Lo-Fi Sundays 088 - Kazumi Kaneda

Once you’ve heard a handful of licks from the Tokyo-based pianist and producer Kazumi Kaneda, you won’t be able to forget his warm, one-of-a-kind sound and feel. If you're listening to one of Inner Ocean Records’ BLESS compilations or Mecca:83’s seminal Life Sketches album and you hear those minor chords start to jingle around like a set of keys, you know Kazumi is on the track. 

Simply put, he’s a visionary jazz pianist who knows how to work with hip-hop material, too, and blend both worlds effortlessly. His phrasing on the piano is so descriptive. With the keys he’s like a poet with a pen, giving life to ideas and feelings with sound. He has a masterful sense for groove, with his phrases curling around the robust hip-hop drum patterns.

Kazumi has been releasing his work for more than seven years, and we caught wind of him in the last two after Hard Light, his second full-length with Inner Ocean Records. Our friends from Calgary have been his greatest sponsor in the western hemisphere, also releasing Beats Note in 2016. Listen through to the end because we saved the best knock for last this weekend. Then stay tuned because Inner Ocean will release Kazumi’s the next full-length on November 22nd. 

FOLLOW Kazumi Kaneda: Offical / Bandcamp / Soundcloud / Instagram / Facebook

Lo-Fi Sundays 087 - Hip Chimp

Fusing lo-fi textures and a plethora of downbeat genres, Hip Chimp channels lucid compositions and smooth, cerebral beats. Hailing from Blackpool in the United Kingdom, Hip Chimp is the hip-hop centric project of John Yates. As a multifaceted instrumentalist and producer, Yates has dug his hands through a wide variety of musical styles, and his Hip Chimp catalog reflects an appreciation for numerous attitudes and atmospheres.

From the jump, the unmistakable jazz influence is abundant throughout much of the Hip Chimp discography. He’s got a strong focus on cadence throughout his musical phrasing, and it comes as no surprise given his extensive instrumentalist background. In leu of the usual sample-heavy direction of most lo-fi productions, the songwriting and instrumentation across most of his music is uniquely recorded for each track. Perhaps as a result of this, he takes lo-fi concepts and sonic staples into a lush variety of territories, from r&b to deep house, hip-hop to trap, and jazz to blues. Flip over any rock under Yates’ purview, and you’re bound to find fresh beats and conscious cuts.

The sheer quantity of styles and directions across Hip Chimp’s releases is matched by the quality of his productions. His instrumental prowess allows him to touch many nooks of the total sonic palette, and in turn allows him to curate a unique listening experience throughout the whole of his catalog. For fans of virtually any taste under the sun, Hip Chimp is sure to have something remarkably well-suited to your needs and wants.

FOLLOW Hit Chimp: Soundcloud / Spotify / Bandcamp / Facebook

Lo-Fi Sundays 086 - beatmaschine

There’s a thriving beats culture in Germany. We’ve covered several German producers including Lunchbag, Leavv and Senoy. The best record of the country’s prowess on the 1’s and 2’s comes from Millenium Jazz Music’s On The Radar Vol 2 - Made in Germany. But we haven’t found a German producer who captures the “golden era” boom-bap sound of hip-hop so well until stumbling across beatmaschine, who represents labels called Krupplyn and Papier & Bliestift from Dortmund.

The producer aligns his straightforward samples with some kicking drums and lets it all ride. The end result is beautiful - smooth, lush compositions that still maintain a sharp edge. The interplay between the resonant piano samples and the demanding bop drums creates a deep, rich musical space. His beats are perfect for freestyling, or kicking back and praying that your buddy doesn’t start freestyling. There’s a pretty robust emotional palette in the music even without vocals, although the producer does use some extensive vocal sampling on tracks like “Proof” and "“My Love”.

For a straightforward beat head, especially one who doesn’t care for some of the more processed and voguing lo-fi sounds, it doesn’t get any better than this. Well, that is, until the producer himself gets better. Perhaps beatsmachine will continue to refine his drums and bring more of their subtle details to the surface. It seems he has the instrumental sampling thing nailed for now. Ultimately, this producer has the formula down pat - now the sky is the limit for how he uses it.

