Darc Mind

In general, I leave hip-hop to bloggers like Analog Giant who know a lot more about it than me. But every since KEXP sent out a track from Darc Mind last month on their Song of the Day Podcast, I've been loving the Long Island duo's Symptomatic of a Greater Ill.

Here's the deal...the album was recorded a decade ago. However, between the time that the record was finished and it was released, their label Loud Records folded. That sent it into legal purgatory for the next several years until Anticon Records finally released it last August. It looks like Loud Records is now owned by Columbia which probably means a bunch of corporate lawyers with lots of time and budgets available to them sat on this thing to the detriment of fans and Darc Mind. Just lovely.

While I like the tone of MC Kevroc's vocals, what kills me is the beats and loops that DJ Webb D threw together. The little guitar sample and deep bass line on "Visions of a Blur" and soft smooth xylophone on "Outside Looking In" give the album more of a DJ lounge feel than most hip-hop albums. Another good late addition to the 2006 music catalog.

You can download their live performance at KEXP's studios from the KEXP Live Performances Podcast.

You can read Analog Giant's post about Darc Mind here.

Darc Mind | Visions of a Blur | Buy
Darc Mind | Outside Looking In | Buy