Available now on Amazon, Apple Music, Bandcamp, Spotify, Tidal and other online stores.
Released December 7, 2018
By Nosh
Finally! I could feel the heat coming from the mailbox. I carefully opened the familiar sized and personalized paper bag envelope (think elementary school book covers but drawn by mark judge). I was delighted to reveal the hand painted blood red, ganja green, black and gold custom cassette is mostly anonymous other than a spookily stylized makers mark of “RD” and “3rd” in the corners.
Accordingly, the tape begins with thick, menacing, sustaining strings, slow and lofi trappy drum machines and what sounds like souls in the wind a la the disembodied spirit room in the movie Beetlejuice. “Life a bitch but she choke on it” sets it off with the horns that brought down Jericho and a moody at midnight soundtrack synth, all HEAVILY dubbed out. “Dead bed” begins on a lighter note but is serious with the reel to reel delays, weaving tastefully hand warped samples flipped from vinyl snips with soloed snares like exclamation points, this shorty really warms you up the next slow burner, “Immaculate Contraceptive”. More warbled SP1200 magic on this one but with really bouncy drums that bring you places along with creamy synth accents, this one shines with the deconstructive dub mix by Teal Child, stripping it down and bringing it back together in a way that’s a blast for the listener to get lost in. Then comes the honking horns of a cartoon Al Capone’s caravan, as the quirky yet seriously hard “Sneakers (95 Chevy)” mixes a tight layer of grimy analogue drum machine trap juxtaposed with a clunky percussion part from a dusty record, in the right setting this could make you spill a little of your ratchet cup turning up.
Ending side A with a reverb tail so long it’s like smoke clearing sort of cleanses the palette for the reminiscent and greasy ballade that is “In Pillows”, kicking off more sentimental Side B. Lyrical drums, slick sample work and tasteful reverbs really evoke an image of yesteryear in the listener, setting up the reflective interlude “Daddy?”, a fleeting, psychedelic, faded polaroid type beat that fades out so fast you might want to put it repeat indefinitely. Don’t worry though, ROACH DAD again stokes the fire for a searing guitar sample over a vibrato thick soul choir and fat bottom for the appropriately named “Swole”. Being the most boom bap track on the album means it gets the heaviest Teal Child treatment, being stretched out and stripped down in a mixing-board-as-instrument way, adding all kinds of flavor.
After a fast fade out comes my personal favorite of the tape, the passionate anthem “Bedroom Athlete”. The lofi transmuting alchemy of the SP1200 blends the chimes and bells and high pitched swells together where they are as indistinguishable as they are beautiful. This is really emphasized by the tape delay are perfect on what to me is considered an instant classic. Immediately after its as if I took off my headphones and I’m transported to the “Shaw’s Ice Cream Isle”, listening to the pleasant sounds of a 60s supermarket on this dreamily chill interlude that lures you into the ice cream freezer that nightmares are made of, the sinister yet soft, sadistic and honest outro “Beginning Again”.
While not being for every hip hop head or dance party, this innovative, artistic and limit pushing beat tape will have more active listeners vibing out with the ROACH DAD featuring Teal Child on the boards for his first solo release on Sneer Records. For more insight about the process and other thoughts, peep the interview. Holler at the ROACH DAD and SNEER to set fire to YOUR mailbox!
Peace.
sneerrecords.com 