occochill [2022] - PURE DRIP SHINE [Self Released] (Full Album)

occochill is a Japanese hip-hop beat maker who has released  his fifth album "PURE DRIP SHINE" on 13 Aug.  It sounds like it's predominantly sample based and some tracks, especially the opening track "Change" I find quite disconcerting (and unnecessary) with the volume fading in and out.

However, there are some pleasant vibes on the album but I think he's pushing it charging £11.88 for the album, especially when half the tracks are less than two minutes in duration with some barely over a minute long. The whole album is only 25 minutes!

Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Beats / Sample
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	13/08/2022
Price:	£11.88

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Big-8 [2022] - Return [Misty Records]

It's getting to the stage where I am more or less able to determine whether something is going to be any good before listening from the artwork and I'm usually about 90% right. However, it has always been said 'don't judge a book by it's cover' and this release yesterday (16 Mar 2022) from Tokyo beatmaker/producer Big-8, "Return", is a case in point.  Opening it I just assumed that it was going to be the usual run of the mill R&B / hip-hop, so was pleasantly surprised when I heard the soulful melody in the first track. 

These tracks are obviously beats using samples and the opening track "City Romance" uses samples from Patti LaBelle's "Somebody Loves You Baby (You Know Who It Is)" written by Bunny Sigler from her 1991 MCA album "Burnin'" which sets the scene for the remainder of the album. The next track "Make Love 2" speeds up samples from Phyllis Hymans' "Be Careful How (You Treat My Love)" from "Somewhere In My Lifetime" (1978).

Nothing else is immediately recognisable to me but I'm sure you may recognise some of them. They are all quite short tracks with three less than a minute and another three less than two minutes long.

I knew the "Soul Emperor' (DJ Kool Keith) would be sniffing around this one and has identified "For Everyone" as sampling Aaliyah's "(At Your Best) You Are Love" (1994) originally done by The Isley Brothers (on "Harvest For The World" 1976).

This is Big-8's fifteenth album/mixtape since 2019.

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Details

Rating:	7.7
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Beats / Sample
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	Misty Records
Cat No:	None
Date:	16/03/2022
Value:	£7.92

Timbo [2021] - Pickles [1800TIMBO] (Full Album)

The first time I came across beatmaker Timbo was a couple of weeks ago with his single "Hypnotized" which sampled the Clifton Dyson song of the same name from 1984 which, coincidentally, I posted two versions of only just over two weeks previously.

He released another album "Pickles" (which looks like his eleventh) yesterday (10 Dec 2021). It will be fun and games trying to identify the samples used as he seems to mash-up rare soul tunes. It was/is actually on Bandcamp from 24 Nov but the latest release has two additional tracks.

Timbo is a 22 year old Timothy Prendergast who is beatmaker from Boston, MA, He's taken influence from J Dilla, 9th Wonder, and the Avalanches and started making music when one of his close friends gave him a license of FL Studio 12 in 2017. Through his sound, he tries to translate the intimate feeling of sampling at a turntable. He states that it's a personal experience that is only known by himself. Pickles contains a few choice selections of work made over a six month period. He says that the project is 'rough around the edges' but showcases technical sampling & hypnotic swing rhythms. 

I spotted one of the tracks, "V2", yesterday but didn't realise it was from an album. I have identified a few of the samples used (with help from Timbo for the ones I couldn't recognise), anyone know what the other two are? 

1 - Maybe - The Whispers "Lady" (1979) and Crescendo Beats "Mafia" (2021)

2 - I Owe You - Brighter Side Of Darkness "I Owe You Love" (1973)

3 - Call My Phone - Chaz "I Want To Talk To You" (1982)

4 - V2 - The Montclairs - "Dreaming's Out Of Season" (1972)

5 - Hand In Mine - ?

6 - Nobody Like You - The Imperials "No One Makes Love Like You Do" (1978)

7 - Wide Open - ?

