::Mr Live - The Bang Theory LP
(Ascetic Music)
Beats by Earl Blaize (Antipop Consortium), Ge-ology (Mos Def, Talib, Pharoah Monch...), Stee-Lo (Def Jux), Ves (Apani) and Big Trap.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Copperpot - WYLA? LP(EV Productions)
Featuring Masta Ace, KRS-1, EdO.G, Braintax and members of Tortoise.
"Let It go" featuring Truth Enola

"Come Back Home" featuring KRS-1

::K Banger - Truth Be Told LP (Shaman Work Recordings)

::Panacea - The Scenic Route LP (Rawkus Records/ Glow in the Dark)

::Ill Poetic- The World is Ours LP
(Dove Ink Records)

::Dubsac - featuring The Storytellers LP
(Annica Records)
Modern dub master, Doctor Echo returns with a live band, The Storytellers.

::Juba Dance - Orange LP
(Audio8 Recordings)
Electro indie stylings from producer Polyphonic and Ben Lamar and friends. A refreshing taste.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::CrystalTop Music Presents - Various Artists (v/a) (CrystalTop Music)
The Brooklyn label sample of things to come. Electro, blues, minimal electronics, etc.
"Blind" by Mega Bass

::Time Out PresentsThe Other Side of Berlin by Ellen Allien (CD+DVD) (Deaf Dumb+Blind)
Time Out, the famous entertainment guide continues in their series of City explorations via artists through music and video. Got it? Ellen Allien compiles a mix of elctro-minimal-dance. Then, she takes you on a trip thru Berlin's best shopping, dining, sights, nightlife, and the unexpected. Bonus video for her own song "Down". HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Time Out PresentsThe Other Side of Los Angeles (CD+DVD) (Deaf Dumb+Blind)
CD mixed by Madlib, DVD tour of LA by Peanut Butter Wolf...
Bonus videos from Stones Throw artists + and an in-depth interview about the label's history with PB Wolf. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

:: The following are a couple albums from
Dirty Laboratory members ::

::Doctype - Memoirs of a Nervous Breakdown LP
A mostly instrumental album that kept my head nodding throughout.

::Calm - Anti-Smiles LP
Time and producer Awareness drop their first album together.
"Treat Me Like a Villain" by Calm

::Input- Elusive Candor LP(Voicebox)
Quality hip-hop, and a sweet design to go with it.Featuring Astronautalis, Sentence, James Two, and Time.

::Philip Morris - Instrumentality LP (Self-Released)
A super impressive release from a young mc. This stands out in a stack of blah-blah rappers. Not an instrumental album...Support this dude, buy his album for $8 shipped!

::Serengeti - Noticeably Negro LP
(Audio8)
Audio8 continues to make it difficult for myself to describe their music. You haven't heard anyone like this one. Dense and schitzo. Animated ,honest and a little bit off. Extra characters include MF Grimm, Juice and many others...
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
"Bubble Bath" by Serengeti

::EV Records Presents- Everything (v/a)
(EV Records)
The title explains it all. A Greatest Hits of sorts for the 6-year old label. Featuring rare collaborations, unreleased gems and glimpses of future releases. Royce 5'9, Diverse, PsalmOne, Longshot, Illogic and many others.
"Learn" by One Be Lo + Longshot
"Ain't Goin' Down" by ANG 13

::Jaturn - self-titled LP
(Other Electricities)
Hissing speakers float in orbit encountering clouds of space junk beats and synths. A lo-fi symphony for the future.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Dreamies - Program Twelve (The End Is Near) (LP) (Wilmington Studios)
Bill Holt (electronic music/sampling pioneer) presents the world around him by splicing and layering field recordings, tv and radio news clips and original music.

::Cosmo Baker + DJ Ayres - Scion Sampler v15 Compilation
(Scion Audio/Visual)
Scion releases another genre-busting comp, mixed by The Rub Crew's Cosmo and Ayres. Bringing tracks from the US, France and the UK (+ others) in the form of hip-hop, funk, art-rock...What you have,is a highly danceable mix you should take credit for.
LISTEN HERE

::John Robinson - The Leak Edition Vol.2 LP (Shaman Work Recordings)
Lil' Sci (of Scienz of Life) returns with a highly collaborative album released on his label, Shaman Work. This pre-empts another solo effort he has on deck, with sole production from Mf Doom.

