year: 2018
tones of: dj koze, moby, nico jaar, darkside, fuck buttons
genre samples: house, disco, soul, electronica, dance, funk
music: fun, danceable, glitchy, joyous, tricky, exhilarating, scratchy, warm, kinetic, technical, funky, energetic, precise, soulful, wild
favs: i never dream, you are going to love me and scream, now u got me hooked, flash in the pan, cityfade
notes: a.a.l. stands for against all logic which is apparently one of a handful of pseudonyms nicolas jaar operates under (he also does work as a member of darkside, just friends, bladerunner, and daftside). this seems to be a collection of his work under that moniker from 2012 to 2017.
score: 8/10
year: 2018
tones of: lil wayne (early dedication weezy)
genre: rap, trap rap, southern rap, mixtape rap
notable samples: kendrick (loyalty), lil pump (gucci gang), migos (slippery), makavelli (hail mary), jay-z (family feud), playboi carti (woke up like this)
lyrics: metaphorical, clever, graphic, egotistical, sophisticated, comical, layered, crazed, imaginative, irreverent, violent, structured, visual, disrespectful, complex, absurd
favs: bloody mary, for nothing, back from the 80's, big bad wolf, family feud, back to sleep
notes: the question and answer style responses from Weezy at the end of every track on here are priceless. this is also one of the better outings he has had in quite some time in terms of lyrical content, consistency, and delivery.
score: 7/10
year: 2017 (broader release)
tones of: floating points, todd terje, LNRDCROY, skee mask, shlohmoh
genre samples: jazz, techno, house, electronica, drum'n'bass, ambient
music: sonic, chaotic, impromptu, encircling, busy, layered, improvised, echoing, ecstatic, reverberating, drum saturated, off beat, lively, high frequency, colorful, crowded, energetic
favs: untitled a1, untitled b3, untitled d3, untitled a2, untitled c1, untitled d2
notes: apparently SW. never names anything, hence all the generics - from the album name, its tracks, and cover, down to his own moniker. i consider this just an unconventional but principled way of letting the music speak for itself.
score: 8/10
year: 2016
tones of: drake (esp noah "40" shebib's production style), kid cudi, chris brown, childish gambino (on the kauai mixtape)
genre samples: r&b, rap, hip hop
music: chill, dark, trippy, mature, spacious, sexy, moody, hazy, ominous
favs: prblms, never know, alone/ea6, ex callin (cover of Future's "perkys callin"), gettin' old, worst luck
notes: 6lack is pronounced: "black". this was one of my favorite low key artists back in 2016 (this is a long over due sketch!). looking forward to his next project.
score: 7.5/10
year: 2017
tones of: caribou, four tet (from the "rounds" era), massive attack (on "planet")
genre samples: electronica, ambient techno, jazz, indian classical, downtempo
music: spacious, frenetic, light, simple, charming, circling, fresh, sparse, bright, quirky, airy, amorphous, expanding, clean, happy, dainty, soothing, textured
favs: lush, two thousand and seventeen, daughter, planet, memories, you are loved, LA trance, the scientist
notes: beautiful enough at first listen but the intricacies really start to reveal themselves over time. keep listening until you get there. it's worth it.
score: 7.5/10
year: 2017
tones of: big boi, scarface, bone thugs-n-harmony (on "layup"), UGK, outkast, nappy roots
genre samples: jazz, indie rap, gospel, hip hop, big brass brand, southern rap, blues
music: soulful, banging, joyous, big, rattling, bass filled, majestic, swaying, horn heavy, chill
lyrics: humble, political, realistic, conscientious, authentic, serious, personal, boisterous, intelligent, confessional, introspective
vocals: crisp, drawling, precise, athletic, rhythmic, dexterous, smooth
favs: big k.r.i.t., drinking sessions, confetti, bury me in gold, 1999, price of fame, get away, miss keep the devil off (production), georgia fornia, mixed messages (lyrics)
best guest: lloyd (on "1999")
notes: the split personality that is Big King Remembered In Time offers up a rare double disc rap album that delivers nearly its full record length in musical gold.
score: 8.5/10
year: 2017
tones of: bright eyes, black keys, the flaming lips (on mal à l'aise)
genre samples: indie rock, punk pop, DIY rock, folk
music: jangly, marching, lofi, bright, jagged, melodic, soft, quick
lyrics: longing, regretful, reflective, abstract, nostalgic, insular, assured, cathartic
vocals: scratchy, straining, blue, angst-ridden, delicate
favs: fear & force, cold apartment, the embers, alive and well, cleaning house
notes: this album only clocks in at 28mins but it takes every advantage of that limited time
score: 8.5/10
