Potholes In My Blog » instrumental

Listen: Scoop DeVille Shares “Poetic Justice” Instrumental for Kendrick Lamar

Andrew Martin — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:07:55 +0000

It’s been a huge past few week for Kendrick Lamar‘s “Poetic Justice” single featuring Drake that was produced by Scoop DeVille. It went gold last Wednesday and last night, DeVille wrote that the song went No. 1 on urban radio across the States. To celebrate, he decided to liberate the track’s instrumental with the following note:

“i really appreciate all the major love the record is receiving .

Cheers, Scoopaloop”

Cheers indeed, sir. I just hope this beat doesn’t get ravaged by every rapper on the Internet. Also, it’s nice to hear the official version of the instrumental after some jabroni played us all for fools last fall.

Sundrenched – Emerald [EP]

Andrew Martin — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:55:26 +0000

It’s been about five months since we previously heard from Floridian producer Sundrenched, who in November 2012 dropped the Beat Studies, Vol. II compilation. We’ve kept our ear to the virtual ground waiting for some new material from him, though, and that’s just what we have here with Emerald. The short-but-sweet, blunted-but-not-really EP houses seven new instrumentals, one of which morphs into a psychedelic YoungBloodZ remix. Pretty rad.

Purchase/Download: Sundrenched - Emerald [Bandcamp]

Simon SMTHNG – Kami No Itte [EP]

Andrew Martin — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 16:34:18 +0000

After doing the remix thing earlier this year with a synth-y flip of Justin Timberlake’s “My Love“, East Coast producer Simon SMTHNG returns with a new project in Kami No Itte. It’s a languid eight-track offering that centers on samples of Japanese anime with plenty of jazzy vibes running throughout. Save this one for the evenings, kickin’-back afternoons, or weekends spent relaxing on the couch. Hit play below and listen accordingly.

Purchase/Download: Simon SMTHNG - Kami No Itte [Bandcamp]

Busdriver & Loden – Beaus$Eros Instrumentals [Album]

Andrew Martin — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 21:17:25 +0000

Last year, Busdriver teamed up with Brussels producer Loden for the incredibly rad, albeit slept-on, Beaus$Eros. It feels like too many heads are quick to dismiss the L.A. rapper’s approach as eccentricity for, well, eccentricity’s sake. His bars hit you at such a whirlwind that it’s difficult to digest much of anything after one listen, never mind several. The same goes for Loden’s beats that drift between blunted hip-hop and infectious synth-pop. It’s a bit of a trip to hear them in a new setting—aka without Busdriver’s vocals—but they still work incredibly well. That, my friends, is the sign of a true producer.

You can stream and/or download the instrumentals below.

Purchase/Download: Busdriver & Loden - Beaus$Eros Instrumentals [Bandcamp]

Shag – Flyrule: A Terrible Fate [Album]

Andrew Martin — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 14:08:37 +0000

Prior to August 2011, Shag had released at least 10 projects filled with head-nodding instrumentals. But that month, everything changed for the young Texas producer. He dropped the incredibly successful Flyrule, a project dedicated to (my favorite game of all time) The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time.

And now, 10 albums later, Shag has finally returned to the legendary video game series and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. His skills have grown before our eyes and Flyrule: A Terrible Fate proves exactly that. It’s shaped by samples from The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, which, as you know if you played it, is one of the darker entries in the series. Likewise, A Terrible Fate carries a haunting vibe. Shag again displays a refined approach to sampling while also showcasing his respect for the work of LoZ composer Koji Kondo.

You can stream and/or download the album below.

Download: Shag - Flyrule: A Terrible Fate [Bandcamp]

Blue Sky Black Death – Euphoric Tape [Album Stream]

Andrew Martin — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 17:23:12 +0000

Over the past year and a half or so, Seattle’s Blue Sky Black Death have dropped notable collaborative albums with Nacho Picasso and Deniro Farrar. The production duo has also provided beats for other MCs, including Pepperboy, Donnis, and MondreM.A.N of Main Attrakionz, among others.

And to truly let their work shine, BSBD compiled some of their best recent instrumentals and packaged ‘em up nicely on Euphoric Tape. Typically, projects like this can feel jumbled and thrown together, but these guys aren’t your typical producers. Their sound is clearly defined and cohesive, making even a compilation like this sound like a proper album.

Purchase: Blue Sky Black Death - Euphoric Tape [Bandcamp]

Cashmere Cat – “Aurora”

Andrew Martin — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:06:22 +0000

Indie Belgium label Pelican Fly released a new EP today, Feathers, highlighting the work of some of their favorite artists, including Norwegian producer Cashmere Cat. His track is a hard-hitting, albeit not entirely in your face, instrumental banger that demands the appropriate listening setup. That means that you’ll either need the right set of speakers and subwoofer or some choice headphones. Either way, crank up the volume and enjoy “Aurora” below.

Juj – Walnut [Album Stream]

Andrew Martin — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 14:30:35 +0000

One of my favorite producers these past few years has been Los Angeles’ Juj. We might not post him all the time, but there’s a good reason for that. His output is reasonably limited, as dude tends to focus on entire projects. Like his newly released Walnut, for example, which is one of the more eclectic instrumental albums to drop this year. The 15-track affair is filled with sonic surprises, crunchy and dusty percussion, and effortlessly cool synthesizers and keys.

You can both stream and purchase the album below. It was released by the fine folks at HUHWHAT&WHERE.

Purchase: Juj - Walnut [Bandcamp]

Souleance – La Beat Tape [Album Stream]

Andrew Martin — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 14:00:19 +0000

So … I heard you like beats. Well, if that’s the case, you’re in a ridiculous amount of luck, because Souleance’s La Beat Tape has neck-snapping instrumentals by the pound. The French duo of producer Fulgeance and DJ Soulist dug into crates of Turkish jams, mellow jazz, ’70s funk, and much more to build this 20-track release. And, really, if you’re not hooked by the head-nodding ways of “Sauce Samourai”, I don’t know what else to tell you. Oh wait, sure I do: OPEN YOUR EARS.

You can purchase and/or stream the album below, where you can also view the “Como Estan Bitches?” video.

Purchase: Souleance - La Beat Tape [Bandcamp]

Evil Needle – “Gliding in the Mist”

Andrew Martin — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 15:28:58 +0000

On this most loved-up of days, French producer Evil Needle chose to share a beyond-mellow new cut, the aptly titled “Gliding in the Mist”. Why is the song name so fitting? Because it literally sounds like how it would feel to float through a misty fog, like the two waterfowl in the above photo. I like to think of them as a pair of swans, drifting freely together to the laid-back vibes of Evil Needle finger snaps and relaxing Rhodes.