FOLLOW beatmaschine: Spotify / Bandcamp / Instagram / Facebook / Youtube

Lo-Fi Sundays 085 - S-ilo

Bringing a warm, soulful spin on traditional lo-fi and hip-hop flavors, S-ilo is a production powerhouse from Malmö, Sweden. His music has an unmistakable connection to R&B, utilizing smooth harmonies and groovy bass lines in abundance. He’s got a massive assortment of tunes to sift through, and manages to maintain a unique quality to each production. The moods range from sensual to mischievous, but always with the recognizable touch of S-ilo.

Hand-crafted breaks and turnarounds are a front and center for every S-ilo track, and are often mixed to a markedly high fidelity. The bright, transient punch of his downbeats contrast wonderfully with the dreamy, airy choice of samples often present in each arrangement. His music feels like it has direction and motive; the moods and chords elaborate, evolve, and emulsify themselves amidst the background noise of crowded city crosswalks and the conversations of passerby’s hurrying along. His habit for germinating his compositions with sparse, effective bass lines gives his catalog a lofty stereo presence, often in contrast with much of contemporary lo-fi music. It adds to the refreshing taste his catalog leaves on the palette, with each listening session feeling like a full audio meal.

S-ilo rightfully comes off as an extremely diversified musician and producer. He’s released over 140 tracks in just the last two years. Eschewing the “quality over quantity” adage, his music channels power through simplicity. It’s not always about how many sounds fit into the mix It’s how they’re fleshed out that makes the difference.

FOLLOW S-ilo: Soundcloud / Spotify / Bandcamp

Lo-Fi Sundays 084 - Prgmat

One of the more talented producers working in the somewhat strict, traditional lo-fi style is Prgmat from Riga, Latvia. His music is often one giant wash of ambient pads, steered by muffled drums, and punctuated by discreet, well-cut samples. It’s some of the music one would put in a time capsule in order to show someone 500 years from now what lo-fi hip-hop in 2019 sounds like.

This is especially true of his new project, Sentiment LP: The Postscriptum. This 21-track project on Kick a Dope Verse! is a great representation of the producer’s work. Buoyant tunes like “You Are Appreciated” and “hvn blvd” create lovely, open headspaces. When media or labels focus on instrumental hip-hop as “music to study / chill to”, it’s sort of unfair because it characterizes the art as background music - something that shouldn’t be enjoyed to for its own sake but only as the accompaniment to something else. Of course, it’s so much more than that But Prgmat’s music works great in the background or the foreground. There’s more than enough substance to hold your attention for a dedicated listening session, but it’s all smooth and consistent enough to work great as the soundtrack to some other activity.

He’s been featured on compilations from labels around the world including Insert Tapes, Dust Collectors, and Kick a Dope Verse! who he seems to work most frequently with. "Propose to my Drum Machine”, the producer’s contribution to Inner Ocean Records’ Futures Vol. 4 is one of our favorite pieces of work from him. It has an inspirational undertone, and if someone could loop it for an hour straight like those homework edits on Youtube, we’d listen all day.

FOLLOW Prgmat: Spotify / Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Twitter

Lo-Fi Sundays 083 - outcrowd.

Hip-hop and Detroit have a visceral history between each other, and the indelible impact the city had on its formative homegrown artists and creators continues to flow through modern veins. outcrowd. is an upstart Detroit beatsmith who’s been knocking breaks and warping samples for the last 5 years and running. His flavor is particularly smooth, taking inspiration from a handful of buttery genres to complete each musical concoction.

The meat of outcrowd’s output is filled with healthy slices of soul and vinyl grain. The stop-and-go, sampler-heavy touch to his arrangements breathes life into his discography, giving his music a flow like non-newtonian fluid. Staying firmly within his genre lines, all of his tracks feature a thick coat of dust and attitude, giving his music the aural aesthetic of a true polaroid. He’s released six beattapes to date, with all stylistically true to the outcrowd. blend of sultry and somber.

With a few dozen tracks and six beattapes released to date, outcrowd. has curated a collection of devilishly pocketed lo-fi tunes. He appears to have a steady release cycle of a month-by-month basis with no signs of slowing down. We’re going to be keeping close tabs on his progress, and we highly encourage you to do the same.

