Lakim – Elevate [Album]

2/29/12 | By Graham Major | No Comments

Lynchburg, Va.-based Lakim continues to demonstrate that the east coast means business in the beats game with his new album, Elevate. Released for free via Bandcamp (and as a $5 version featuring bonus tracks), Elevate splits the difference between smooth, soulful, R&B tracks and the more experimental, disjointed Low End Theory-style stuff, often simultaneously. Equally at home elbow-deep in dusty crates and behind impressive analog synthesizers, these beats take classic, vintage source material and shine it up into a cutting-edge modern product. Lakim’s post-production and mastering warrant mention, as the synths and bass have a forceful impact that would, um, raise Elevate above run-of-the-mill beat tapes even if his tracks weren’t this suave and well thought-out.