A new collection of Animated beats from Sweet William

Japanese artist Sweet William releases an instrumental album and 14 accompanying illustrations

Born in 1990, Japanese beat maker Sweet William has released his newest album Beat Theme. Known for his delicate track making, skilled sampling sensibility, and sonic scenes, this album follows his style using traditional Japanese instruments mixed over old school hip-hop and electronic beats. With an eclectic and multi layered sound, his work appeals to fans of DJ Krush, DJ Shadow, J Dilla, Biship Nehru, and Chester Watson.

Sweet William debuted his solo career with the album Lo One in 2015, featuring collaborations with JIVA Nel MONDO, Warbo, and Tsubaki. Collaborating again with Tsubaki in 2017, their album Jasmine gained heightened popularity in the Japanese hip-hop scene. Earlier albums by Sweet William include Orange (2016), la blanka (2018), Jasmine Instrumentals (2019), and la blanka instruments (2019)—a revisit of his 2018 release. Other albums in his discography include numerous collaborations including Arte Frasco from 2016 which featured artists from Lo One plus Yuya Sato, ANPYO, NF Zessho, and Jimmenusagi, and his previous release Brown from 2019 which featured deep beats collabs with J. Lamotta, kiki vivi lily, and Jambo Lacquer.

Beat Theme holds true to Sweet Williams’ down tempo, hip-hop style and features fourteen instrumental tracks inspired by his memories of beloved music spanning many genres. The album’s cadence is made up of dense musical compositions expressing a range of attitudes and rhythms. Tracks such as ‘Eat Two’ feature stark sounds and hip-hop rhythms that incorporate the entire body and express themselves through the heartbeat of the music. For the album’s release, Sweet William teamed up with Japanese Illustrator Moeno Otsu to create 14 illustrations—one for each track on the album—making this musical work a multi-faceted and interdisciplinary experience.

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Pk Delay drips honest words onto lo-fi

Butterfly - Pk Delay (feat. Benji. & My Favorite Color)

With lo-fi beats, Pk Delay asserts a new message in fresh LP Punter

In the midst of a turbulent era the Pittsburgh hip-hop scene remains alight, with talent out there ready and willing to tackle major themes and bring expression to feeling unvoiced. Keeping the sound alive from his home state, Pk Delay has long passed the title of upcoming, creating his own tracks for more than half a decade and gradually building up the layered style he’s recognised for. In his discography carefully chosen words match together with lo-fi beats, smooth bass building up a foundation for contemporary narratives.

Still pushing forward today, Pk Delay has connected up with Valholla Entertainment, a Florida based label which deals in high quality rnb and hip-hop production. With the support of Valholla, February saw the release of Pk Delay’s newest collection, titled ‘Punter’.

The nine track release draws on low tempo beats, and enough subtle electronic melody to garner a sense of nostalgic. The LP also brings in two more Pittsburgh based rappers, namely Benji. and My Favorite Color, who lend their own vocals skills to mix.

There’s a mood of melancholy running alongside the emotion heavy lyrics laid onto each track. Faded piano loops, feather light synth and measured beats wrap around a truthful voice.

Stream the release on Spotify

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Red The Chef does lofi a little different on 'Is This It?'

It would be easy to throw Connecticut producer Red The Chef’s latest EP into the catch-all “lo-fi hip hop beats to chill/study to” bin, because it certainly fits the aesthetic. But that listening environment, of filling the background with something to keep your mind on anything but the music itself, tends to mute subtleties and flatten differentiation. Yes, the beats on this EP, titled ‘Is This It?’, have the same warm, vintage processing that has come to define the genre, and yes the melodic samples are fuzzy and pitched around in the same way, but there are also elements that are squarely Red’s. Most notably, his tendency to drench every element in dreamy reverb creates a unique space for the tracks to sit in, as well as the presence of detuned acoustic instruments that float in and out of each track. The effect is something like listening to music blasted distantly in the park on a warm summer day, instilling a feeling of limitless boundaries, inspiring those nights of aimless exploration. It’s liberating to move about without knowing where you’re going, and this EP might just be the perfect soundtrack to make it happen.

Stream the title track ‘Is This It?’ above, and hop over to Spotify to hear the full EP.

— review by autonomy

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London's Sleepless finds his Flow state

https://open.spotify.com/track/4vPTku8hZ61Ry7HGo4OkDw?si=Bn6MwU0vS3CxC8YukmVCgg

Enigmatic Jazzy beat producer ‘Sleepless’ swings through the blog once again following up last years release of his album Serene.

And it’s no wonder he keeps popping up on countless blogs, channels and playlists; his sound, aesthetic and consistency in crafting infectious jazzy hip-hop is second to none.

His recent single ‘Flow State’ showcases his own unique take on the genre- forgoing sampling and chopping techniques for a dynamic take of entirely live instrumentation. ‘Flow State’ succinctly expresses that creative headspace that all artists aim to achieve, where logic and rationality give way to instinct and spontaneity. It’s one of those tracks that sounds almost as if it could have written itself, bringing with it an organic groove and natural connectedness of each musical element. But somewhere in between those smooth horns and cascading keys we know there’s a music producer steadily carving out his own air of effortlessness.

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Dualizm Proves that 'Cheap Whiskey' can still be Sweet

Our regular readers will recognize the name ‘Dualizm’ from our writeup about his release ‘An Ounce of Rain’ a couple months back. And there’s good reason his name keeps popping up. Crisp production, quality samples and a fleeting sense of nostalgia encircle his tracks like slowly drifting smoke rings.

The Berlin-based beatmaker has worked with an impressive lineup of both local and international artists and has written music for film and television productions. Which really all makes sense looking at the quality and quantity of his output, with new music coming out monthly it’s no wonder his tracks have a honed sound and effortless swing.