::Belief - Dedication LP (Worker B Records)
Bi-coastal producer, Belief drops a solid debut complete with guests Vordul,C-Rayz,Wordsworth,Murs and AG. The samples build seamlessly throughout the production, and steering clear of repetitive choruses, this will definitely get continued play.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::The Beyonders (PhoenixOrion+Paranorml) - Time Capsule LP (Nonfikshen Records)
MCs Phoenix Orion and Paranorml join forces with producer Toby Tones in this futuristic hip-hop saga. Featuring Radioninactive,Jizzm,Avatar and Canibus.

::Baseheadz ft. Kev Brown - Hiphop 12" Single (Mental Recordings)
One of the hottest producers around collaborates with Bassheadz (solo project of Satiesh Mathera) for a keyed out, new soul track. For fans of hip-hop, soul, jazz and downtempo. How a 12" single should be. It includes a radio edit, an extended version, instrumentals and 3 remixes.

::Billy Prince Bonnie & Tortoise - Coaster (LP) (Overcoat Recordings)
A collection of covers from Wil Oldham and Tortoise. Overlooked by myself after the first listen, but months later, it's become a favorite.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::DL Incognito - Organic Music For A Digital World LP (URBNET Records)
The kind of tracks that could have mass appeal. Solid production and some nice lyrics. Good stuff.

::Marshall Watson- Math and Other Word Problems LP (Highpoint Lowlife)
An understated journey thru leftfield electronics/melodica. Warm synths and glitchy atmospherics join the album together...
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Quantazelle - Coaster (LP) (subVariant Recordings)
Spacey, melodic idm sputters and skips thru the speakers. A fun listen.

::The Philistines Present: Free The P (Vol.1)(v/a)
(FreeTheP)
A compilation of Hip-Hop and spoken word including Immortal Technique, the Visionaries, The N.O.M.A.D.S, and many others. Proceeds go to Slingshot Hip-Hop, a documentary film about Palestinian rappers living in Gaza, West Bank and Israel.

::ABCDEFG - Dominoes and Dice LP
(Self-Released)
Gershwin BLX's producer puts together a beat album with more samples than you could imagine. Sometimes laid back, sometimes funky. Always thumping.

::Jern Eye - Authentic Vintage LP (NatAural High)
Lunar Heights member drops an impressive solo effort. Complete with production by himself, Dj Vinroc, Doc phil and others....'Power Animal' (production by Nick Andre) is the jam. I only wish the production was more cohesive throughout the album...

::Benyomen - Headphones Hum and Spraycans Rattle LP (ophotn)
Quality home brewed Hip-Hop..majority of production handled by Offbeat.

::Cleen - Old Man Winter LP (ophotn)
Keeping a tight flow the disc, Cleen tells you a little about his life. Mix in some frantic sampling and some humor...

::SoberMinded - Points, Thoughts and Stories LP (ophotn)
Noneuclidean and Offbeat form the group, but most of the crew makes an appearance. Pretty mellow, pensive mood. With some wicked drums.

::Banana Nine - Special Composed Vehicle LP (ophotn)
The most experimental LFTB member, his flow combines stream of conciousness and rapid fire double time (or maybe triple).

::Dday One / Dextah - Split 7"
(Content Label)
The 1st in Content's 7" series. Two sample-based producers rockin' some fabulous instrumentals. Limited to 500, handnumbered.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::24Seven Records presents Tropic Zone Swap (v/a)
(24SevenRecords)
A nice compilation of Hip-Hop from the LA underground and Sweden. Ab Rude, Radioinactive, LMNO, D-DAy One, Ellay Khule and others rep the west coast...
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Rushya (Ancient Mith + XNDL) - Modern Day McCarthy LP
(Ponowai Flora)
German Producer, XNDL and rocky mountain mc, Ancient Mith work a long-distance collab. You would've never guessed they weren't in the studio together. Anthemns for the future, if we make it.

::Butterfly Toungz - Adversity LP
(Madd Lab)
A quality throwback to the good ole days when the rappers smiled. Sub-One and Dj Germ make up the group, take a listen below.
(Butterfly Toungz Site)
(BUY THEIR ALBUM)

Producer, Dr. Echo completes his 4th Album as primary producer/writer. He features the spoken word of Solange St. Croix over some stormy dub hop.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Pink Skull - Blast Yr AKK EP
(Tone Arm)

An experiment with twists of house, post-rock, and electro-smash from the musician Julian Grefe. Packaged in a nicely designed digipak...