FOLLOW outworld.: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Tracktrain

Lo-Fi Sundays 082 - Puar

We first found the producer Puar through his collaborations with Vancouver’s bsd.u and we had the good fortune to catch his set last weekend at the Grove Cedar Lounge, a side stage at Shambhala Music Festival on the Salmo River Ranch in British Columbia, Canada. He was playing his signature style of highly vocalized phonk, some lo-fi, and a ton of straight west coast bass beats evocative of the Lab Group.

This BC-based producer has been making beats for what appears to be three years and he has a healthy, diverse catalog to show for it. His signature sound is composed of big booming bass lines, trap drums, and hip-hop vocal samples but he also has more low-key lo-fi bops. He collaborates frequently with bsd.u, and he spun a ton of the producer’s music during his Shambhala set. He closed this killer set with a heartwarming remix of “Shawty” by Plies. At an electronic music festival, arguably the electronic music in North America, it was refreshing to hear Puar’s low-down and lighthearted blend.

He has six tapes on Bandcamp including three volumes of PUAR BEATS, the latest of which was just released in July of this year. In a style of music where it’s all too easy to get lost in the thousand-producer shuffle, Puar has carved out a lane all his own and we’re excited to see where it takes him.

FOLLOW Puar: Bandcamp / Soundcloud / Spotify / Twitter

Lo-Fi Sundays 081 - DLJ

Hailing from Toulouse, France, DLJ has spent the last two years producing a steady stream of top tier lo-fi content. A standout member of Retro Jungle Records, DLJ is a constant practitioner of musical cleanliness. His tunes are full of life and specificity, giving his catalog an approachable, well-rounded veneer.

Using simplicity as an attitude, DLJ’s discography focuses on strong arrangements and stronger chord phrases. It’s the unmistakable motif of smokey cafes and autumn afternoons combined with full-bodied compositions, with each of his tracks being just as moving as the next. Songs like “Take me with you” embody a slow, successive build of emotion over the course of each measure, melding sultry saxophone lines with fanciful piano phrases. Other tracks, such as in the vein of “Bright”, are strictly keys and percussion, the classic pairing of ingredients that lo-fi junkies are so fond of. No matter where you turn throughout his releases, the chances of stumbling onto your perfect daytime anthem stands near 100%.

With over a dozen varied releases under his belt, DLJ is forging himself into a one-stop shop for all things lo-fi, traversing a plethora of tempos, keys, and imagery. His release cycle is steady, with at least a new single appearing just about every month, marking DLJ as a veritable production powerhouse. While we’re gushing over his available collection of tunes, it’s only a matter of time before his next batch of summer day sonatas reaches the public sphere.

FOLLOW DLJ: Soundcloud / Spotify / Bandcamp

Lo-Fi Sundays 080 - Beasty P

Our next edition of Lo-Fi Sundays brings us to the city of Minsk, Belarus. Beasty P is a European beats producer who runs with the internationally acclaimed NINETOFIVE Worldwide Beatmakers record label. He’s packing a stereophonic quality to his dusty tunes that is in short supply in the lo-fi world, and has a clear skillset for flipping breaks and samples.

Keeping things in the rhythmic pocket is the cornerstone of each Beasty P production. His tracks display their strong source material proudly, going for a “less is more” approach to remixing and sampling. The result is a strong compositional framework for each unique tune in the Beasty P catalog, giving the whole collecton a remarkable aural consistency. Tracks like “she’s a different” and “where is da jumpin’” utilize the vocal material from their respective source tracks to full effect, merging classic anthems with salient textures and wide percussive samples. Conversely, his latest album Zenith is mostly devoid of vocal material, instead opting for the intercrossed melodies and harmonies to tell their stories. No matter which format his music takes on, Beasty P has an undeniable touch for emotive songwriting and production that sets his music apart from many of his contemporaries.

Beasty P’s catalog stretches across more than 40 tracks, released both independently and through NINETOFIVE. His sampling mastery and creative approach to layering and mixing give his productions a shining finish that is often left out of the picture for Lo-Fi hip-hop. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this intuitive beat smith from now on, and high highly recommend that you do to.

