The Invisibl Skratch Piklz Take You to 'The 13th Floor' On Debut Album

It's crazy to think that the Invisibl Skratch Piklz have been together as a group in some form since 1989, but they're only now just dropping their debut album, The 13th Floor, which dropped this month on Alpha Pup.Paired down to a trio—Q-Bert, Shortkut, and D-Styles—the Piklz do what they do best, which is rip any sound that runs through their needles to shreds.

If you're a diehard turntablism fan like myself, you'd been waiting for this project; over the last year, these three have been performing routines at a number of venues, including a show-stopping 45-minute performance at last year's Red Bull Thre3Style (which you can stream below, along with a video of their last official release, "Da Klamz Uv Deth"). That performance actually featured a number of the tracks from this nine-song opus. Here's a look at the making of the album.



There's been a lot of buzz over the last five or six years regarding the rise of the DJ as a superstar via the EDM craze, but aside from DJs like Craze and A-Trak, many of them don't have the real skills to get theirs on the decks. It's good to see that ISP are still here, and are continuing to push the boundaries that they broke through twenty-plus years ago.

The 13th Floor is available via Alpha Pup on Bandcamp. Check out this dope feature on the release via FACT while you stream the album below.

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Boogie ft. Dana Williams - "Sunroof"

Feels like we've waited all summer for Boogie's Thirst 48, Pt. 2. While there's no word on when that's dropping, he did throw out a track from the project, "Sunroof," which feels like the perfect, strummed guitar lament for a decent summer. If you're a fan of contemplative, harmonizing Boogie, this is all you need.

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Big Makk's 'The Makk Tape' Has Been Posthumously Released

Image via Chadwickmak

August ended on a sad note with word that Florida's own Big Makk died after being in a horrific car accident. While a number of tribute songs and shows have already went down in his memory, it looks like fans and friends have been gifted with The Makk Tape, an album that Makk had planned on releasing today. His management went ahead and dropped it, with the following note:

"Today was the day Sam (aka BIG MAKK) was going to release this LP titled "THE MAKK TAPE". For those that didn't know Sam, he had 3 loves in his life; His Family/Friends, His Music, & His Shoes (mainly Vans). We also know there is nothing more he would have wanted than for everyone to listen and share this music as was planned. We miss you Sam and we couldn't think of a better way to honor your beautiful soul than to have your music live on forever."

You can stream this moving release via SoundCloud below or Spotify, and cop it on iTunes. All proceeds from the release will be going to his family.

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Swindle and D Double E Team Up For the Laid Back "Lemon Trees"

In August, Swindle kicked off his Trilogy in Funk project with his Connecta EP. While that project was hyper Brazil, Swindle's taking it back to the UK with Funk & Grime, an EP he collaborated on with D Double E and Ghetts. Seeing that summer has unofficially come to an end in the U.S., it made sense that Swindle and D Double's track, "Lemon Trees," would get a fresh video.

Something tells me that the G-funky vibes to this one will be getting a proper rinse on this lazy Monday afternoon/evening. Something about Swindle pouring up some liquor in D Double's cup has me itching for a concoction of my own.

The Funk & Grime EP drops on September 16; the tracklist is down below, and iTunes pre-orders are available right now. Swindle's also currently on tour, including a quick shot throughout the month of September. Check out those dates down below as well.

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PREMIERE: Ray Strife - "Never Cease"

When I think of the cats I got wind of when I first really started looking at what Trenton was doing on the hip-hop tip, Ray Strife was one that came to mind. He's an interesting figure, too, considering that he has a healthy punk background as well; people forget how deep Trenton's roots go on that lane. Feel like I first saw Ray spit live during an early Garden Variety show in the City, and since then I've tracked his movements from afar.

Dude has a certain energy that many MCs lack; he has a way of hitting you with every word to the point that even if he's off his face, the impact is still slicing through you. I mention all of this to say that his new iLL-Omega-produced track "Never Cease" marries everything I feel I've learned about Strife in one package. There's the rowdy crowd chant over hypnotic drums and tiny melodies that you might only hear if you're lit off whatever substance does you best. Strife dropping David Duchovny references.