::Demune - Crossbreeding and Grafting LP
(Ponowai Flora)
If aliens brought hip-hop to our planet, it would probably sound like this. Demune is one of the strangest mc's out there, but talented nonetheless. Featuring Ancient Mith, the Mole, Benyomen and others.

::recyclone + soso - stagnation and woe LP
(Clotheshorse Records)
Soso adds some mechanical crunch to his beats for this collab with mc, Recyclone.

::Reminder - Continuum LP
(Eastern Developments)
A wild journey through the spacious mind of Joshua Micah Abrams. An unfamiliar name that's worked on projects very dear to myself (the Roots, 'Organix' and Sam Prekop's latest solo record).

Another dope project from Jermiside, a heavily underrated rapper. Brickbeat provides a lively bunch of beats as well.
(Jermiside's Site)
(Brickbeat's Site)

::CopperShot - Issues LP
(EV Productions)

Producer, Copperpot teams up with mc, Longshot. Guest spots from KRS-1, Diverse, Psalm One, Akbar, and the UK�s Braintax.

Real nice experimental hip-hop, with electronic influences and the most progressive mc's around...Featuring Curse ov Dialect,The Whyknows (Existereo & Innaspace), Name Science (Inoe Oner & Sach), Bleubird, Subtitle,Donkishot,and Maitre Vitalis.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Epic Nomad - LP
(Clotheshorse Records)

Canada's Epic joins forces with Belguim's Nomad (of Caveman Speak). The quality you'd expect from ClotheshorseRecords.

::Pyromantic - Blood Tornado LP
A collaborative effort from Hyena (from the NW supercrew, Oldominion) and BrokenKlutch (of the Northeast's collective, Komadose. A truly powerful piece of work, honest and devastating.
More Info

A wonderfully eclectic compilation of electro pop , broken beat electronics, and everything in between. Definitely for the curious. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Sankofa - Still Means Something LP
(Obese America)
Sankofa teams up with Fangface to drop a nice, little album.

An essential compilation of the UK's finest hip-hop. Low Life was started by Braintax in 1992 and has released gems by Jehst, Rodney P, Task Force, Skinnyman and many others. Not too mention they also run some of nicest package design around, and this one is no different : Tri-fold, cardboard case with silver embossing and inserts. Plus bonus mix cd by Kam.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

An exceptional hip-hop album, almost entirely instrumental. Crafted from the jazz and soul of the past, but given a new breath of it's own. The track 'Unstable Material 2' features Existereo, Subtitle, Awol One and Metfly and is also available on the Offbeats 2.0 Compilation on Subversiv (who is also releasing a CD version of this album soon)
Check out an interview with Dday HERE

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Stick Figures - Stick Figures LP
(Galapagos4)
Robust and Prolyphic team up to release a simple little hip-hop album. No skits or concepts, just some serious rapping and some quality production.

::Skyrider - Master of Deception 7"
(Endemik Music)
This is the kind of genre-defying release we love here at erasoul. Originally appearing on Skyrider's debut album '47:34', 'Masters of Deception' was reworked for this release, featuring singer/song writer Jim Wurster in a post-folk anthemn with political leanings. On the reverse side, Odd Nosdam (of Anticon/Clouddead) remixes Skyrider's 'No Good' into a swirling soundscape.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Moshe - Miles Away Remix EP
(Milled Pavement)
Remixes of 'Miles Away' by KGB, Agent8, Mike Clouds, J.Hjort, and Vela Uniform. Also included is the epic posse cut 'Helping People (Is Cool)' featuring Nomar Slevik, K-the-I???, Sontiago and Syn the Shaman
Listen to an MP3 of 'Helping People'

::BrokenKlutch - Marilyn Mayce 2" EP
(Organic Plague)
An imaginary (hip-hop) collaboration with Marilyn Manson. But it's good. This really must be heard, to appreciate.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Rajbot and Aamir - Split 7"
(Spacement Records)
The A-side showcases Raj on the production and vocals and on the flipside, Aamir of the Escape Artists rips over K-the-I??? beat. Nice screenprinted covers, very limited edition. Support the independent.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Shaman Work Presents : The Family Files Vol.2 LP
(Shaman Work)
A compilation of progressive artists including Emanon, MF Doom, Wale Oyeljide, Scienz of Life and many other round out this necessary comp. Mixed and Sequenced by Soul Brotha Tabone for Rell Events.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Voice - Mediocre/LA Contradiction 12" EP
(Public Transit Records)
Surely, an mc on the rise, Voice puts together a super 3-Song 12" with beat coming from Mr. Murray of Da Grassroots and Canadian producer, Moonstarr.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::The Lenzmen - Scientific Community and Magnify Lenz LP (Dynamica Music)
Long Island crew back with a space scientific concept album. Click abouve to check there site.