FOLLOW Beasty P: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Spotify / Facebook

Lo-Fi Sundays 079 - RudeManners

The experimental hip-hop and R&B producer RudeManners follows the axiom that a diverse portfolio is a stronger portfolio. Pegging this New York producer with one style is hard. He makes jazzy work, boom-bap tunes, “phonk” and trap beats, a bit of lo-fi house, and a ton of spacey trip-hop-influenced songs. But in comparison to his peers, his catalog has a distinct and recognizable sound that’s defined by a lounge aesthetic.

This lounge sound is best captured on his Avant Garde LP with Inner Ocean Records He reserves his more abstract work for a series of self-released LPs called “Do Not Disturb”, although to be sure, each of his 25+ releases all have at least a spoonful of each of his different flavors. RudeManners music is excellent for relaxing, but it can also highly emotional and cathartic at times, leading listeners into provocative mental states.

Dalton Mannerud (RudeManners) is also a fantastic illustrator who has drawn most of the artwork associated with his music and created album covers for several other beatmakers. By doing so, he’s made a substantial contribution to the overall visual aesthetics associated contemporary instrumental hip-hop at large. He supports the wider scene in other ways, too. He’s always big-upping other musicians’ work and hosted several well-curated episodes of Stzzy Radio. Dalton selected a wide-range of contemporary hip-hop and R&B for this podcast from the foundational StzzyAsFuck collective, although the episodes seem to have inexplicably and unfortunately disappeared from the web.

He’ll be performing at The Rust Music’s next Lo-Fi Sundays Live session on August 4th at Kinfolk 90 in Brooklyn, and we’re eager to see how he manifests his diverse catalog in the live setting. Dalton is always putting out new releases, collaborations or compilation tracks. Rarely is his output predictable, so if you stay chooned to his channels you’re sure to catch new, exciting, and uber chill music often.

FOLLOW RudeManners: Spotify / Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Instagram / Twitter

Lo-Fi Sundays 078 - nick tesla

Channeling New York City's undeniable hip-hop legacy, nick tesla reinvents the relationship between sampled gold and head-nod rhythms. He has a fairly large catalog stretching back over five years, with a whopping seven album releases in the last two years alone. His style absorbs the melodic sensibilities of soul, jazz, blues, and disco wrapped up and delivered in a Lo-Fi veneer.

The hues and attitudes painted throughout his music conjure images of open-air high lines stretching throughout Brooklyn; a breeze throughout the train station, the faces of passing strangers, and the smells of the urban sprawl fill out the headspace. His command of melody and harmony shines through the sampled structure of nick tesla’s music, showcasing not just a talent for beat crafting, but a penchant for musical notation and arrangement. Keeping one hand rooted in sampling fundamentals, and the other rooted in songwriting and vibe management, he maintains a fundamental balance that separates him from many in the vast flock of Lo-Fi producers and junkies.

Combing through the discography of nick tesla is a week-long affair, featuring a variety of albums and singles stretching across the emotional spectrum. Throughout its entirety, there’s absolutely no denying the vivacious mood that he curates with seemingly the snap of a finger. Given his light-speed production work and fast-paced release style, it should be no time at all before nick tesla unveils even more material in the public realm.

FOLLOW nick tesla: Soundcloud / Spotify / Instagram

Lo-Fi Sundays 077 - Telemakus

Telemakus is a 19-year old producer from the Bay Area who is skilled beyond his years on the piano and in the digital audio workspace. His first productions appear to come from three or four years ago, and his most recent work came earlier this year; Calantha Vol. 2, the second of his two LPs. On this record from Inner Ocean Records, you can hear Telemakus truly indulging his jazz sensibilities.

He packs an obscene amount of groove into his tunes, with experimental riffs and jazz chords dancing over slappy drums. He’s infatuated with cosmic themes and astronomical imagery, much of which he channels through his productions; This music is great for drifting off to space in your mind. As his career has progressed, his willingness to lean into his piano talents has increased. His phrasing has become more experimental and overtly jazz-influenced, as he’s moved slightly aware from the pure sample-based. For the fullest display of his music, definitely check out the Calantha series.

And for more on the producer himself, check out Bandcamp’s feature on Telemakus. If you like dwelling in the intersection between jazz and hip-hop, keep you eyes and ears on this artist. Within that intersection, he’s surely an ascendant talent.

