Long time no see! Leftover Links has returned with more music from some of the best underground labels on the Web.
Illect Recordings
The label has been busy in the last few months. In reverse order:
Sareem Poems – 88 To Now (Released: 13th September)
Sareem’s conscious lyricism paired with Newselph’s soulful production makes for an immediate listen. The album also features Illect alumni such as Ozay Moore, Sivion, and James Gardin.
Rel McCoy – A Different Crown (Released: 9th August)
A Different Crown is Rel’s first album in 3 years and he made up for the lost time with an album full of beats and bars. Naturally. His debut for Illect was Rel McCoy ensemble – production and rhymes by the man himself. It’s also a very personal work with invigorating words and richness in retrospection.
K.I.N.E.T.I.K. – The Kinesis Thesis Vol. III (Released: 25th June 2012)
K.I.N.E.T.I.K. re-released his final pre-Illect album in July with The Kinesis Thesis Vol. III. Originally released back in 2012, The UK rapper called this “lost tape” his baby and for good reason.
I’m a father myself so I can relate to K.I.N.E.T.I.K.’s summation that Vol. III helped him discover himself. Nine tracks adorn the album as he flits between vulnerable human and impenetrable superhuman in that time. Production comes from the likes of Micall Parknsun and TE1. It’s a stimulating experience.
Jakarta Records
Just a couple of Jakarta releases this time around.
JuJu Rogers – 40 Acres N Sum Mula
JuJu Rogers’s 40 Acres N Sum Mula comes with an interesting backstory. The original phrase “forty acres and a mule” comes from Abraham Lincoln’s field orders where he allotted every family with a plot of land no larger than 40 acres along with a mule. JuJu changed the mule for “sum Mula” to modernise the context. From there, he used the powers of the ancestors to speak on some modern-day truths, both internal and external.
SGJAZZ – SGJAZZ
Dr. Dundiff is an eclectic producer and after a highly-successful 2018, the Dun Doctor teamed up with Jakarta Records for a new supergroup project. SGJAZZ. The local group of musicians spent their off days at Dundiff’s studio in Louisville. The process involved Idris Frederick laying down chord progressions, Dundiff chopped, arranged them, and played drums over them. Then the remaining group members added their contributions. Then came the vocals from J.Lamotta and K.Raydio to add some icing and cherries to the jazz cake.
Freddie Joachim – Beyond The Sea of Trees
Freddie is one of the most consistent producers out there with a slew of albums and singles. His jazzy aesthetic is unmistakable and his soul is left and on every track he makes, only to be replenished with every album he crafts. On “Beyond The Sea of Trees”, Freddie enlists the help of FloFilz, Elijah Fox, and Natalie Oliveri to complete some ethereal music from the Californian. Serenade is one of my faves.