SUPER dense hiphop a la Public Enemy & The Bomb Squad?

June 8, 2014 4:30 PM

I've always loved the dense, claustrophobic productions of The Bomb Squad - the information overload sounds like 2 record stores colliding with one another. Public Enemy's 2nd and 3rd LPs, Amerikkka's Most Wanted, etc., sound fresh to this day. What's gone on in the past 20+ years? Point me towards hiphop that's as thick and mindboggling as "Welcome to the Terrordome."
posted by porn in the woods to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

I'd like to know as well. In the meantime, I recommend The Go! Team's Flashlight Fight (with Chuck D) and Titanic Vandalism.
posted by eschatfische at 4:51 PM on June 8, 2014

The Bomb Squad has some mixes.
posted by lukemeister at 4:52 PM on June 8, 2014

This is by far my favorite group/sound in all of Hip Hop. It's a damn tragedy that sample clearance pressures effectively killed that sort of gnarly depth.

I've been largely away from the genre for a while, so I'm unsure if anyone current is doing something similar. That said, there was a 90s group called Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, fronted by Michael Franti (before he sucked). They had a pretty frantic sound, buttressed by found/industrial samples. Not exactly on the same level as PE/Bomb Squad, but worth checking out.
posted by credible hulk at 5:07 PM on June 8, 2014 [1 favorite]

Oh, and I just wanted to come back to mention The Avalanches' With My Baby, which also achieves critical density.
posted by eschatfische at 6:59 PM on June 8, 2014

El-P, especially in the mid-00s.

Also, Madvillain and other Mad Lib productions are densely layered and weird.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 7:06 PM on June 8, 2014 [3 favorites]

Seconding El-P, for sure: his solo album Fantastic Damage. The group Dälek also had some extremely dense, aggressive and intellectual records around that time too.

If, however, you want to take it a bit further, with a contemporary group, try clipping., out of Oakland. (The name is stylized with the period and lowercase I believe.) Harsh noise beats with great, smart rapping. And a few prominent female rappers in guest spots on their brand-new album, CLPPNG. Smart, nice people that make extreme music.
posted by ism at 12:18 AM on June 9, 2014 [1 favorite]

I'd tip productions by M Sayyid, check his Twilight Zone mixtape, its tracklist will point the way to related artists, plus check the collected outputs of Anti-Pop Consortium (including the solo stuff by Beans and High Priest). The pair of mixtapes from Wasteland (Vulture Culture / Vulture Culture 2) made big name hop hop denser by layering it with noise and radio detritus a la dj/rupture (previously). Related to both M Sayyid & Wasteland (by way of links through Sound-Ink records) is the LP 'Viktor Vaughn Vaudeville Villain', released by 'Viktor Vaughn' aka MF Doom (check his stuff passim) featuring productions from King Honey, Heat Sensor, RJD2. It's got some density to it.

Seconding Dälek.

A good source for these styles could be the Rhythm Incursions podcast/radio show by Mr Trick & Waxfactor (link), it's where I found a lot of things in this vein. They've archived stuff up on soundcloud.
posted by Joeruckus at 5:15 AM on June 9, 2014

Dan le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip.
posted by IAmBroom at 8:56 AM on June 9, 2014

GDP - Neural Circuitry
Azealia Banks - Aquababe
IDE - Never
PRO ERA - Resurrection of Real
Kidz In The Hall - Drivin Down The Block(El-P Remix)
Quakers - Big Cat
Sharkey & C-Rayz Walz - That Moment Before Crazy (feat. Vast Aire)
Thawfor - Where Thawght is Worshipped
Death Grips - The Fever
Lord Byron - Blood Oath

Also, I kind of have to point out.
posted by cashman at 9:29 AM on June 9, 2014