Instrumental Hip Hop from Poland

The most bewitching hip hop record I heard in 2007, actually released in 2004, was !Comoc!, by CO out of Poland, not exactly a hot bed of beats, rhymes and life (as far as I know, hopefully I’m wrong about that).  CO is the brainchild of Maciek Kujawski who delivers a rich off-kilter version of backpacker-ish beats and breaks.  Ten years ago I worked at an online record store that specialized in hip hop 12”’s, and when stuff like this came through the shop, one of my more traditionalist coworkers would sneer, “There’s no such thing as instrumental hip hop!”  And while I respect his opinion, I’ve always been enthralled by the darker and more textural vibes that emerge untethered to a provocative vocal track.  Think the RZA’s soundtrack to Ghost Dog or the minor key beats of Mo’Wax's “Excursions” series (or DJ Shadow’s Depeche Mode remix, for that matter).   But CO goes a bit further out into the weird, which starts to make sense when you realize it comes courtesy of the Mik Musik label.

Hey, wait a minute, you say, isn’t Mik Musik chief sponsor of unclassifiable weirdos Molr Drammaz?  Indeed.  Mik Musik is the label run by Wojciech Kucharczyk, main component of a slew of strange and kitchen-sink-incorporating groups including Molr Drammaz, Pathman, Go Underground to See More Animals and Gameboyzz Orchestra (all previously and lovingly documented by Mutant Sounds), as well as retro*sex*galaxy, The Complainer and the Complainers, HWDJazz, TerriTerrorTorium, and probably more.  Mik Musik’s spastic design aesthetic and musical FU curiously reminds me of Paper Rad or Not Not Fun or 2/5 BZ out of Istanbul, though admittedly those comparisons don’t hold up to much scrutiny.  The Pathman record is a particular favorite but it’s tough to go wrong with anything Mr. Kucharczyk puts his stamp on, so explore away.  Here’s a track from !Comoc!: Corason.  Also, head over to Mik Musik’s comprehensive site for a bunch of free downloads including CO’s 2007 album called King’s Meal (complete with crucial pancake cover art!), as well as the VOCVOCVOC EP.

Comments

[Krys O.]

Dzienkuje bardzo!

[Steve PMX]

There IS such thing as Instrumental Hip Hop. It's what I've loved for years - working in college radio in the late 90s, this was the era of Ja Rule and Puff Daddy and countless other shitty memories. So we did a show on 4 turntables mixing only instrumental tracks on 2, and had scratching/cuttin on the other 2 decks. It was dope. Since then, "instrumental" hip hop has gotten alot more attention - check out Madlib or Flying Lotus (even DJ Shadow or instrumental DJ Krush) for some of the best.

(from wiki)
Flying Lotus (né Steven Ellison) is a hip-hop music producer, disc jockey, and laptop musician from Winnetka, California. His debut album, 1983, was released on Plug Research Records in 2006. He is most famous (yet also uncredited) for the music in the many of the segues of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, and he has also contributed remixes to fellow Plug Research artists, including Mia Doi Todd. His great-aunt is the late Alice Coltrane. He is affectionately referred to as 'FlyLo' by fans and critics.

He signed to Warp Records in 2007, and released the six-track Reset EP in the same year.

Flying Lotus is commonly identified as a hip hop producer, but his style is drawn from many genres, including jazz, electronic and Brazilian music. His hip hop beats are unique for their hazy, ambient sound, while his percussion is purposefully slightly off time, creating a messier, more organic atmosphere. Because of this, he is often likened to producers such as Madlib and J Dilla.

[ants in my pants]

mik musik covers&gig artwork is my absolute favorite. filed in the "mik design" on their website. confusing and awkward navigation, i love it. the greatly popular ed banger rec. label also sometimes goes in a similarly fun way with their vids, posters and stuff.

holla!

[Mike Lupica]

This is great stuff, thanks Scott!

[DJ Stuart]

This a compilation of track that i made between 1997 and 2002.
100% instrumental hip hop.
Hope you like it!

http://www.zshare.net/download/72471476b22856/

Cheers

[Russel Fong]

I have crossed paths with your blog before and really appreciate the fact that you share not only music, but specifically, instrumental hip-hop/beats/production. I have recently compiled and mixed a new instrumental mixtape with my partner DJ Matt Cali. We represent CA and NY and want to share our music with the blogosphere, which is why I am contacting you. If you wish, please give us a shout on your blog and feel free to post the following link for your traffic to download. It would be great. Let me know. Keep the music alive!

All the best,
Russel

"This Dj concerto, in four parts, takes you on a journey into sound denoting the best part of hip hop, the soul of the music. "The Little Green Tape" is perfect to vibe out to. Repeat is a must."

- L*Roneous

http://www.mediafire.com/?jyjxxjjznyv