Instrumentals | ||||
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Mixtape by | ||||
Released | March 7, 2011 | |||
Recorded | 2009–2010 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 42:12 | |||
Label | Self-released | |||
Producer | Clams Casino | |||
Clams Casino chronology | ||||
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Alternate cover | ||||
Instrumentals (also titled Instrumental Mixtape) is the debut mixtape of American record producer Clams Casino. It was self-released as a free digital download on March 7, 2011. It features instrumentals of tracks that he produced for various rappers, including some bonus songs. In July 2011, [1] Instrumentals was reissued by Type Records as a physical release. [2]
Instrumentals consists of Clams Casino's reconstructions of backing tracks he originally produced for rappers such as Lil B and Soulja Boy. [3] An electronic mixtape, [4] it features illbient, glitchbeat, and chillwave styles. [3] Some of the mixtape explores a more traditional hip hop sound. Its second half touches on bouncy basslines ("She's Hot"), dubstep-influenced, low-end grind ("Brainwash by London"), and vocal looping similar to the production of Kanye West ("Cold War"). [1] Instrumentals appropriates Casino's previous hip hop beats into moody compositions, which are characterized by melodramatic drum crescendos and melancholic electronic sounds. [4]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Fact | 4.5/5 [5] |
MSN Music (Expert Witness) | A− [3] |
Pitchfork | 8.2/10 [4] |
Resident Advisor | 4.0/5 [1] |
Sputnikmusic | 3.5/5 [6] |
In a review for Resident Advisor , Andrew Ryce called Instrumentals "a collection of aching, blown-out paeans to wonder, sadness and profound joy—music that any of the above could fall in love with." [1] Pitchfork critic Brandon Soderberg said Casino's "attention to hip-hop structure ... makes these beats so emotionally devastating." [4] Rory Gibb from The Quietus felt that, without the rappers they were originally produced for, the instrumentals are "revealed as intricate enough to stand alone in their own right", while sounding "ephemeral and peculiarly of this moment, phantom aggregations of mood and sound that coalesce for brief periods of time before potentially disengaging at some undisclosed point in the future." [2] Sputnikmusic's Conrad Tao felt that, although Instrumentals sounds occasionally conventional, Casino's approach to sampling is "refreshingly abstract". He went on to write that the mixtape basically serves as "a hugely enticing teaser for what promises to be an illustrious career filled with sumptuous, bittersweet music." [6] Writing for MSN Music , Robert Christgau said Casino's "comfortably disquieting" sound "will grow on you if you give it a chance. And because it's designed to back into your space, providing the chance won't feel all that time-consuming, preoccupied as you'll be with something more engrossing while said time passes." [3]
Pitchfork placed Instrumentals at number 17 in its top-50 albums of 2011 list. [7] In 2014, the website also placed the album at 100 on its list of "Best Albums of the Decade So Far." [8] It ranked the song "Motivation" number 30 on its list of the Top-100 Tracks of 2011. [9] Stereogum ranked the mixtape number 21 on its year-end top albums list. [10] Fact named it as one of the best instrumental hip hop mixtapes to come after the release of J Dilla's Donuts album. [11]
No. | Title | Artist originally made for [12] | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Motivation" | Lil B | 4:28 |
2. | "All I Need" | Soulja Boy | 3:44 |
3. | "Real Shit from a Real Nigga" | Lil B | 2:56 |
4. | "Realist Alive" | Lil B | 4:00 |
5. | "Numb" | Unreleased [a] | 3:55 |
6. | "What You Doin'" | Lil B | 4:19 |
7. | "The World Needs Change" | Soulja Boy | 2:25 |
8. | "I'm Official" | Squadda B | 2:18 |
9. | "Brainwash by London" | The Jealous Guys | 2:56 |
10. | "Illest Alive" | Main Attrakionz | 4:09 |
11. | "She's Hot" | Deezy D | 2:56 |
12. | "Cold War" | Lil B | 2:50 |
13. | "13" | (bonus track) | 1:19 |
Notes
Donuts is the second studio album by the American hip hop producer J Dilla, released on February 7, 2006, by Stones Throw Records. It was released on the day of his 32nd birthday, three days before his death.