FOLLOW Telemakus: SoundCloud / Bandcamp / Facebook / Instagram

Lo-Fi Sundays 076 - J. Vibes

While the majority of lo-fi hip-hop content is, by definition, low fidelity, a few producers take a walk off the beaten path. Fusing lo-fi textures and sampling motifs with audio dynamics characteristic to trip-hop and other sibling genres, the music of J. Vibes comes out extremely lush and stereophonic. Hailing from Aarhus, Amsterdam, he is a member of the prolific international beats collective NINETOFIVE Worldwide Beatmakers, placing him alongside ØDYSSEE, Mecca:83, Axian, and a host of other top-flight producers from across the globe. Given his aptitude for churning out compositionally rich and texturally potent music, it’s no wonder he’s thoroughly connected to a large swath of veteran beatsmiths.

Synthesizers aren’t necessarily taboo territory for lo-fi music, but their variable presence is often sparing, lightly dusted into the background for some stereo wideness. It’s all the more interesting then to find such a focus on synthesis throughout J. Vibe’s available discography. Tracks like "Mood Swing" gradually evolve from smokey hip-hop anthems into vinyl-coated breakdowns, replete with wobbles, melody stabs, and transient downbeats. Going back further into his catalog, his music takes on a more traditional lo-fi veneer, save for the extremely juicy sub bass found in songs like “Organic Textures”. The arrangement and chord progression fits squarely into classic lo-fi modes, cushioned by surprisingly weighty low-end. Regardless of where the journey through the sounds of J. Vibes starts or finishes, there’s a deliciously wide palette of flavors available to taste.

By bucking trends and putting wide stereo imaging back on the table for lo-fi hip-hop, J. Vibes stands out above the crowd of his contemporaries. The presence and body to his music gives it a life that can be difficult to achieve through faded textures and muted tones alone. With a stellar team of fellow beat junkies and critically minded producers alongside him, the collaborative possibilities seem endless and inevitable, and serves as a reminder that we’re not the only ones with a close eye on this stellar musician.

FOLLOW J. Vibes: Soundcloud / Bandcamp / Facebook

Lo-Fi Sundays 075 - Mecca:83

Every weekend we curate 10 tracks from one instrumental hip-hop producer to try to capture his or her essence. This can be a challenging task, but it may have never been more challenging than this weekend as we feature the music of Manchester-based producer Evan Jones aka Mecca:83. His catalog is vast, and virtually every cut is worthy of a deep listen. Plus, music from his jazz alias just became available for streaming for the first time. And just earlier today he debuted a new four track EP, Quiet Dawn. Midnight, dawn and times of day are motifs throughout the producer’s catalog.

Mecca’s music has been supported by Soulection and the legendary curator Giles Peterson. He’s collaborated with dozens of influential producers including Tom Misch, Grap Luva, and Es-K, and instrumentalists like pianist Kazumi Kaneda and trumpet player Octavio Santos. In addition to the label he’s favored most recently, NINETOFIVE Worldwide Beatmakers, he has compilation credits with Inner Ocean Records, Stay Cool, Chillhop Music, and more. He released his first project as Mecca:83 in 2010, and hasn’t stopped grinding since, infusing jazz and pure spirit into boom-bap beats that frequently include live instrumentation.

The playlist kicks off with a Malcolm X sample, which is an appropriate representation of the righteousness and spiritual depth of Mecca’s output. The sample comes from Rise, Mecca’s jazz alias (additional aliases include REdefinition and Alexis Davis). He first began producing as Rise in 2008, and for the first time, jewels from this era are now available to stream through The Rise Collection: 2008-2018 thanks to NINETOFIVE. Here’s some words from the man himself about this project.

If you've only been following me since the "Mecca:83" era you might not be familiar with the spiritual jazz side of my output under the name Rise.  From 2008 to 2018 - Rise was my alias for creating instrumental music inspired by the likes of Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane, Sun Ra and the more Spiritual side of Jazz Music in the late 60s/early 70s: an era I hold dear to my heart. "A Rise collection" compiles 10 tracks from 2008-2018 that I think best capture the essence of the Rise sound. Expect to hear multi-layered percussion work outs, ample saxophone solos and spiritual vibes a plenty.

