DDM / Drowning Dog & Malatesta - Gen Pop [Upstartz Records 030 / Fire And Flames Music 111 / Entartete Kunst 033 / Rudy's Back 030]

Coming in via from our now Berlin-based friends DDM / Drowning Dog & Malatesta is "Gen Pop", their latest, July 7th, 2k23 released 45rpm double vinyl album. Put out on the circuit as a collaborational effort between their own Entartete Kunst label and Upstartz Records, Fire And Flames Music as well as Rudy's Back the self-proclaimed 'class conscious Electro Rap' duo sets course for a fourteen track journey on this one, starting out from a point of highly functional, slightly mechanical dancefloor bangers like "Takin Our Time", progressing into the news report-sampling Bass Music x Dubstep infused vibe that is "Essential A.F." whereas "I Was In It" brings on a raw, somewhat grainy vintage vibe which might musically resonate with fans of classic Portishead arrangements if one thinks beyond an underground HipHop / Rap audience whereas the "One Day Remix" featuring Anela Jahmena and Tsidi Bang-Bang provides a seductive mixture of HipHop and Global Bass vibes that makes your head bop for a reason. Furthermore "Blood Money" adresses its topic atop a dark'ish and well brooding beat foundation which, despite being quite a short tune, would be well suitable to be thrown into an Illbient set of sorts, "Self Made" probably is the one track on this album that suits the Electro Rap description best with its bouncy electronic attitude, "Swingin' Back" even dabbles with the sonic aesthetics of Grime and "Raw" and its little seductive main motif brings on serious crime scene vibes just to name a few favorites here. Defo one to check out if you're looking for one more trueskool HipHop / Rap album to add to your collection this year. Good stuff.