Feature: 15 Free Albums You Should Know About

There’s a lot of sharing going on nowadays. Beat tapes and instrumental LPs are becoming exceedingly easy to find and often turn you on to people, labels and other things you never knew existed. These are 15 (16, actually) of my favorite digital releases that are either free or “name your price”. Shout outs to the people who work hard on their art and give it away. Please support them by buying a record, spreading the word or attending their show. Click the album art for download links.

Leonard Dstroy – Higher Vibrations

Striking a very competent equilibrium between raw hip hop styles and dazzling electronic sounds, Higher Vibrations is a very efficient crossover record. Driven by heavy effects and clean, crunchy drums, this is an expertly balanced equation that staggers in and two-steps out in under 40 minutes. Vocalist Reggie B and MC Brother of Moses rush the stage on the last quarter, bringing another interesting element to an already complex record. Great listen.

Late Bloomers – Songs for Suns

I learned about Late Bloomers strolling through the Tres Records (home to Johnson & Jonson and Co$$) website. In a strange move, the LA hip hop trio released this free, 26-track instrumental record earlier this month, just after the release of their short (and decidedly not free) EP Three Shades Brown. TSB was a great, albeit brief prelude to a talented act, but when compared to the behemoth that is Songs for Suns, it looks insignificant. Producers Really Nathan and Ahh:Zel dip and dive, creating a potpourri of playful funk and rattling, spaced out bass. Look forward to more from Tres in the future.

Error Broadcast Presents – Fly Russia

With a seemingly endless army of talent and a high standard for output, Error Broadcast can’t seem to miss. Their catalog (with two releases that ranked among the best in the game in 2010, DZA’s tape mangled masterpiece Five-finger Discount, and Montgomery Clunk’s spellbinding Superbus EP) is a only rivaled by their brazenly modern aesthetic. Here they showcase some of the maximalist endeavors of the Russian beat scene and it’s wellspring of button mashers. For more on the goings-on in Russia, peep this fantastic feature in Pitchfork.

Devonwho – 2088 Archives

Member of the compact Klipmode crew, Devonwho get’s much love throughout the community, and it shows with the dumbfounding group of contributors on his Thumbtracks Remixes project. These archives are what I assume to be bits and pieces that weren’t released on the mixed bag of EPs, LPs, and compilations that Devon appears on. Littered with fractured rhythms, creeping electro, and well placed film and television excerpts (including one laugh-out-loud use of a David Attenborough quotation on “Turnups”), Archives is a thoroughly entertaining introduction.

ESTA. – REAL.LIVE.SH*T

I initially heard ESTA. a while back through his collaboration with MC Eponym, UpFromHere, which had some standout moments (Lately was my joint for a minute), but lacked longevity. ESTA. must have had a some seriously life altering shit happen to him since, because this tape is a burner. Where UFH suffered due to some questionable recording, RLS reconstitutes with bright, immaculately conceived funk and soul. I better go peep the rest of Ep and Esta’s LPs.

100 Akres – Janet Jackson Beat Tape

This is one of eight fine beat tapes currently shared over at 100 Akres, and happens to be my favorite so far. The tapes are filled with concise, airtight soul-bap bangers built on a solid foundation of smart snippets from important pop and rnb releases. The Janet Jackson Beat Tape shows how just one or two short clips is all you need to make a shaker, as long as you can surround them with crispy drums and the right effects. Just one gripe: nobody needs another remix of “The Next Episode”, unless it’s paying tribute to Nate Dogg, which “IguessUrMine” does not.

Kenlo Craqnuques – Brun

Representing Error Broadcast and the Canadian contingent, Kenlo Craqnuques brings the soul in true mad Libyan, oops, I mean, Madlibian fashion, with a little added vertigo. Drenched in fuzz and confetti, popping drums and scrapbook samples sweep and swoop until they all come to quick stop dead center. Save your chocolate platinum for this one. If you enjoy it, seek out the rest of KC’s “colour series”.

Dropping Gems – Gem Drops

On this comp courtesy of the Gem Drops family and friends, we see a formidable selection of beats ranging from scattering ambiance to break neck bass music. A nice introduction for anybody unaware of the all-you-can-eat buffet of styles currently associated with experimental hip hop. This compilation benefits the American Cancer Society so if you like it you can grab the 320s and give to a charity.

Ju-Ar – Orange Air

Orange Air is a thoroughly relaxing ride through some of the nicest jazz-infused hip hop this side of DJ Cam. Paired with a heavy helping of soul, the tracks are upbeat and nod worthy, masked with a soothing coat of static to reinforce the vintage vibe. Released earlier this month on the German Morgen Noi Collective, the LP serves as a good foot forward for a label that clearly has new jazz on it’s mind.

Vanilla – Chrometrails

Who is Vanilla? I don’t know much about Vanilla, except that he’s a strong torch carrier for the Flylo sound with a knack for not letting his various synth-lines overshadow the core of his tracks. Where many falter allowing electronic elements to siphon out the soul of the track, Chrometrails finds a great balance.

Constrobuz – Beats Vol. 3

Despite it’s unfortunate cover art (yuck), Beats Vol. 3 brings serious heat for anybody willing to get passed the seriously oddball track names. Incorporating clips from prog, psych, soul, and pretty much anything he can get his hands on, Constrobuz sends samples through a paper shredder and shows true craftsmanship in the boom bap realignments. He’s also got four other volumes and two remix joints, so don’t sleep.

Lab Coat Presents – “Hi”

Lab Coat is the outlet for an eight man collective hailing from what I believe to be North Carolina. They’ve got a great talent pool and don’t seem interested in limiting their musical territory. On “Hi”, artists Jables, Kendo, Bookworm and Odie Schweez all contribute with a dizzying variety of hip hop styles on a compilation that doesn’t lend itself to generalization. There’s something for everyone here.

Teebs – Unreleased ’09

No need for intros here. If you don’t know Teebs or his Ardour LP: stop hibernating! Dude’s beats are gorgeous tapestries of migrating, organic sounds, and this free release gives a vantage point into some of the bits and pieces of material not included on his debut. Some chunks would later inform tracks on Ardour, and there’s an unmastered version of “Hummingbirds” which sounds great. These are not B sides or even A-minus sides, just great music from an exceptional artist.

Alphabet’s Heaven – Jay’s Odyssey

Fancy Mike – Madison Square Gardner

Big shout outs to King Deluxe records, the fledgling label based out of Salmo, British Columbia, the residing place of the notorious Shambhala Music Festival. AH and FM released their debut records no more than a month apart, and holy shit what a double a dragon. They really work together, Jay’s Odyssey being a winding spectacle of jagged, detuned rythyms and soft, sidechained ambience, Madison Square Gardner being an absolute onslaught of synthesized bass tones with just a pinch of old sampler fuzz. These LPs are very complimentary, and they were the first two releases on King Deluxe, which bodes very well for the future. Match the sounds with the keen visual flavours presented on their releases and website, from the likes of HR-FM, Nate James and Jamie Littler (whoa.), and you have a recipe for big things in the future.

Juj – Slack

If there’s a single record that epitomizes the amalgamation of old school tendencies with new school style, it’s Slack. With head scratching “where have I heard this before?” trivia brimming from the 17 tracks, Juj conjures all the elements required for a thought provoking, but-still-bangs-at-the-party classic. Plain and simple, the LP is bursting with substance and minute detail and it never sits (or let’s you sit) still.