::Mutamassik - Masri Mokkassar : Definitive Works LP
(Sound Ink)
A compilation of this Egyptian born DJ / Producer whose instrumentals blend the rhythms of world music, hardstep syncopation and the East Coast hip-hop head-nod.

::Thing-One - ...Miles From the Road LP
(Rhythm Method Records)
A swinging, live hip-hop band that sticks to the basics. Masterful instrumentation and throw-back lyricism should solidify this band's place in music.Visit Thing-One's site HERE

::Chief Kamachi and the Juju Mob - Black Candles LP
(Good Hands/Eastern Conference)
Another dope album that might get over-looked.

::Fast Breakin' Classics - Heist City LP
(Positronic Records)
A live hip-hop band with some good energy and some serious instrumentation. Visit them HERE

::Pugslee Atomz - Playing With Matches LP
(Audio 8 Recordings)
The Nacrobat's founder's 3rd full length listens like a whirlwind. Maybe sounding a little busy at times, but still better than most everything I hear. Also, check out the Vandal Squad 12" featuring Seel Fresh and DJ Intel. Priduction by Polyphonic, Credo, Maker, and others.

::Art I Miss - Self Titled LP
(Broke Pockets)
Toronto's Art and CT's Optimus Pryme join forces to create a future hip-hop album. Nice work.

::Blak Twang ft. K9 - Ghetto Children Sex Education 12" Single
(Bad Magic/Wall of Sound)
A well done track with a good message. This is needed now, more than ever. Not preachy, so don't be scared. Taken from the new album, The Rotten club.

::Edan - Beauty and the Beat LP
(Lewis Recordings)
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

A serious head-nodder. Guests include Approach, Mac Lethal, and others.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Available February 7th.

Click here for samples
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Easily some of the best instrumental hip-hop I've heard in a long time. Just, buy it. Limited Edition of 500 hand signed and numbered, cover art by Tamara Bond.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Watch out for the 12" Single for Sea Lion featuring Wil Oldham. Also included is a remix featuring Sal Williams.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

MP3 Samples Here: HERE and HERE :Copperpot website

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Malkovich Music - Skeletons LP
(grogworld)
A nice solo effort by Malkovich, a founding member of LA's Gershwin BLX. Solid lyrics and good production make it worthwhile...

For the first single from his forthcoming album, "Awfully Deep," Rodney Smith aka Roots Manuva takes one of his trademark body-swerves and reminds us just who the boss is when it comes to innovative, original and straight up catchy music.

Check out the Windows Media HERE

Check out the Real Media HERE

Also, the deadline for the "Witness" Remix competition deadline is January 17th!

::k-the-i??? - "fair weather under the surface negitive" EP
(Beyond Space)
All self-produced, self-written. This guy is doing lots of exciting things, don't miss out.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Ceschi - Fake Flowers LP
(Beyond Space)
From the Anonymous Inc member, comes a unique album. Mix some high speed rapping, kitchen sink production, and Latin interludes. It's a lot to take in.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Sound Ink - Colapsus Compilation
(Sound Ink)
A wonderful collection of sounds combining Middle Eastern rhythms, modern electronica, and abstract lyricism. MCs include M Sayyid of Anti-Pop Consortium, MF Doom, Kurious, King Ghidra, Divine Styler. Some of the producers include King Honey, Heat Sensor, Max Bill, dj mutamassik, u.n.i and john tejada.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Viktor Vaughn -
Vaudeville Villain LP and 12"
(Sound Ink)
MF Doom returned again, as someone else, with someone else's production. Beats by RJD2 and the Sound Ink crew...

::Heat Sensor - Touch EP
(Sound Ink)
A real unique electronic sound, never reveals it's origins. Reminded me of the John Herndon's electronic work (Grape Dope). Lyrics by M.Sayyid and Kamachi, Remix by Apani B.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

::Mutamassik - logic memory center LP
(Sound Ink)
Wordly percussion meets out of this world programming and lyrics by 4th Pyramid.

::Thomas Fehlmann - lowflow LP
(plugresearch) A downbeat album by The Orb's floating member, Thomas Fehlmann. Also some co-production with Dabrye. Made me wish they had done the whole album together.