Various Artists – Chrome Children 2

Artist: Various Album: Chrome Children 2 Label: Stones Throw Rating: 4/5

If you missed the free download on Stones Throws website in February 07 you may want to invest your money in “Chrome Children 2” on June 19^th, the official release date.

Like its predecessor this collaboration by Stones Throw and Adult Swim provides an eclectic mix.

The songs are as experimental as you would expect from a label that housed the late J.Dilla.

One half quenches our thirst for innovative Hip Hop, produced by the likes of Madlib, Oh No and Four Tet. The remaining songs are an assortment of 70s Funk, Jazz and even Electronic inspired sounds.

With the impressive orchestration and inspiring vocal performances this album is a conclusive demonstration of these artists’ talents.

The album starts off with an instrumental by Madlib and welcomes the listener into the extraterrestrial sounds of “Chrome Children”. Leaving the consumer desiring lyrical stimulation M.E.D. provides the cure on the 1:30 min track “Rhymes with an L”. His flow intertwines perfectly with the Dabrye produced track and will leave you wanting more.

Following is the soulful “Living for the city” by Roc C and Oh No on the production who gave this song a jazzy feel and old school sound using a sample by The Melton Brothers.

Of course Stones Throws finest is providing you with instrumentals some beat makers would kill for. Like the funk inspired “Soul Travelling” by Gary Wilson and the up-tempo Jazz track “Marcus, Martin & Malcolm” by the Jazzistics.

And for fans of Emceeing this compilation offers an edgy package including “Reverse Part 2” by Percee P, which has an old school feel to it and inspired lyrical performance. As well as “Gitback” by Oh No and “Money Motivated Movement” by Guilty Simpson which are both based on aggressive flow and accompanied by a futuristic sound.

The most outstanding song on this album must be Aloe Blaccs “Happy now?” embodying everything a rap fan could ask for: his flow is on point and comes along with a sweeping beat. Four Tet, who produced this song, arranged a bracing instrumentation adding a Latin twist. Even after taking this CD out of heavy rotation this one song will surely stay on your play list.

Another remarkable song is “Strange life” by Arabian Prince. It brings back the 80s with a blend of Electronic, Pop and Funk music and at times reminds of the days when Afrika Bambaataa used to be on the wheels of steel.

This release gives you the opportunity to spot Hip Hops latest underground talents and is hard to top in innovation and creativity. And until “Chrome Children 3” comes around let this opus take you on a journey to different world.