The Shining is the third studio album by American hip hop producer and rapper J Dilla, who died on February 10, 2006. The Shining was incomplete at the time of J Dilla's passing and was posthumously completed by producer Karriem Riggins. Discounting the instrumental album Donuts, The Shining was the first full-length solo release by J Dilla since Welcome 2 Detroit five years earlier, and as such was highly anticipated. It was released on August 22, 2006, through BBE Records. An instrumental version of the album followed its release shortly afterward.
Born Like This is the sixth and final solo studio album by British-American rapper/producer MF DOOM. It was released under the pseudonym "DOOM" on March 24, 2009 through Lex Records. It debuted at number 52 on the Billboard 200 chart, having sold 10,895 copies as of March 29, 2009. In addition to tracks produced by MF Doom, the album includes production by frequent collaborator Madlib, as well as J Dilla. The album title is borrowed from Charles Bukowski's poem "Dinosauria, We", which employs it as a cadence. The track "Cellz" opens with a sampled recording of Bukowski reading the poem.
No Ceilings is a mixtape by American rapper Lil Wayne. It was scheduled to be released on October 31, 2009, but was leaked before the official date. No Ceilings was officially released on October 31, 2009, with 4 additional tracks. The mixtape is available as a free and legal download and it received widespread acclaim from critics. An abridged version was officially released to streaming services on August 28, 2020, excluding ten songs.
Rolling Papers is the third studio album by American rapper Wiz Khalifa. It was released on March 29, 2011, by Atlantic Records and Rostrum Records. It is his first album under a major label after his independent releases, Show and Prove and Deal or No Deal. The album features guest appearances from Too $hort, Curren$y and Chevy Woods. Rolling Papers was supported by five singles: "Black and Yellow", "Roll Up", "On My Level", "No Sleep" and "The Race". The album has been noted by music writers for having a pop rap style.
James Dewitt Yancey, better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer and rapper. He emerged during the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan, as a member of the group Slum Village. He was also a member of the Soulquarians, a musical collective active during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Echoes of Silence is the third mixtape by the Canadian singer the Weeknd, released on December 21, 2011, by XO. Like his debut mixtape House of Balloons and his second mixtape Thursday, the Weeknd collaborated with musician Illangelo; who produced the majority of the project. The project also featured first-time collaborations with producers Clams Casino and DropXLife and a spoken-word interlude from rapper Juicy J. Lyrically, Echoes of Silence contains similar themes to the Weeknd's previous projects, exploring his drug use and experiences with love. The project was preceded by the release of the promotional single "Initiation" on October 10, 2011.
Live. Love. ASAP is the debut mixtape by American rapper ASAP Rocky, who released it as a free digital download on October 31, 2011. It features production by Clams Casino, ASAP Ty Beats, DJ Burn One, and SpaceGhostPurrp, among others. The mixtape also features guest rappers Schoolboy Q and Fat Tony, as well as members of ASAP Mob, ASAP Rocky's hip hop collective.
Michael Thomas Volpe, known professionally as Clams Casino, is an American record producer and songwriter from Nutley, New Jersey. Volpe is currently signed to Columbia Records and Sony Music. He has produced tracks for artists such as A$AP Rocky, Lil B, Vince Staples, Joji, The Weeknd, and Mac Miller and has also remixed works by Big K.R.I.T., Washed Out, and Lana Del Rey.
Untitled is the debut EP by Los Angeles, California rapper Hodgy Beats, member of hip-hop collective Odd Future. It was released on February 24, 2012. It is Hodgy Beats' first solo release since his 2009 debut mixtape, The Dena Tape. Announced on February 20, 2012, the EP was released on the 25th of the same month. The project features production by Juicy J, The Alchemist and Flying Lotus. Lyrically the record deals with thoughts about self-reflection, the contemplation of death, and a struggle with drugs. The EP received mostly positive reviews from music critics.
1999 is the debut mixtape by American rapper Joey Badass. It was released on June 12, 2012. It features production by Chuck Strangers, Lewis Parker, Lord Finesse, MF DOOM and J Dilla, among others. The mixtape also features guest appearances from members of Pro Era, a hip hop collective of which Joey Badass is a member. The mixtape is based heavily around musical samples. Music videos have been released for "Hardknock", "Survival Tactics", "FromdaTomb$" and "Waves".