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Details

Rating:	8
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Beats / Samples
Format:	Album
Media:	Digital
Label:	1800TIMBO / Self Released
Cat No:	None
Date:	10/12/2021
Value:	£4.99

Pablo Eskobear [2021] - Pool Parties [Stereofox] (Full EP)

Pablo Eskobear (Andrew Kunkel) is a beat maker from Grand Rapids, MI, who debuted last year releasing an album ("Regurgitated Rhythms") and four singles prior to his latest EP "Pool Parties" which includes his two last singles "Pool Parties" (17 Aug) and "Comin' To Steal Your Lunch" (31 Aug).

His name (presumably) relates to a true story about a black bear being found dead from an overdose of cocaine in Georgia's Chatanooga National Forrest in Nov 1985 after eating from 75lbs of cocaine which had been dropped from a plane by drug smugglers. The bear was named Pablo Esco-bear, a play on the name of the renown drugs baron Pablo Escobar (did you see the recent documentary BBC "Killing Escobar" a few months ago? If not it's still on iPlayer and well worth a watch. It's about a Scottish mercenary hired to assassinate Escobar in the early 90s). A man was also found dead on a driveway. He was a drug smuggler who had jumped from a plane but his parachute didn't open. The story is being made into a movie directed by Elizabeth Banks. Full story here.

Back to the music. His new five track EP "Pool Parties" dropped today (14 Sep 2021). It's a mash-up of old school (mainly lowriders/sweet soul) samples put to beats.

I'd love to know what the original songs are. If anyone knows please leave a comment.

UPDATE It has just dawned in me what "Tired Of Being Blue" samples and it's a track I've previously featured on the blog Tut Sutton "No Appreciation" ... I knew I knew it but the hard disc in my head has been spinning since I posted this! It has only just been reissued by Hit And Run!

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Details

Rating:	8.4
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Beats / Sample
Format:	EP
Media:	Digital
Label:	Stereofox
Cat No:	None
Date:	14/09/2021
Value:	£4.95

Mad Surgeon [2021] - What's Up [Clinically Sound Productions]

It's a shame there are no vocals on this good instrumental groove titled "Whats Up" from Mad Surgeon, who, without checking, I would guess is a producer and the track may possibly be based on samples?

Right enough he's a DJ/producer from Norwich who makes beats/instrumentals. Perhaps the tables could be turned and, rather than producers 'nicking' samples, a vocalist could nick his beats and lay a vocal on top ... I better be careful as if he really is a mad surgeon he might come and take my spleen out for that comment!

He's quiet prolific as he has uploaded over 70 tracks on Spotify since 2019, obviously, I haven't checked them all out, but I quite like this one. He states on his Twitter strapline that he is a BBC Introducing featured artist (he featured in an episode for BBC Norfolk on 19 Mar 2020 with "Soul Wars").

Despite my flippant remark above, it would appear that he makes his beats specifically for artists (singers/rappers) to collaborate with him.

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Details

Rating:	7.6
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Beats
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Clinically Sound Productions
Cat No:	None
Date:	21/08/2021
Key/BPM:	8A/94
Value:	£1

Soul Supreme [2021] - Umi Says [Star Creature Universal Vibrations]

Yet another artist from The Netherlands! DJ/Producer Soul Supreme who is Noam Ofir originally from Tel Aviv, now based in Amsterdam. He released his first single in 2018 as 'Love's High'.

This track is an instrumental cover of the Mos Def song and is technically a reissue (or first time on digital) as it was released as a B side in 2019 to 'The Message' (a cover of Grandmaster Flash) on 7" which must be quite in demand as they are selling on Discogs for between £50-£70.

There's a recent (21 Mar 2021) interview with him on Nostalgia King if you wish to discover more about him.

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Details

Rating:	7.3
Genre/Style:	Neo Soul / Beats
Format:	Single
Media:	Digital
Label:	Star Creature Universal Vibrations
Cat No:	None
Year:	21/04/2021
Key/BPM:	6A/81
Value:	£1