cakefromhell - cakefromhell002

It’s like watching glitchy waves of fire burning across the abyss. This is the first compilation tape I heard from Brazillian collective cakefromhell, each member pursuing their own sound separately but banding together on the second of a few tapes in the last couple years. They’re beatmakers and curators (see cakefromhellworldtour), but beyond all, I feel like this tape is evident that they bring the best out of each other, adding different ingredients together until they come through with the best stew possible. The whole thing sounds tight, crunchy and dimlit, like its set in the cover’s underground bleachers with the “cakefromhell” playing the beats directly to you from its iPod. Rubbery kicks bounce and every snare snaps with glassy percs and hihats dancing around the groove, sometimes on every beat and sometimes slow and sluggish. But I think it’s in its samples that cakefromhell really stands out, flipping everything from MPB to Mary J. Blidge in a way that feels unique to them. The tape will switch from bossa nova to dirty soul on a dime, but still manages to feel really cohesive and tightly wound. Every time I spin cakefromhell002 I feel like it’s bursting with creativity, the beatmakers banding together to create hellish flames like a modern-day soulhop Wu-tang. Their collective impact on the modern scene is undeniable, and I hope this is one of many more tapes to come.

KEY BEAT: playa - slody went crazy with this one, ghostly vocals and hand claps underpinning gravelly bass and some of the hardest-hitting production you’ll find on the whole release.