We won’t say more about Mecca’s music - it speaks for itself. We will say this; If there was just one producer whose music encapsulates this moment in time and musical space, this decade of instrumental hip-hop (and for the record, there are many), it might be Mecca:83.

FOLLOW Mecca:83: Official / Soundcloud / Spotify / Bandcamp / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter

Lo-Fi Sundays 074 - 1 UP

Laying down stupendous cuts with an almost lackadaisical hand, 1 UP is a relative newcomer with an audacious talent for vibrant Lo-Fi music. With three EPs and dozens of singles under his belt already, his style varies as widely as the hip-hop terrarium allows, capturing a variety of moods separated by hazy lines.

The arrangement philosophy of 1 UP's music has a way of mimicking the natural rhythms in his chosen samples. The cuts contain lives of their own, originating from a multitude of backgrounds and genres. The real magic is pairing resampled or produced drum kits with the percussive artifacts left behind during the sampling process; the tonality and finish to the layered kicks, snares, and accents bring a sort of fermentation to each track. In conjunction with genuinely cogent rhythmic production, his melody cuts are a curated grabbag of instrumental dives and flares. Sprayed across the spectrum of his music, vocal samples from every heavy hitting hip-hop record in memory find a home atop any one of 1 UP's urbanized beats.

Given the short life thus far of his released catalog, 1 UP demonstrates an approach and application of sampling and production that does serious justice to the idea of beats music. With such high turn around rate on new releases, it's not wonder he's been able to establish a formidable selection of origin tunes in just a year's time. With a frequency like that, we can't wait to hear what else must be assuredly just around the corner with 1 UP.

FOLLOW 1 UP: Soundcloud / Spotify / Bandcamp

Lo-Fi Sundays 073 - Juan Rios

Hailing from Seville, Spain, producer Juan Rios has been releasing textured lo-fi instrumentals for almost five years. He’s released on over a dozen labels, and collaborated thoroughly with vocalists, especially Spanish rapper Soukin. Rios comes from a Spanish underground where the influence of 1990’s boom-bap hip-hop is strong, both on producers and vocalists. He puts his own unique spin on the traditional boom-bap sound and has rightfully earned a prominent place in the playlists of lo-fi fiends worldwide.

Whether it’s the organic textures or the loose, flying melodies, Rios knows how to evoke nature with his music. Sometimes that nature manifests in the mind’s eye as a rolling stream, or as lush, crawling grass, or as black, boundless skies. One of his more recent releases is Beats from Energeia. He produced Energeia by the rapper Soukin, which was their second album together. Rios decided to then release only the instrumentals, and here we can find some of his dopest work.

One of our favorite cuts from Rios is “Gelato”, the first track in this weekend’s playlist and the first track on Musings Vol. 1, the first compilation from Texas-based label Dead Gorgeous Records. Rios employs a killer synth bass line that bobs and weaves through the mix, carrying the listener’s emotions with it. Rios is a relatively young man, and with this much talent, we’re excited to see where he takes his music next.

FOLLOW Juan Rios: Soundcloud / Spotify / Bandcamp / Facebook / Instagram

Lo-Fi Sundays 072 - Emapea

The name of the game for Polish producer Emapea is range and personality. Reminiscent of producers from the golden era of hip hop, Emapea aims to create a unique sound that is not limited to one style.

He seamlessly combines the elements of jazzy lo-fi hip-hop with dark trip hop, and funky bass line jams. He often uses rap samples, turntable cuts, and fresh boom-bap breaks to add just the right amount of street flavor to the smooth texture and serene atmosphere of the track.

The way a sketch artist will run their fingers over the sharp pencil lines of a portrait to create shading, Emapea blends his sonic pathways to create both depth and simplicity. Each song, even the heavier tracks, have somewhat matted textures that make for an extremely comfortable listen.

Emapea has released most of his work on the eminent Los-Angeles based Cold Busted Records. He just released an album called Zoning Out Volume 2 that perfectly captures his range as an artist. Most of his work is available exclusively on Spotify or Bandcamp, including his album Jazzy Tape, which assuredly lives up to its name. Relax, and join Emapea on a sonic journey of steez and precision.

