand review you were expecting Salt n' Pepa Queen Latifah remixes, you should slap yourself, this is the Wolf fool! He's only the label head and his mixtapes have always been impeccable. There's over 30 of the baddest female MC's you've never heard. Not only that, the beats are banging. Every style from sick early 90's hip hop, hip house, bass-a-delic Miami tracks. Gotta check MC Shay, Missy Mist, Wink D, Jazzi Love, Lisa Lee, Ladi Luv, Ms. Melodie, DW & The Party Crew ft. Roxy, All Ready Fresh, Nina Hill, Too Bad, The Fresh Girls, M&M... There's enough here to get lost for weeks. Also, peep the slept on tracks from your favorites like Roxanne Shante's, "Wack It," and JJ Fad's "Another Tramp," and Monie Love's "R U Single." It's probably the best rare/funky mix I've heard in a while. File under "keeper." Recommended. -C'mish
Part one of Peanut Butter Wolf's all-45 hip-hop mix. This volume is mixed up by the series' brain bug and features 54 minutes of old school classics and obscurities. Like all PB Wolf's mixes, it's mixed to precision with some nice doubles...
expand review (pretty impressive for 7" action). You'll be like "they made a 7" for that?" On a self-promotional note, check out the Lab 45 long case on the back cover, cool beans. Recommended. -the mgmnt
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The latest Stones Throw family affair, Roc C comes with one of their best full lengths in a minute. His buddy Oh No handles production on most of the album and these guys sound right in tune with each other. I'll be...
expand review honest, I don't know Roc C from a hole in the wall and I wasn't entirely sure that I wanted to get to know him better, but this album kinda hit me in the head. First things first, the beats are pretty frickin good all the way through. Seriously, Oh No hit him with some shit and his beats are real consistent. Second things second, Roc C has a good voice, strong presence and enough charisma that you want to find out what he's saying. "Hear Me Now(1)" got me interested, "Don't Stop(2)" made it apparent this was gonna have some shit, and by the time "Dirty Dirty(3)" came on I was ready to just let the whole album roll (we rarely do that on the mngmt side of the office. It's either pete's itunes on shuffle, jonesey's jukebox podcasts or the frogman on 45s). "R.O.C.(4)" with Dudley Perkins is one of my favorites from that dude, and the crew track "Watching You(5)" with Aloe Blacc, Oh No and Bizzy Bone is especially hitting. This is that solid Southern Cali hip hop, made for the walkmen, the beat heads and the cars… but it's not corny. -the mgmnt
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This collaboration has been pretty hushed, coming out of nowhere on Talib's Blacksmith management label. Madlib is becoming the Timbaland of the underground scene, lending his smoked out aura to the best of em. As for Talib, he needed this shit. His...
expand review game has become undefined; what better way to set shit straight, but with an underground mixtape-styled album? Seriously, check the fire-honed sharpness on "Time Is Right(1)." "Engine Running(2)" has got my mind popping... reggae chatter intro, structured chorus, and guest star from the suddenly starchy Consequence. Check "Over The Counter(3)" for the Madlib disease... ridiculous futuristic beats. Madlib's really stealing the show here, check "The Functions(4)" with its simplistic jazz piano beat... And of course, you gotta have the feelgood Talib tracks, check "Happy Home(5)" and "Soul Music(6)." 9 tracks in all, packaged in official jewel case. -the mgmnt
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This album is a mutual project between Stones Throw and the Adult Swim Network, featuring tracks from every Stones Throw artist, many of which are either exclusive to this comp (at least for now) or are appearing on CD for the first...
expand review time. And they really know how to put one of these things together (check PBW's Juke Box comp if you haven't, or any of the comps Egon's been involved with). They pull from the whole roster with pieces from established vets like Dilla, Dudley Perkins, Madlib, Madvillain and all the other Madlib collabs, plus current up and comers Georgia Anne Muldrow, Koushik, and Roc C, left field shots like Baron Zen, Gary Williams and Pure Essence, and a couple of new guys with funny names: James Pants and Guilty Simpson. So far all we've got to go on is the 30 second audio snippets posted up on the Stones Throw site, but this thing sounds pretty damn good: "Nothing Like This(1)" from Dilla, "Monkey Suite(2)" from Madvillain, "Take It Back(3)" from Madlib, "Drama(4)" from J-Rocc and the list goes on. -the mgmnt
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The popular Chrome Children comp is back with volume number 2! Just add it to the constant flow of solid projects Stones Throw's been releasing this year. If it's been moving too fast for you, these exclusive track compilations are a great...
expand review way to play catch-up. Just look at this all-star cast. Every one of them has been a Lab favorite at one point or another and to see them all in one place seems like a dream team of West Coast producers. The end result is an spankingly new bunch of underground hip hop tracks, beats and funk for you to vibe to. All are worthy of noting, but make sure you check MED's "Rhymes With An L(1)" produced by Dabrye, Chocolate Star's "Stay With Me(2)" produced by Gary Davis, J Rocc's "Bubbha's Dance(3)," the insane funk piece by Gary Wilson titled "Soul Traveling(4)," Arabian Prince's (former NWA) 1984 electro classic "Strange Life(5)," and Percee P's "Reverse Part 2(6)" produced by Koushik. An awesome collection of talent to say the least. Nice cover too (as always) Highly recommended. -C'mish
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After releasing what seems like an endless stream of eps, singles and 7"s in the last year or so, we finally get a full length of the Yesterdays New Quintet Madlib. This is like if the rhythm section and the laidback key...
expand review man just went on a trip and told the band leaders and to fuck off. The sound is led by rhodes, arps, and synths, drenching it in a pool of warmth and vibes over lazy day drums. The standout for most will be the cover of "Daylight(1)." Fuzzy, bass heavy and without the vocals of the RAMP version, just as you want it. Madlib shows quite a bit of range in style, moving through tunes as slow and sweet as "Broken" straight into Organic Grooves-ready material like the cover of "Sun Goddess(2)," all of which is kept level with short Pete Rock style interludes. The general feel of the album is so well meshed that it gets hard to find where you left off and which song is the one you like. But that's easy- you like all of them. Or you don't like it at all. 16 tracks total, plus interludes. -the mgmnt
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Madlib continues to travel to where no beatmaker has gone before. Don't get me wrong, the Beatkonducta and the collaboration releases have been stellar, but it seems that YNQ is Madlib's real passion... especially this particular album. Madlib steps up the signature...
expand review randomness here, you can see it in the track order, titles, and expanded cast of aliases. Get into the music, and it only gets deeper. I tried to give this a listen sitting at my desk, but it's so dense and thoughtful, that I felt like I needed to be at home to truly absorb this mind meld. Here's a little bit of categorization to get you started. Beats: "Street Talkin(1), She's Gonna Stay(2) (some truly beautiful shit), Free Son(3), Vibes From The Tribe Suite(4) (a 12 minute cover of Phil Ranelin's classic). Jazz things: "Marcus, Martin & Malcolm(5), Bitches Brew(6), Two For Strata East(7)," and "Slave Riot(8)." From a design perspective, this is one of my favorite sleeves of recent memory. Inside, you'll find fictitious but super-realistic record sleeves (done in 70s independent jazz style) from YNQ's imaginary world. 15 tracks, highly recommended. -the mgmnt
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