Category: Roundhouse Features

By Hazel Clementine

‘Farewell.’ is the title of the most recent beat tape created by one of the standout beat makers and producers in the game. Tuamie tells a story with this beat tape- a quite melancholy story nonetheless, but we loved how creative and expressive he gets with this tape. This album makes your mind wander into and explore multiple possibilities or scenarios of what this album really means.

Our interpretation of this tape is that it goes through someone’s life who’s having a hard time, whether it being financially, mentally or emotionally. He starts off the tape with the first track titled “home less”, and right from the start is where this beat tape captivates the listener. The main character of the beat tape starts to experience homelessness, and could’ve been staying with family and friends but by the second track they’re now homeless on the streets with nowhere to go.

The third track titled ‘open everyday’, gives a sense of hope and ambition. With the more upbeat drums and sense of hope, the main character starts to plan their ways out of homelessness and desperation. They’ve figured out ways to succeed in life- but the 4th track titled ‘street sleeping’ tells us metaphorically but in not so many words that their hopes and aspirations did not pan out as well as they thought it would’ve before. They’re now outside truly sleeping under bridges and in hidden places behind buildings and trees because they don’t have anyone or anywhere to go.

Sadly, By the last track titled ‘xanax or o.d.’, it’s assumed that the main character of the tape has o’d on things that shouldn’t have been consumed. To an artistic hear, the beat on the last track also uses a loop that sounds as if someone is taking their last breaths. Farewell to the main character and another hit once again from precisely one of the best beat maker and producer of our time, Tuamie. To listen, you can find this album on Bandcamp and purchase directly or you can stream on Spotify or any other streaming service.

Support Tuamie on Bandcamp directly HERE.

By Hazel Clementine

SpaceGhostPurrp has done it once again! If you’re not familiar with the underground experimental hip hop legend then you have a lot of catching up to do. Years worth of catching up- to be exact- and we suggest you start catching up by listening to his older works on YouTube. Although this album isn’t necessarily new, we wanted to bring to your attention that SpaceGhostPurrp has released a remastered classic.

The classic that he has so graciously remastered for our ears is ‘BLVCKLVND RVDIX 66.6’. Inspired by the Memphis rap sound of the 1990’s when rap group Three Six Mafia made this sound notorious in the hip hop game, SpaceGhostPurrp fused multiple beats and rhythms to create the work of genius work of art we are now listening to today. SpaceGhostPurrp orchestrated trap, phonk, memphis rap and experimental music to conceptualize ‘BLVCKLVND RVDIX 66.6’. If you still haven’t heard this album, I recommend you listen to it now to catch up on SpaceGhostPurrp and his classics which you can listen to on bandcamp or on spotify and youtube.

Get the album on Bandcamp HERE.

By Hazel Clementine

Time Rival is exciting new fans as he releases his new album ‘Reaction Vol. 1’. Rival is a beat maker, cross-genre electronic and experimental musician from the Chi Town suburbs. The new chemistry and physics based beat tape titled ‘Reaction Vol. 1’ is a very cutting-edge beat tape as it contains atmospheres of ambient, IDM and downtempo genres to add to the breathtaking instrumental hip hop beats. With very calming and tranquil tracks, Rival took from his meditation projects named ‘Inaction’ and combined it with his knowledge of chemical reactions.

The song titles are mostly about different types of reactions in the science field such as the song ‘Kinetics’ makes sense as the first song on the album as it is the branch of chemistry and studying the rates of reactions. ‘Colorimetry’ is about measurements of colors and how it is used to quantify & describe physically the human color perception. If you happen to love instrumental beats and beat tapes then be sure to check out this new album because not only is it soothing and relaxing, it’s also very informative and educational if you happen to look beyond the beats of the songs and really get behind the meanings and definitions. Be sure to check this album out on Bandcamp today!

Support Time Rival directly on Bandcamp HERE.

