Featured Artist: Soulo Starr

Johannesburg/Cape Town, South Africa

Soulo Starr drops his Early Works from 2007-2009, knocked out the MPC on Cosmic Dust Records.

The 9-track release includes raw, sample-based beats, chopping smooth vocal hooks, the occasional rap hook and sweet percussion sounds. Each beat signifies the golden era of hip-hop, through the live, edgy feel of the drums. Listening to the beats makes you want to rap on them, but you know you can’t as you have to savour the snares and kicks over each ill sample.

Some standout tracks off the release include: “4 DILLA”, “Afta”, and “The Mack”. Peep it here on Cosmic Dust, then cop it for $7 USD:

 

Peep Soulo Starr’s future mix for some turnt down, new wave hip-hop:

http://soundcloud.com/soulo/future-flavours-mixed-by-soulo

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*gravy 001

South Africa

*gravy is a collective of South Africa-based artists making waves in the experimental electronic beatscene.

A somewhat newly formed crew with years of experience in the game between them, comprising of established as well as up-and-coming artists; *gravy is on that next tip. The dudes mix elements from genres such as hip-hop, trap, R&B, jazz, funk, amongst others to create left-centre productions. Members include; Sibot, Dank, liver, Card on Spokes, RVWR, Christian Tiger School, O’ltak, Richard the IIIrd, Narch, Slabofmisuse, and Mr. Sakitumi.

The first installment of the *gravy project dropped yesterday, in the form of an 11-track beat-tape “001”, offered as a free download. The release is dope as reflects the artists’ new directions in terms of beatmaking, and contrasts bass heavy beats with slower, synthed out joints. All in all, a diverse tape encompassing a variety of production styles by sought after local artists, capturing the right mix of party and anti-party beats.

Each musician in the outfit adds their own unique flavour to the project, and the album serves as a showcase of groundbreaking local productions.

Cop the release here for free: http://www.mediafire.com/download/3xefaawhgokuqdj/gravy+001.rar

Peep some of these buttery beats off the tape below:

http://soundcloud.com/gravycrew/09-christian-tiger-school

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Card On Spokes

Cape Town, South Africa

South African Jazz musician Shane Cooper, produces experimental electronic hip-hop beats, under the alias “Card On Spokes (CoS)”.

Bassist for the jazz fusion band “Closet Snare”, as well as one half of a new alternative beats collaboration project with DANk, the dude’s productions are infectiously melodic, and unique. The crunchy analog synths, chords, and glitched out sounds significant of the Card On Spokes beatmanship, suggest experimentation through pushing the boundaries of different genres.

Card On Spokes released an EP in 2011, “In You Go”, his debut and only release thus far. This release, along with his Red Bull Studio mixtape, displays the warped out electronic hip-hop sounds infused with elements of jazz and funk, associated with the CoS style of production.

The collab with DANk, “Seafood ∆∆∆”, where CoS is referred to as “Datsun Brown” involves more of an acid trap, bass heavy, synthed out hip-hop sound, still influenced by jazz in certain elements of production. Both CoS productions are dope in their own right, and are different takes on similar genres in music.

Cop In You Go here: http://www.amazon.com/In-You-Go/dp/B0060I13K2/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321862742&sr=301-1

Peep some dope CoS releases here:

http://soundcloud.com/red-bull-studio-ct/card-on-spokes-dont-eat-that

Righteous

DESERT_HEΔD

Cape Town, South Africa

Desert Head, stylised as DESERT_HEΔD, is an experimental hip-hop producer residing in the MOM City.

Exactly 1/2 of Christian Tiger School, a psychedelic dream hop duo from Cape Town, homie Desert Head has created some trap, electronica, and raw hip-hop remixes, as well as boom bap beatstrumentals under his solo project.

In addition to his beatmaking en-devours, the dude has recently been involved in the creation of a monthly hip-hop event in Cape Town called “Button Bashers”, and is held in the Assembly Annex.

Regarding his productions, the Desert Head style involves thick drum kicks, and raw samples, significant of the 90s hip-hop era. Although the dude’s solo project has only been running for about a year now, he has performed a number dj sets, as well as live sets around the Cape Town city bowl, bringing that raw experimental hip-hop and electronica.

Button Bashers: http://www.facebook.com/buttonbashersZA?fref=ts

Some dope free DESERT_HEΔD tracks to cop:

http://soundcloud.com/desert_he-d/girl-i-want-to

http://soundcloud.com/desert_he-d/lions-den

http://soundcloud.com/desert_he-d/drake-forever-desert_he-d

Free mix:

http://soundcloud.com/desert_he-d/cops-and-robbers-mix

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DANk, DJ Caviar

Cape Town, South Africa

Member of the *gravy* crew, one half of Sedge Warbler, and Se∆food, DANk produces glitch-hop and fat analog electronic beats of a new age nature.

Dude has been in the Cape Town electronic scene for years, collabing with local artists such as Rebel Clef, and Card On Spokes, as well as international rappers such as Cerebral Vortex and NoN Genetic. DANk’s productions range from downtempo glitch, to head wobbling bass, showing diversity in his approach to beatmaking.

Latest track by the homie is a slowed-up track with distorted vocals and rolling snares, and categorised by the genre “acid trap”. This one is a re-work of a Sedge Warbler track. Cop it for free here:

http://soundcloud.com/dankcpt/codeine

A personal favourite DANk track:

http://soundcloud.com/dankcpt/the-end-is-nigh-dark-as-fuck

Word

Featured artist: O’ltak

Cape Town, South Africa

Gaborone, Botswana-born beatmaker O’ltak, produces space age experimental electronic hip-hop beatstrumentals.

Featured as artist of the week on planetarybeats for his uniquely African meets futuristic sound, O’ltak is arguably one of the dopest South African producers in the electronic scene. Having released an EP “Foggy Trails” on Cosmic Dust Records, and being a member of the *gravy* crew (Cape Town), homie has definitely made a name for himself with his left-of-centre productions. Get to know, now you know.

A few notable O’ltak tracks to peep:

http://soundcloud.com/oltak/giant-sleaps

http://soundcloud.com/oltak/possible-missions

Finally, a free mixtape:

http://soundcloud.com/oltak/oltak-radio-fm4-tribe-vibes

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