Cavalier: Doodoo Damien

Yet more visual glory from Cavalier, with the release of his latest video. Doodoo Damien is the next track to be lifted from Cav’s superb album, Different Type Time, and features production from the great Quelle Chris. The video is part of an ongoing audiovisual accompaniment to the album, which was released last month to critical acclaim. Buy it now via Backwoodz Studioz.

Brief Encounters: An Interview With Cavalier

Photo by 35MMGOLD

Cavalier is a talented soul. The Brooklyn-raised, New Orleans-dwelling artist has been the creative force behind some absorbing projects over the last decade, in particular, his 2018 album, Private Stock. A sharp writer, with a keen eye for the visual arts, his long-awaited album, Different Type Time, is due for release later this month.
I recently had the chance to speak with Cavalier about the creation of the album, as well as his history with billy woods and Quelle Chris, joining the Backwoodz roster, the beauty of chance encounters and battling Nickelus F as a teenager.

Different Type Time is out on 19 April via Backwoodz Studioz.

Cavalier: Custard Spoon

As we patiently await the release of Cavalier’s new solo album, we’ve been treated to another glimpse of what the project holds in store. Custard Spoon follows on from the introductory single, Pears, and features production from long-term collaborator, Quelle Chris. Quelle has a handful of beats on the new album, continuing the chemistry the duo have perfected since they first joined forces back in 2013. The video for Custard Spoon was made by Cavalier and is part of an ongoing visual accompaniment to the new album. For more on that, stay tuned for my interview with the man himself, which will be hitting the blog very soon. Different Type Time is due for release on 19 April via Backwoodz Studioz.

Have A Word: An Interview With Kid Acne

Kid Acne has been a prominent figure on the UK art scene for almost as long as I’ve had an interest in art. On top of that, he’s been making rap records for over 20 years, including his most recent effort, Hauntology Codes, alongside blog favourite, Spectacular Diagnostics. We both live in the same city now and I’ve been fortunate enough to hang out with him a couple of times, so I thought it might be a good idea to turn one of our chats into an interview.
So in what is my most expansive interview to date, we spoke about a diverse range of topics, including the new album, his artistic origin story, his relationship with Lex Records, the perils of keeping art and music separate, and doing magic mushrooms while travelling through a hail storm in a car with Quelle Chris.

Hauntology Codes is out now via Lex.

Photos by Rob Searle.

PremRock: A Clean, Well-Lighted Place (10th Anniversary Edition)

A Clean Well-Lighted Place turns 10 this year, so the good folks at Three Dollar Pistol Music have decided to celebrate the occasion with its debut vinyl release. In hindsight the album marks an important point in Prem’s career, as it was somewhat of a precursor for what came next – including the first collaborations with Curly Castro and Fresh Kils respectively – as well as the further development of his future styles. Castro is the sole feature, while the production credits include Blockhead, Quelle Chris, Zilla Rocca, Small Pro and Steel Tipped Dove. Pre-orders for the vinyl are available now via Bandcamp.

Ol’ Burger Beats – 74: Out of Time (Stream)

A big release from Ol’ Burger Beats, as the Norwegian producer enlists a lengthy list of talent for his new album. 74: Out of Time, is an album that is centred around its titular number. The beats all clock in at 74 BPM, while the entire project has a connection to 1974, in terms of the cultural and sociopolitical climate of the era. Modern crises are also explored – climate change, politics, COVID – and all of this is bolstered by a cavalcade of features from some of the best rappers around. Quelle Chris, Fly Anakin, billy woods, Pink Siifu, Vic Spencer and Gabe Nandez are just some of the names involved, resulting in one of the most exciting lineups of the year so far. Stream below, then check Bandcamp for digital and physicals.

Duncecap: Pay or Dispute (Stream)

A nice surprise release this week, as Duncecap offers up his latest solo LP. The majority of the album’s 11 tracks are solo efforts, with Dunce handling the production, but there are also contributions from Quelle Chris and Lt Headtrip. There are also some notable features from the likes of Fatboi Sharif, Lord Kayso, ShrapKnel, Denmark Vessey and Googie. Pay or Dispute marks the start of what is likely to be another strong year for Backwoodz Studioz, as well as another top notch entry in Dunce’s catalogue. You can hear the album below, with downloads available over on Bandcamp.

Previous Industries: Showbiz / Braids

A very welcome debut from freshly formed crew Previous Industries, as they drop a double dose of new music. The trio is comprised of frequent collaborators Open Mike Eagle, Video Dave and STILL RIFT, which should already be enticing enough, but they’ve also brought in the production might of Child Actor and Quelle Chris to raise the bar even higher. You can listen to Showbiz and Braids below, with downloads and physical pre-orders available on Bandcamp.

Blockhead: The Aux (Stream)

Today sees the release of the much anticipated new album from Blockhead. On The Aux, the New York producer is joined by a cavalcade of MCs, as he successfully secures the album he’s long dreamt of making. Too many heads to name in full, but if Quelle Chris, Bruiser Wolf, Casual, Breeze Brewin, Fatboi Sharif and Armand Hammer aren’t enough to tempt you into exploring the full album then I don’t know what else to say. As well as the album release, there is also a brand new video for the Quelle Chris-assisted lead single, The Cella Dwellas Knew, featuring some stunning animation from regular Backwoodz collaborator, Shane Ingersoll.

H31R ft. Quelle Chris: Down Down Bb

The new album from H31R is gaining more intrigue with each glimpse, as the latest single perfectly demonstrates. The duo of maassai and JWords, first captured our attention with their 2020 release ve-loc-i-ty and now they look set to do it all over again with HeadSpace. Down Down Bb features an appearance from Quelle Chris and is a prime example of H31R’s experimental approach to blending genres. You can listen below, while pre-orders for the album are available on Bandcamp.