Below Systems US Vinyl & CDs

Review: Bay Area producer Dead Perry follows up on the success of The Art of Re-Animation with his dark, gritty solo LP Acoustic Shadows. After impressing with his reimagining of Hieroglyphics' Casual's work, Perry now leans fully into his signature shadowy style and has said he was inspired by a Civil War phenomenon where sound vanishes due to geography for this work. The album's title reflects Perry's low-profile, graffiti-rooted ethos and the tunes feature a stacked lineup with Casual, Planet Asia, Ill Bill, Estee Nack and more all involved on a project that dives into murky sonic terrain. Standout track 'Call Me Snake' evokes John Carpenter and inspired P-Dirt's concept lyrics. A brilliant return.

Review: Back in 1996, on the back of years spent showcasing skills on NYC's hip-hop underground, mic man Omniscence completed his debut album, The Raw Factor, with producers Fanatic and (more surprisingly) deep house great Rheji Burrell. Sadly, it was never issued, and it would be nearly a decade before he put out a full-length excursion, The God Hour. Described as "one of the great lost rap albums of the 90s", The Raw Factor is now finally out on CD - almost three decades after Omniscence started work on it. For those who love "golden era hip-hop", with its killer grooves and choice use of killer samples, it's a must-check set, with Omniscence's on-point raps - delivered smoothly, with a distinctively gruff flow - keeping you captivated throughout.

Review: Originally slated for release in March 1996, Omniscence's The Raw Factor finally sees the light of day, a mere 28 years later, thanks to Below System Records. Despite earning The Source's "Hip Hop Quotable" and releasing standout singles like 'Amazin' and 'Touch Y'all,' label politics shelved the album leaving fans in suspense for decades. Known for his gruff cadence, punchlines and metaphors, Omniscence made waves in the 90s hip-hop scene, even placing high in the 1994 Battle For World Supremacy. Featuring jazzed-out boom-bap beats from Fanatic this deluxe release includes 15+ tracks and bonus cuts so was worth the wait.

Review: Phat Kat's 1999 album Dedication To The Suckers is paired with Re-Dedication To The Sucker here for this new vinyl compilation that showcases the hip hop artists best work. All six tracks of the former were produced by none other than the late great Detroit hip-hop head J Dilla, so you already know what you will get - tight beats, smart samples, dusty soul. Re-Dedication vocal years later in 2015 with its seven tracks all produced by Agor and brought to life with some top level guest features from Guilty Simpson and Elzhi on the killer 'All Madden'.