Beatstrumental Review #1: Blazin Beats, Rich Rhythms, and Soulful Samples

I have entered the realm of instrumental hip-hop, and judging from the mad outflow of absolutely brilliant tracks I see everyday on soundcloud, I'm going to be stuck here for awhile. If you have been following my other posts you've probably noticed by now they are all chalk full of outstanding beats. Now though, I've decided to dedicated full posts to the amazing beat artists filling my ears with sound everyday. 

Este tango habla por mi by Kerusalén Beatz

Opening this post is a Venezuelan artist by the name of Kerusalen Beatz. A 22-year-old raised in the heart of Caracas, his self-described call to music arose from a need to develop a unique sound in his home country, and he has certainly achieved his goal. With his first track uploaded only 3 months ago, Kersualen Beatz is a newcomer to Soundcloud. However, upon listening to any of his tracks it is immediately apparent he lacks no experience in production. The high energy atmosphere of his sound is enhanced by hard-hitting basslines and perfectly sampled string, guitar, and other orchestral instruments that command you to feel the beat, the rhythm of his tracks.

"Este tango habla por mi", his first uploaded track on soundcloud, intros with a mournful accordian and strings followed by the title of the song spoken in a thick south american accent. With controlled immediacy the beat changes to sampled loop of a quite badass accordion accompanied by a powerful bassline and minimal hip-hop beat which, in my opinion, demands head bobbing. Though the track is short, its power is evident.

Check out more of Kerusalen Beatz tracks on his soundcloud.


Belly Beast by ELECTRIC SEA SPIDER

Next up is wonky producer from down under, Electric Sea Spider. Based in Melbourne, Australia, this 20-year-old beat forger throws tradition to the wind in his productions as he melds all sorts of sounds together, ranging from table tennis field recordings to eerie child's chorus samples. Full of lazy, sporadic beats and frequent juxtaposing samples each track by this talented artist is guaranteed to introduce you to a sound unlike anything you've heard before.

In "Belly Beast", a cacophony of pots and pans, humming children, and rolling basslines meshes together to create a strangely mellow atmosphere that I wish would only last longer! Truly unlike any other instrumental I've heard, I could hear the likes of MF Doom or Common laying down some profound lyrics on top of this grade A track.

Crayons by ELECTRIC SEA SPIDER

As a bonus, here is Crayons, a mashup of familiar ambient/analogue synths and tones layered below softly shaking percussion instruments and melodious bass beats. The chopped samples of a youth along with the ringing of bells and clustered drums completes this track and creates an musical image of rolling green fields and lazily passing clouds in my mind. This track is going on a cd for the car for sure.

Dreamy Nods-Therapy Chop Chop XIII by Messenjahmusicproductions

A rare treat, Phillip J Morris (Philey J) is a musician, rapper, and producer from the heart of Britain. Owner of Messenjah Music Productions, Philey J has been honing his skills as a hip-hop artist over the past 10 years, and he definitely has the skills to prove it. A master of hip-hop compositions influenced by jazz, soul, and blues his tracks tell tales of clear summer nights, smoky jazz clubs, and longs nights in front of the piano. Masterfully styled instrumental pieces dominate his sound, and the smooth flavor of hip-hop rhythms only help to enhance the classy, crisp sound of tracks.

Therapy Chop Chop, a series of minimal and chilled-out instrumentals produced by Philey J Dreamy Nods, the track I am showcasing today by Philey J, is a contribution to the Therapy Chop Chop project -- a collaborative effort by beat welders across the globe to share in their creative process, hone their skills, and engage with like-minded individuals in musical "wrestling" ;) Dreamy Nods combine hypnotic drum loops with fleeting piano progressions and basslines in to a mouthful of tasty sounds I wouldn't mind having on my palette every day of the week. Check out Therapy Chop Chop Victory Battle if you enjoy Dreamy Nods.

Etcetera by mndsgn

Last, but not least, is "Land O Lakes" native mndsgn. With only 3 tracks listed on Soundcloud he's an elusive artist for sure, but his jumpy, airy beats tell a story of a budding talent who(hint hint) is just waiting to burst forth.

Etcetera is a whimsical, fun instrumental strewn with watery sound effects and buzzing basslines that get me thinking more about Yoshi's Island than a backtrack to a rap album. However the impact of mndsgn's style in this track is no less powerful than the cream of the crop on any major record label. If you like what you hear in Etcetera, make sure you listen to Birches , a 26 minute mix of some excellent tunes labelled as "glimpsehop" by mndsgn. It's a doozy, I'll tell you that.