That unique sound can definitely be heard in today’s feature which Dualizm describes as “one of my most jazzy tracks.” “Cheap Whiskey” was actually supposed to be on his recent album ‘Project R. vol.3’ but feeling that it stood out from the bunch too much, he instead decided to release it as a single.

Whether you like it straight or on the rocks, single malt or blended, “Cheap Whiskey” is definitely the perfect smooth sipper to cap off a long day.

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Arabic Lofi beats from Jordan's - Zi7

Artwork by https://www.instagram.com/muktafeen_/

We’re lucky to be able to feature some pretty unique sounds here on the blog, from producers crafting their own distinctive soundscapes to musicians presenting their honed creative output, the sheer amount of music coming out daily makes standing out from the crowd perhaps harder than ever.

Although putting forth some wholly original sounds may not come easy, for today’s guest it seems totally natural. Zi7 - زيح (pronounced ‘Zeeh’) is a Jordanian beatmaker focused on reviving traditional Arabic music through sampling. Combining elements of lofi beats, jazz and Middle Eastern sounds, Zi7 creates hazy beat collages with hints of Arabic nostalgia.

His recent release ‘Tamheedat: Volume I’ features 6 tracks of chopped up samples, saturated drums and traditional Arabic instruments. With most tracks under the 2 minute range, the tunes play as low slung sketches and the album as an effortless journey into the ancient sun-kissed landscape of the Middle East.

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Bmbu digs deep into the memory banks for '#throwback'

‘#throwback’, the latest album release from Philadelphia-based beatmaker Bmbu, takes us deep inside his MPC-shaped brain, to a vivid past full of memories, chopped, sampled, arranged into a set of beats, and polished with the same patina that accrues on your own fondest mementos from days past.

Bmbu samples artfully, from jazzy brass to solo piano, and evokes a distant idea with each track. The beats swing and swagger about, providing plenty of structure, but never bombastically enough to overshadow the rich musicality he conjures. It’s a pleasant environment to sink into, one that feels personal, and at the same time relatable. This is particularly evident on #snorlax, which you can stream above, and fall into your own nostalgia…

If you’re feeling Bmbu, you can find the full album on bandcamp, as well as a 12” vinyl release over on Vinyl Digital.

— review by autonomy

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Gone in a (green) flash with Phoenix's Phortran

It could be the hot desert climate of the state of Arizona, or the nearly 300 days of sun Phoenix experiences per year, but beat producer ‘phortran’ seems to have some hazy heat running through his veins. Originally taking his musical inspiration from experimental electronic music and idm, it wasn’t until he heard Hip Hop artists such as Aesop Rock and MF Doom in the 90s that his musical tastes started to shift. Artists like Madlib, Dilla and Nujabes further fuelled the budding beatmaker’s creative blueprint, and laid the foundation for which his modern productions rest on.

Taking a look at phortran’s Soundcloud it’s quickly apparent that this style and finesse didn’t happen overnight. With more than 70 tracks posted over the last 6 years it’s clear that he’s done his homework and steadily honed his sound. He has recently become involved with a local Phoenix-based collective called Brunch Collect and put out a split EP called "States Away" with fellow beat maker- jives. He is currently working on his next split release with Korey Wade and playing shows around Phoenix.

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Blink and you'll miss Instupendo's stunning winter elegy, 'Persona'

Modern music, especially electronic-based music, has a tendency to try to pull you in as soon as possible. This is of course not surprising, or even a bad thing, considering the incredible explosion of new music over the last decade or so, combined with the nascent expectation of instant gratification in our daily lives. But it certainly puts music that ignores this tendency on shaky ground — will compositional patience pay off, or will it end up devoured by the deluge of new music that presents itself to us every single day? For ‘Persona’, Instupendo doesn’t seem to care about any of that.

Instead of trying to lure you in, Persona creates its own emotional space, perfectly content in its own world. If you blink you’ll miss it, but if you approach it with care and attention, suddenly it’s impossible to ignore its delicate, detuned chords calling out to you. Winter is a season to slow down, and hopefully reflect thoughtfully on our lives. Instupendo, inspired by the season for this track, shows us why it’s worth it to do exactly that.

— review by autonomy

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London based hip-hop producer Big-O drops new album 'Instability'

"iNSTABiLiTY" is basically about an unstable young man who cannot stay in one place and is completely uncertain about everything that life has to offer. He's not afraid of taking risk, always searching for something new and is willing to go anywhere he possibly can in order to find himself and his true purpose in this world. With the music in this beat tape, I tried to make each track connect to the character so the listeners can follow and connect to his state of mind. The character on the cover is indeed a reflection of myself searching for meaning and peace in this world while using and relaying on music.

We’re all looking for our own little slice of peace in this world aren’t we? American-born, London- based, hip-hop producer- Orlando Turner certainly thinks so. The first single ‘My place in this world’ from his recently dropped full length album ‘Instability’ explores his own definition of peace and the album as a whole touches on the larger concepts of belonging, uncertainty, and sense of purpose.

Turner has been making beats since the age of 13, and in a way the album explores his own personal journey having moved from Alabama to Florida and Miami to LA, before finally finding his niche in London.

The album features 16 tracks spanning a variety of sounds and production techniques. From the sample-heavy beats of ‘Imperfect Voyage’ to the built from scratch style of ‘Cryin’ Clouds’ the album covers everything from soulful hip-hop to jazzy beats and electronica to break heavy funk.

It’s a journey definitely worth documenting, and reminds us that despite life’s ups and downs and moments of instability, finding that sense of peace through music makes it all right in the end.

Support the album over on Bandcamp

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