FOLLOW Emapea: Bandcamp / Soundcloud / Spotify / Instagram / Facebook

Lo-Fi Sundays 071 - standingwolf

Cracking open a melodious morning egg for this edition of Lo-Fi Sundays is the California-based beatsmith standingwolf. Replete with all of the traditional hip-hop deliciousness that we’ve grown so fond of, standingwolf demonstrates a knack for a wide array of modalities and musical motifs; stretching from dusty samples and melancholy atmospheres to textured synthesis and processed percussive glitches, this Golden State rhythm junkie has both feet dancing around the boundaries of the lo-fi universe.

From a traditionalist point of view, standingwolf’s discography is mostly imbued with boom-bap sensibilities and an overt hip-hop orientation. Swells, heavy side-chains, organic sampling, and hypnotic composition play a heavy role in the majority of their musical output. Tracks like “once in a while, wilder” and “feint” hone in on compositional staples of lo-fi, blending faded melodies and tactile rhythms into head-nod anthems. Breaking away from these motifs, “translating the color of you” and “Awful Gut.” put a spin on the standingwolf catalog, with the former being an experiential dive into melody, and the latter being a break-neck jaunt into a glitched-out stereo space.

With a small discography stretching back three years, it seems standingwolf has a particular and frugal approach to musical exhibition. This frugality translates into nearly 30 top-notch tracks covering various nooks and crannies of lo-fi musical territory. Given the quality and consistency to their existing releases, you’d be best to keep a watchful eye on standingwolf from here on out.

FOLLOW standingwolf: Soundcloud / Spotify

Lo-Fi Sundays 070 - Korey Wade

Korey Wade is a diversely talented producer based in Phoenix, Arizona, and one of the instrumental (ha!) individuals behind Brunch Collect, a community-based platform for beats, food and the combination thereof, also based in Phoenix. In a word, Wade’s music can be described as fun. it’s rich with soul and full of colorful sampling and bright melodies. His instrumental hip-hop is the perfect kind for this time of year, if you’re in the northern hemisphere, that is, when the hues, smells and textures of spring are appearing all around.

His latest effort, the Sunrise EP, is a spectacular blend of light electronica and impactful beats. One can hear how much of this EP is composed as opposed to sampled. He works with keys and synths to delightful effect, tapping out melodies that can be as energetic as they are meditative. He’s no stranger to the low-frequency oscillator and other key elements of digital production.

Our curated playlist attempts to be a microcosm of Wade’s expansive catalog. Beyond his deep reservoir of soul-infused beats, he also produces exceptionally funky and cool house music that we’ve only teased at with the inclusion of the tune “In the Middle” off his 2018 release “This ones for you”. This track, like many of his beats, show how enthusiastic he is about soul, funk and disco music. May of his best cuts sound like the 1970’s were dragged from the attic and recolored and remastered for modern ears. He’s even made some bass music . Indeed, whatever your pleasure, it probably exists somewhere in Wade’s catalog.

FOLLOW Korey Wade: Bandcamp / Soundcloud / Instagram / Spotify / Facebook

Lo-Fi Sundays 069 - CPY

Bringing in clear, pure-bred cuts for this week’s Lo-Fi Sundays is CPY. With banging beats out of the United States, CPY brings the smooth vision of complimentary samples and volume-conscious mixing to the lo-fi table. His productions exude a particularly familiar dust that stirs in the mind images of mid-November dusk strolls and the scent of a town gone sleepy.

CPY infuses his tracks with lush instrumental layers and the unmistakable touch of beat-pad fundamentalism. Every song utilizes minimal audio for maximum space, allowing choice samples to sing clearly through the mix while maintaining a full palette. Rhythmically, anything from 70-90 bpm exists in the CPY catalog, and each direction he takes has a light musical saunter. The vibe stays vivacious with a fellow like CPY, no matter the form or content of the song in question.

CPY’s discography stretches back over a year, with nearly 100 tracks to date. With neither his frequency nor quality of output in question, CPY is an unsung gem in the lo-fi sphere. Keep a close eye on this taciturn crate digger, as he’s surely cooking up new content as we speak.

FOLLOW CPY: Soundcloud