Ever wondered which synths El-P uses on his spaced-out beats for Run The Jewels, or which MPC model Alchemist is beating up these days? You’ve probably peered into spaces like this before, on Raph Rashid’s previous foray into producer workspace exploration from 2005, Behind The Beat. Back To The Lab doubles down on his exhaustive documentation of the most intriguing beatsmiths of the time, diving into the creative spaces of an updated list of producers spanning styles and genres including Just Blaze, Flying Lotus, Ant (Atmosphere), DJ Babu, Jazzy Jeff, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Lord Finesse, Dabrye, Waajeed, Oddisee, Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Oh No, Diamond D, Khalil, Jake One, Kenny Dope, Rhettmatic, DJ Vadim and many more. Rashid gets deep and nitty gritty, sticking his camera lens into commercial-grade studios all the way down to makeshift workspaces converted from kitchens and bathrooms. In addition to the next-level #gearporn, we get an intimate look at the subjects’ vinyl collections, and in some cases, their sneaker closets. Shot between 2005 and 2016. Hardcover, 214 pages, recommended.

• release date: 10/13/17
• hardcover 1st edition
• 214 full-color pages
• 10 x 10 inches
• published by Gingko Press