Beat Week: Dubiously Titled Mixtapes

When i think "mixtape," i'm still envisioning a cassette tape of various different artists you put together for someone else, but the definition obviously has expanded to the point where it's a catch-all for any grouping of songs an artist puts together for the masses. Hey, as long as the music is fine, i'm good, so let's get into a couple of these so-called mixtapes, shall we?

Yes, it came out on Christmas Eve, but you're going to hear it today. Some of our favorite Swedes, jj, put out a mixtape of them doing their particular form of rocking out over various hip-hop samples (Dre, 'Ye, M.I.A.). Truth be told, it's one of the best CDs i've heard this year, mixtape or not. Spoiler alert--this one definitely will be making one of my year-end lists, no doubt.

mp3: KILL THEM (jj from Kills Mixtape)

mp3: NEW WORK (jj from Kills Mixtape)

mp3: HIGH END (jj from Kills Mixtape)

WEDIDIT Collective member, Zeroh G7, just pulled a similar feat with his G7 University. Instead of ethereal chick vocals, however, he drops dope verses which he occasionally augments with some vocal distortion over others' beats. Wisely choosing from amongst some of LA's hottest producers (Teebs, Flying Lotus, Juj), Zeroh's skills are enough to add layers to the songs as opposed to simply sounding like somebody with a karaoke machine. OFWGKTA may get all the hype, but i'm telling you, WEDIDIT has even superior skills.

mp3: Almighty Mnd (Zeroh G7 from G7 University)

As long as we're talking mixtapes that make heavy use of sampling, we might as well throw new comer ::M∆DE::IN::HEIGHTS:: into the mix. Interestingly enough, their Winter Pigeons (Songs to Raise Your Dead Spirits) falls perfectly between the two previous, with ghostly female vocals playing over recognizable loops. Is that Sufjan Stevens alongside Tchaikovsky? Yes. Yes, it is.

mp3: Skylark Interabang!? (::M∆DE::IN::HEIGHTS:: from Winter Pigeons (Songs to Raise Your Dead Spirits))

And we'll close today with a mash-up of two of my other favorite CDs this year. Wick-It the Instigator heard Brothers and Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty and decided The Brothers of Chico Dusty must be made. Who am i to argue?

mp3: Everlasting Shine Blockas (Wick-It the Instigator from The Brothers of Chico Dusty)

mp3: Black Bug (Wick-It the Instigator from The Brothers of Chico Dusty)

(Ed. note: Thanks to the always stellar Potholes in My Blog for hipping me to those last two, dude.)