By Todd Anderson

Lagos-born, LA-based artist Marllie has dropped off a fresh visual for his song “Lifestyle”, featuring Kaylo. Marllie’s love for music stretches all the way back to when he was 12 years old, when he would rap on gospel songs. Growing up in both Lagos and Los Angeles, Marllie’s music is influenced by an international background, as he engagingly blends influences from hip-hop, Afropop, highlife, and alternative R&B into an idiosyncratic cocktail of sounds. His latest offering, “Lifestyle”, continues his streak of dynamic, versatile tracks with a sleek, stylish melodious joint paired with a refreshing visual shot in Los Angeles.

“Lifestyle” opens with expansive, warm guitar strumming laid atop bouncy, infectious percussion, as Marllie himself shines as a vocalist with sleek, silvery vocal lines that split the line between hip-hop and R&B, followed up by Kaylo’s engaging baritone vocals. The video enhances the song’s balmy, laid-back energy, with charismatic performances set to a California beachside dusk- an apt backdrop for the track’s emanating warmth.

Watch the video for “Lifestyle” here:

Connect with Marllie: Spotify | Instagram | Twitter

Waterr and BhramaBull have shared a new single, titled “Shop A Deal”. Following up a prolific streak of recent work from both artists respectively, “Shop A Deal” presents a cohesive, engaging collaboration between emcee Waterr and producer BhramaBull that demonstrates their signature raw, gritty sounds.

Atop crunchy, sturdy percussion, rich bass, and winding, nocturnal flutes laid by BhramaBull, Waterr delivers cutting, focused verses that suit the subtly menacing feel of the instrumentation. The darkly jazzy soundscape on “Shop A Deal” conjures smoky sonics, paired with the laid-back yet assured, grimy flows of Waterr for a potent listen.

Take a listen to “Shop A Deal” here:

By Hazel Clementine

Tis’ the season to be filled with cozy head-nodding christmas joints by the legendary producer and beat maker himself, Funky DL. Hailing from East London, Funky DL has worked with countless musicians such as teaming up with legendary Japanese producer Nujabes. Not only can Funky DL make fire beats- but he can also rap. Some amazing albums you should check out, where he not only makes the beats but also shows his lyricism skills are: ‘Funky DL – The Ultimate Collection’, Blackcurrent Jazz Instrumentals and an instrumental album titled ‘Nights In Nippon’.

Aside from his older projects, this new album is warm, cozy and full of holiday cheer. Funky DL wanted this album to be more about the music and emotions connected to Christmas instead of the materialistic meanings that a lot of people care about during the holiday season.

Funky DL successfully managed to turn classic Christmas music into joyous, soulful and memorable beats that you can play and enjoy with family, friends and loved ones. To listen to this album, check it out on YouTube as he has special visuals for this album! Or you can jam to this on Bandcamp, Spotify and Apple Music.

Support Funky DL directly on his Bandcamp HERE.

By Hazel Clementine

When you pair mind-expanding production with potent, rich lyricism what are you bound to get? Smoke DZA and Flying Lotus‘ collaboration EP ‘Flying Objects’. With this being Flying Lotus’ first release since 2021, he’s sure made himself a comeback after two years, with an electrifying new project that tantalizes with each track alongside DZA. This EP seems to echo elements of some of his throwback collaborative work, in particular his Declaime joint EP ‘Whole Wide World’.

‘Flying Objects’ contains a few EP features such as Conway The Machine, Black Thought and Estelle- with each track organically echoing the afrofuturistic spacey beats that are Flying Lotus’s signature sound. The track “Painted Houses” truly delivers, as the rhythmic flows of Smoke DZA and Conway the Machine gave us those underground grimey, raw sonics. Smoke DZA shines on track “Harlem World 97” giving an old school 00’s hip hop type of vibe while Estelle sings the chorus so beautifully to the melody of the song. Check out this dazzling, spacey new EP below now.