Various Artists - PeanutButter Wolf PresentsChrome Children Vol.2

Sun 15th Jul, 2007 in Music Reviews

Few things are a surety in hip hop. There are a lot of labels out there pumping out records, but not many of them hit the quality to quantity ratio quite like Stones Throw. Founded by noted crate digger Peanut Butter Wolf, the label features some of the best hip hop artists around, like Madlib, Percee P and the late J Dilla. After releasing the excellent Chrome Children CD/DVD compilation, Stones Throw have once again teamed up with late night animation network Adult Swim to release Chrome Children Vol. 2.

With an artist roster that features the best underground names in hip hop, it’s no wonder why a second compilation was lined up to showcase all the talent that resides in the Stones Throw stables. What’s impressive, however, is the depth of talent on the funk/soul/jazz tip that Peanut Butter Wolf has managed to unearth. Names like Gary Wilson, Clifford Nyren, The Jazzistics, James Pants and Arabian Prince may be unknown to many out there, but their contribution to this album shows Stones Throw’s dedication to good music. Wilson’s instrumental Soul Traveling features lots of bleeps and beeps, with bongos and a synthesizer thrown in for good measure. It’s also possibly the most appropriately named track on the album. Nyren’s Keep Running Away (Egon’s Edit) is a funky little number straight out of So-Cal. James Pants’ track Murder is a seemingly experimental excursion into different sounds, with the foundation laid by a repeated drum beat, and layered over by other instruments and synthesized sounds, kind of like Matthew Herbert. Arabian Prince’s Strange Life has that sort of electro 80’s feel to it, but manages to stray a little from the electro sound that is overdone and overplayed at the moment.

Onto the hip hop side, Percee P and producer Koushik team up for Reverse Part Two, with Percee showing just how anticipated his debut solo release is shaping up to be. Madlib contributes two instrumental tracks as Beat Konducta, the first Chrome Dreams sounding like something out of a warped and twisted video game, while the second, Selah’s Children, sounds like it has had some sort of tribal and Indian influence to it. Madlib’s brother Oh No performs on one track and produces two, showing how much talent runs in that family. Roc C’s Living For The City, produced by Oh No features a sample of the track of the same name by The Melton Brothers and effortlessly merges the old soul with new hip hop. Oh No also raps on Gitback, fiercely spitting to a dark beat. The influence of electronic producer Four Tet is evident on two tracks by Guilty Simpson and Aloe Blacc. The Blacc joint Happy Now? is one of the best tracks on the album, with its beat punctuated by incongruous sounds like pipes and whistles.

Yet another top quality release from the guys over at Stones Throw. While I think I prefer Vol.1 over Vol.2, there is still enough here to keep most open minded folk interested. While Stones Throw has always brought out the best hip hop, they are rapidly expanding their reputation to be the finest purveyors of music in general. If it sounds good, chances are you’ll have heard it on Stones Throw.