WFMU : Freedom is Freeform!

I still can't get used to using the term "wonky" as it pertains to leftfield beats, be it unstable hip-hop instrumentals, dubstep or some derivative thereof.  I always feel somewhat silly whenever it crosses my lips.  However, I recently heard someone use the term "future motion" to describe this constant mutation of bass and rhythm.  While I'm not one for blanket terms, there's something about that one that I like.  It suggests that the post-Dilla generation of beatmakers aren't sitting still.  Even while some continue to champion the energetic sounds of drum and bass, sonic inbalances force other hybrids to show up, from grime to dubstep to whatever's coming next.

I would like to think that the Error Broadcast netlabel had something to do with this momentum when they dropped their Bag of Nothingness compilation last year.  Showcasing a collection of beatmakers from across the globe, it gave you a glimpse of the shift that was taking place when it came to hip-hop production.  Taking cues from the dons that came before them (Dilla, Prefuse 73, Dabrye, and others), boom bap is wrapped up in synthesizer sheen and pushed towards experimental territory.  The compilation made Error Broadcast a must-watch netlabel for 2009 and they show no signs of stopping now that a new decade is here.

You don't need to look any further than the title track to convince you that this compilation is worth the space on your MP3 player.  Produced by Comfort Fit, it's an intriguing meld of rubbery synth and bass riffs caressing a slightly out-of-sync percussive slap.  It sounds just as fresh now as the day it premiered, and you can't help but get excited about the rhythmic possibilities of what lies ahead...