In this series, I just give quick takes on projects, tracks, and bands that did not overly impress me, but stuck in my mind. Basically, I’m lazy and didn’t have the energy to review al the following projects in depth. Simple as that.





Dredda - Gas (lo-fi hip-hop)





Out of the gate, the sample gives this track such promise. It’s got a “raindrops on a slow day” type of vibe, yet leaves much to be desired. The bars are decent, but the flow is a tad bit rushed. I’d be curious what Dredda would sound like with slower flow. I’m not sure this artist’s age or life experience, but I’ll assume that he’s new to the game. Not sure who to recommend this guy to just yet, but I want to observe his growth.





5.5/10 for the first listen

7/10 for the deep listen

https://soundcloud.com/sunset1980/gas





sLAy - Blue Rosebuds





First reaction to the beat: Oh s*** is this some new DaBaby?





But beyond that, this plays as a lame attempt at an Odd Future revival… and with the mixing, it gets much worse. As the internet’s lord and melon reviewer Anthony Fantano once said to rare perfect score-awarded Kid Cudi, “Kids…drugs do not make you make good music - they really don’t…"





This song wasn’t trip-hop; it was more of a trap parody. It’s that “so discordant, but you can’t turn it off” type of bad. I actually had to listen to more to see if this was real. Turns out, it reminds me of every white weed dealer in college who “played music” and knew “underground hip-hop” music that was just Dance with the Devil or whatever MF Doom song was getting underrated at the time.





This review isn’t as much of a diss as it is a warning and tough love: there’s gotta be more craft to go into this music.





6.5/10 First Reaction

4.5/10 Deep Listen

https://soundcloud.com/slay818/blue-rosebuds-feat-tomtommygun





Justo the MC x Maticulous - Bonus Room (Summer EP)





If it weren’t for some random stoner at a party six years ago, I probably wouldn’t have stumbled on Maticulous. Thanks to algorithms, On the Rise popped up on my playlist and sold me. This is mindset music; a great addition for Curren$y, Joey Bada$$ (specifically the 1999 mixtape), or Blu and Exile fans.





The Best: The whole damn project





8/10 First Listen

9.5/10 Deep Listen

https://open.spotify.com/album/6so1u9THTfr1Pta2Cuxyth?si=RDuaCk-nSsSBM_LO1UT3sQ





Silent Voyager - Neon Flower





Just as I needed some new sounds for meditation - or just watching cheap highlights from the re-release of No Man’s Sky - Silent Voyager drops this work of art. My only complaint: I had this on for an hour of background music and was disappointed that this album ended so soon. Fans of more ambient Bibio tracks will love this.

The Best: Pink Serpent, Chroma Speed, Snowy Highway

The So-So: State of Decay

10/10 First Listen

9.5/10 Deep Listen

https://silentvoyager.bandcamp.com/album/neon-flower





Seeker Blue - The Question That Broke the World (Feat. Fuzz Genesis) The first few seconds made me take a double take at the webpage. Was I listening to Chance the Rapper’s revival of the Social Experiment? Or was this the piano melody from the next broadway sensation? Seeker Blue always delivers bright, yet soft vibes with his production. Bottom line: Excellent vocals, beautiful horns, but ambiguous lyrics. This song has a vibe that annoys the dark, brooding punk inside me, but soothes my inner sweet child. 8/10 first release 7.5/10 deep listen https://soundcloud.com/seekerblue/the-question-that-broke-the-world









Llama Ruckus is an aspiring songwriter and producer from Atlanta, Georgia. His primarily genre is trip-hop; blends of elements from funk, surf rock, chill hop, blues, synthpop, and psychedelic rock/jazz.