Word is "Never Cease" is taken from Strife's forthcoming album Go For the Gusto, which is produced entirely by iLL-Omega and will drop via CapCity. Keep it locked for that one.

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J Dilla's 'Back To The Crib' Mixtape is the Perfect Road Trip Soundtrack

This is something truly special. To celebrate the 10th anniversary re-release of J Dilla's The Shining, BBE co-founder Peter Adarkwah shared a mixtape that J Dilla personally made him back in late 1999/early 2000. As he put it, "this tape was playing in the car. I recall Think Twice was on the tape and I suggested there and then that he do a cover with Erykah for the BBE album. We didn't get the Erykah feature, but people sure remember James' cover. We drove past a sign, it said Welcome To Detroit and I suggested that would be a good name for the album. When we pulled over James gave me the tape and said this is yours, or words to effect."

This is the tape; 46+ minutes of the kind of gems you'd expect from hanging with Dilla, including material from Cameo, Donald Byrd, Michael Jackson, and so many others. Perfect late summer soundtrack.

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EPROM's Solid Steel Mix Might Murder Your Bassbins

Just so we're clear, EPROM is one of my favorite producers doing it right now. There's something about the fuzzy, gut-wrenching bass he puts on his tunes that gets me every time. Dude's great as a solo artist, but also has a project with Alix Perez (SHADES) that has been doing it for me as well (keep it locked for their forthcoming EP on Alix's 1985 Music imprint).

For this new mix from EPROM, he not only drops a host of material from his recently-released Samurai EP, but he drops new SHADES material, some of his older remixes, and even a bunch of unreleased solo productions. This is one to bang out to, trust.

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Scott Melker Brought the Soul House to Miami, Celebrates With a New Mix Series

For NYC heads in the know, you're up on Soul House, aka the Thursday night institution that DJs Scott Melker and Cosmo Baker kicked off in 2003, bringing heads in the know the best in house, hip-hop, R&B, soul, funk, and much, much more. The event was so popular, it ended up becoming a top-10 party in the city.

Melker's now living in Miami, but that doesn't mean the Soul House party has to stop. Soul House is now going down every Thursday at the 1 Hotel South Beach Rooftop, but if you're not in Miami, don't fret. The first volume of the Soul House mix series is here, and features a number of your most favorite jams, including '90s classics from The Notorious B.I.G., TLC, Radiohead, A Tribe Called Quest, and others, as well as remixes and mash-ups from DJ Eleven, Sammy Bananas, Durkin, and Scott Melker himself.

Hit play on the stream down below and get transported back, and download the full mix from Brooklyn Radio.

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Joell Ortiz, Nitty Scott, Bodega Bamz, and Salaam Remi Are No Panty

You gotta love this. If you're a fan of bars, names like Joell Ortiz, Nitty Scott, and Bodega Bamz have to be in your playlist. If you love production, and have followed the sound for the last few decades, Salaam Remi should be in your playlist. Who knows why they all linked together, but thank Brown Jesus for Westside Highway Story, the first mixtape from this supergroup that goes by the name No Panty.

This project features all kinds of fun sample choices over hard-hitting drums. It's part quirky, part murky, and all fly. You can stream the full project below, and download it for free via Live Mixtapes.

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The Music of 'Stranger Things' is Birthing Some Impressive Tributes

Hopefully, you've been consumed by one of Netflix's most impressive series to date, Stranger Things. It's a love letter to the '80s, featuring a squad of middle schoolers living in Indiana who are infatuated with that #nerdlife and have to figure out how to combat some true terror. It's everything you loved about '80s music, fashion, and films like The Goonies wrapped up in one perfectly amazing eight-episode program.

One of the biggest hits from the series has been the music, which is drenched in '80s synths and inspiring a bunch of new school takes on the sound. We've thrown some of our favorites down below, but if you find others, please feel free to shoot us an email (subject line STRANGER THINGS) and we'll add to the collection.

Make sure you cop the soundtrack, which is available in two parts via digital download and on vinyl.

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