Yancey Boys is the debut studio album by Detroit-based rapper/singer Illa J, featuring instrumental production from his late brother Jay Dee, also known as J Dilla. The album was released on November 4, 2008 under Delicious Vinyl. The beats were created from 1995 to 1998 during Jay Dee's tenure with Delicious Vinyl. The album's release was supported by two singles – "We Here" and "Sounds Like Love" featuring Debi Nova. Recording sessions for the album took place at Yancey Boys Studio in Los Angeles in 2008. Stones Throw Records released a digital instrumental version of the album in 2009.
Y.R.N. is the third mixtape by American hip hop group Migos. It was released on June 13, 2013. The album features notable guest appearances from rappers Gucci Mane, Trinidad James, Riff Raff and Soulja Boy. This mixtape is notable for the single "Versace", the single reached number 99 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, number 31 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, number 23 on the US Hot Rap Songs chart and number 11 on the US Top Heatseekers chart. "Versace" was placed in multiple year-end lists of 2013. Diplo included it in his 2013 round-up set on BBC Radio 1. XXL named it one of the top five hip hop songs of 2013. The official music video, directed by Gabriel Hart, was released on September 30, 2013. It shows Migos and Zaytoven at a luxurious mansion, wearing Versace clothes and accessories. The video also features a snippet of Migos second single off the mixtape "Hannah Montana". As of April 2021, it has gained over 36 million views on YouTube. Y.R.N. later reached number 74 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, their first mixtape to do so on the Billboard charts. The mixtape was premiered on LiveMixtapes.com, on 06/13/2013 and has over 7 million views and 500,000 downloads. Offset only appears on some of the tracks, he was incarcerated in 2013 when Y.R.N. came out.
Pet Sounds in the Key of Dee is a mashup album by United Kingdom-based record producer Bullion, released for free online download in 2007. It is a tribute to American rapper/producer J Dilla and the Beach Boys' 1966 album Pet Sounds. According to hip hop producer Questlove, Dilla had been a fan of the Pet Sounds album.
There's Alot Going On is the second mixtape by American rapper Vic Mensa. It was released on June 3, 2016, through Roc Nation for retail. It serves as a prelude for his debut album, The Autobiography.
Inhale C-4 $$$$$ is a mixtape by American electronic musician James Ferraro under the alias BEBETUNE$, released for free on December 14, 2011. Parodying the tropes of contemporary American hip hop music and its culture, it marks the first time in Ferraro's career that he approached such a style. Reviews of the mixtape were mostly positive, and it appeared in the top 20 of Tiny Mix Tapes' list of the best releases of 2012.
"I'm God" is an instrumental track by American producer Clams Casino and British singer Imogen Heap, released officially on April 24, 2020, and appearing on Clams Casino's album Instrumental Relics. Clams Casino, real name Michael Volpe, created "I'm God" by sampling Heap's song "Just for Now" (2005), after learning of her through a friend. Volpe then sent the track to American rapper Lil B, who rapped over it. The final result appeared on Lil B's debut album, 6 Kiss (2009). Volpe released the instrumental unofficially in 2011 and again in 2012 as part of the Instrumentals 2 mixtape. Following years of unsuccessful attempts to clear the sample usage, it received an official release in 2020. "I'm God" is considered an important instrumental of the cloud rap subgenre and received a cult following on the Internet.
6 Kiss is the second full-length solo mixtape by American rapper Lil B. At 20 years old, he released the album on December 22, 2009. It follows the release of his first solo mixtape I’m Thraxx that was released on September 24, 2009. The album cover was illustrated by Benjamin Marra which depicts Lil B shirtless with a halo on his head. Clams Casino is the primary producer of the album.
Rainforest is the debut extended play (EP) by American musician Clams Casino, released on June 27, 2011, through Tri Angle Records. Initially known as a rap producer, Volpe started resonating with the electronic music public after the release of his Instrumentals mixtape in March. For the Rainforest EP, he chose five instrumentals that had been rejected by rappers.
Instrumetals 2 is the second mixtape by American producer Clams Casino. It was self-released on June 4, 2012.