ellul- remixes (SAA1142)

ellul’s massive, multilayered debut is born again in a series of specially commisioned remixes. Thavius Beck chops and screws “Esophagus” while Italian electronic duo Mickey Eats Plastic reconstruct “Freedom.” Fellow San Francisco-based artists Radius and Bookworms take completely original turns on their respective remixes while Siamese Sisters surmount a difficult task in re-approaching the delicate and powerful “Fragrance.” A trio of stunning remixes from Blevin Blectum, Deneir and Heezen with Xn. round out an impressive remix EP.

Electric iLL/Vla Hemia- split CD (SAA1124)

Long awaited, this split release collects two amazing EP’s from Viva Voce’s Kevin Robinson as Electric iLL and the Siamese Sisters produced Vla Hemia project. The first half collects the five sought after tracks from the much whispered of Vla Hemia (MC Vinch Kashmir and Siamese Sisters). Think Golden Age Hip-Hop (Blowout Comb, Midnight Marauders, Juggaknots EP) without a retro-wish to be fresh in ‘94. These tracks lack the stale same-ness of much of mainstream boom-bap. Electric iLL is a sound for sore ears. Recruiting Soul-Junk’s Galaxalag and Slo-Ro for phoned in (literally) raps and NY’s JSRockit, who delivers a hilariously whimsical verse on “Non-Moley Yease”, the husband-half of the fantastical Viva Voce, Kevin Robinson lets his freak flag fly. On tracks like “Nurban Gowns” he duets with a Speak-N-Spell, and constructs lunchtray turntablism, elsewhere live saw and drumkit breaks collide and fedback guitars mask unwholesome lyrical patterns. Not to be missed.