Kutmah – All Dabrye Mix

Talented and not-always-voluntarily-globe-trotting DJ and beatsmith Kutmah has put together an all Dabrye mix ahead of his UK show later this week. The line up features the Detroit legend headlining, with Kutmah, Darkhouse Fam, Widows and now Ras G (!) in support. Unbelievably there are still some tickets left, so grab one here quick smart. You have Earnest Endeavours, Sketchbook and Hit+Run to thank for a very special gig. Listen to the mix below.

Oddisee – Odd Renditions

Late last week, High-Rise posted Oddisee’s unique refix of Ain’t That Peculiar by Marvin Gaye. Today, as promised, High-Rise returns with the full Odd Renditions EP, featuring imaginative reworkings of tracks from Bon Iver, Metronomy and K-Os. Listen and download below.

Marvin Gaye – Ain’t That Peculiar (Oddisee Remix)

Emails from Mello Music Group have an unfortunate habit of getting promptly buried by a load of other stuff on arrival, meaning I end up sleeping on modern classics from Apollo Brown, 14KT and other talented folks from their impressive roster. Today, however, the High-Rise inbox was treated to a much-needed Spring clean, and just in time for this to arrive…

For those in need of an introduction, Oddisee is a Washington DC born rapper and producer who spends his time between his hometown, Brooklyn and London, collaborating with the likes of Diamond District, Tranqil and Damu the Fudgemunk. Ain’t That Peculiar will be released next week as part of Odd Renditions, a collection of remixes featuring K-Os, Bon Iver and Metronomy. Keep an eye on High-Rise for that one. Oddisee also has a brand new album due out June 12th, which you can pre-order here. If you need to catch up on Oddisee’s considerable discography, make sure you do it via his Bandcamp.

Sweatson Klank – Slept On, But Not Forgotten Vol. 1

High-Rise is a big fan of BTS Radio. Launched back in 2003 by Andrew Meza, BTS has played host to a slew of artists I hold dear, including Jneiro Jarel, Kankick (a few times), Eric Lau, Exile, and a once unsigned Flying Lotus. It comes as no surprise, then, that their latest mix is something rather special. Sweatson Klank, the Californian beatsmith formerly known as Take, has put together Slept On, But Not Forgotten; a properly mixed and juggled selection of classic hip hop records from the mid to late 90s era. And he’s done a really good job. Waste no time and click on the link below to visit BTS, download the mix and pore over the track list:

Sweatson Klank – Slept On, But Not Forgotten Vol. 1

Excitingly, this is “the first in what’s said to be many volumes to come”, so keep an eye on BTS and High-Rise for the next instalment. Late 90s hip hop has a distinct style that can easily go overlooked in a golden age fervour, something the likes of Action Bronson and Meyhem Lauren are trying to address. If you are out for more late 90s joints for your ears, pick up DJ Spinna’s spectacular Underground Forever mixtape and TOM YUM’s Underground Hip Hop Mix 2010. To check out Sweatson Klank’s own highly enjoyable sonic experiments, pay a visit to his SoundCloud.

House Shoes – The Makings Pt 2

As promised, here lies The Makings Part 2, the second half of House Shoes’ latest mix in anticipation of his upcoming album, Let It Go. On this side, we have guest appearances from more Detroit talent, including MarvWon, Quelle and Elzhi. Stream the mix below or click here to download.

House Shoes – The Makings Pt 1

New music from one of Detroit’s finest. The Makings is a two part selection of House Shoes-produced records, released via The Smoking Section to promote Let It Go, his debut album due out June 19th. It features vocal talent in the form of Danny Brown, Proof, MED, Roc Marciano and more, and will put soundly to sleep any doubts you may have had over Shoes’ ability to produce heavy records. Listen and download below, and stay tuned to High-Rise for part 2.

High-Rise first really became aware of House Shoes’ production when he dropped Free Your Funk, a mix he put together to anticipate the Dilla Tribute edition of the eponymous French club night. Although House Shoes was a household name already, this mix was a bit of an eye opener. One track in particular stood out, wrongly reported as a Dilla joint in places but featuring the man himself on vocals. Check it out below.

Ridiculous.

SELA

SELA is a brand new name to High-Rise. At the time of going to pixels, the 18 year old Californian has spent just 8 months making music but has already developed a distinct, muted style. Having been weaned onto cloud rap by Donky Pitch co-head-honcho Grinel, I reckon SELA’s music bears some resemblance to that of Friendzone and Main Attrakionz, as well as High-Rise absolute favourite Knxwledge. It’s sample-based but languid, lo-fi and side-chained, like your next-door neighbour is throwing a party. His latest release, Men Have Secrets, But No Mystery, came out earlier this month. Listen and download below:

SELA has gained some notable fans in his brief career, including Friendzone, Ryan Hemsworth and the A$AP Mob. Earlier this month, Prefix Magazine interviewed him and Pretty Much Amazing used his music to hoodwink Flying Lotus fans with an April Fool. Those eager for more SELA can find a Knx-like profusion of records on his Bandcamp. If you are new to this cloud rap thing, make sure you check out Main Attrakionz and the Green Ova Records crew, Executive Series, Clams Casino and Lee Bannon.

BeatPete – Dope On Plastic Part 4

More strictly vinyl business from our Berlin connection, BeatPete. It’s another solid selection of leftfields and offbeats, featuring tracks from K-Def, Eric Lau, Exile, Damu and Dexter. Stream and download via SoundCloud below:

Jack Smith – 75 Beats

The humble beat tape is an often misunderstood fellow. Typical complaints include “there are no lyrics”, “the tracks are too short” and “there are too many of them”. If you are guilty of any such slights on the character of the beat tape, you might be better off surfing somewhere else. This is a shame, because you’ll miss out on a generous helping of well produced music exclusive to High-Rise. If you’re still here, Jack Smith made a beat tape called 75 Beats. It’s got 75 beats on it, the overwhelming majority of which are hot like fire. Download
it below:

Jack Smith – 75 Beats Part 1
Jack Smith – 75 Beats Part 2

Personal favourites include Bear ra, Crown Court, Princess 3 2 and his Erykah Badu remix, though there are really too many to mention. I can hear shades of Knxwledge and old Paul White here and there, so fans of those two (read: fans of hip hop music with intriguing qualities) should pick this up without delay. If you are in search of more from Jack or want to get in touch, hit up his SoundCloud.

Fredfades – Ganxtas Don’t Rap, They B.O.O.G.I.E

Long time High-Rise favourite Fredfades has turned his finely tuned ears to modern funk, disco and boogie to create Ganxtas Don’t Rap, They B.O.O.G.I.E. I feel like High-Rise might have missed the boat on posting this mix, but I’ve listened to it so many times since picking it up last month that it’s going up anyway. The perfect soundtrack for sun-drenched car journeys.

If you are keen for more, Fred made an appearance on A Downtown Affair WNYU while on a recent trip to New York. Click here for an interview and to hear him go head-to-head with residents Tackleberry and Mike McGill with a selection of boogie and modern soul.