Underground Fossils was an indie rap focused blog run by myself (Dimxsk) and by Trylemma, who passed August 3rd, 2024 from liver failure of unknown origin at the age of 34. We mostly posted week or twice weekly, the bulk of which were rare rips we made, found on old blogs, he acquired through his insanely broad connection to the scene, etc. We did all we could to make sure we didn't post stuff that (1) You could still reasonably buy from the artist directly, (2) You could reasonably buy secondhand for cheap, (3) You could download easily elsewhere, (4) The artist(s) asked us not to for any reason.
Being involved in this blog was some of the most fun I ever had, even if at times it was time consuming, challenging or intimidating (having a readership). It was the product of one of the best friendships I've ever had. If I could say one last thing, it's to encourage all of you: if you have the time and desire, make your own UGF. Find a friend who loves this shit like you do and build it together. It will bring you incredible joy, enhance your connection to this amazing community, and change your life in unexpected and exciting ways. I know it did mine. Love you all!
The Instrumental Ward is a producer duo comprised of Jaded and Manik. Today we bring you the duo's self titled album from 2001.
I'm not exactly sure about the history of the Ward, nor am I sure what they're up to today. The duo's 2003 release, "Physiology, Hygiene, Narcotics" got some coverage, but I haven't really heard from either of them since. You might recognize Manik as a part of The WhyKnows (alongside Existereo, Innaspace, and Jeremy Owens.) I have next to no info on this debut release, aside from the physical CD I copped years ago in some blind buy.
This project is comprised mainly of darker noisy landscapes, often fit for some off-kilter sci-fi flick. The duo does do a pretty good job of never letting the tracks get away from themselves, though if you're not super into experimental sounds, this may not be your cup o tea. If you do like that darker weird shit, however, be sure to peep.
If anyone knows what either of these guys are up to today, drop a comment!
Today's post is from one of the more underrated Goodlifers/Blowedians imo, the great Ngafsh and his "Free Ngafsh" project from 2005.
This project was originally released on CDR and was available via a coupon included with copies of "Kill Em All." Years later, Fsh uploaded the project digitally but that link has since died. This is the CDR version (hooked up via the homie Mr. Bishop.) The project includes previously and later released tracks, in addition to some exclusives.
Peep the project below and continue to support Fsh, who is currently releasing a string of joints with his son, DJ NoWords, which you can find on online distributors.
Some of you may have heard, but today, March 20th, Bandcamp is waiving its revenue shares in an effort to help support artists during the Coronavirus pandemic. Tour ticket sales and merch sales make up a lot of an indie artist's income, and this virus has basically put a big halt to all of that. As such, no normal Friday post today. Instead, go buy some damn music on Bandcamp! You can read more about the Bandcamp waiver HERE.
If you're looking for something new to cop, here's a few suggestions that drop today on Bandcamp:
1. Time - These Songs Kill Fascists
"This is an album made as an ode to people who fought and who are fighting fascists and fascism internally and externally." HERE.
"I am currently locked down on the island with no plans or way to make it back home until the situation settles. Until then all we can do is remain creative and positive as possible. The world is on pause, so no matter where you are; we're all in this together. Be safe everyone. Hope you enjoy this EP recorded over the past couple weeks. Much Love from the Island." HERE.
4. An Illustrated Mess - Last Night, and All Of Our Glorious Mishaps (Digital Deluxe)
"Although it wasn't our original intention, this album turned out very Navajo. With this album we did our best to illustrate an Indigenous perspective of living in a border town. The narrative tells a story of a character over the course of a weekend, while the songs themselves deal with topics such as love, depression, alcoholism, and suicide with moments of hope sprinkled in between. This album was made over the course of a year. Throughout that year we faced many obstacles, personal losses, moments of weakness, and self reflection, but in the end with the help of our family and friends we were able to make what we consider our debut album." HERE.
5. TXTMS (OneWerd & Dan Dillinger) - TXTMS
"Hailing from the SF Bay Area, and Brooklyn, NY, OneWerd and Dan Dillinger spent the better part of their early 20's developing an ear for all things underground. An affinity for heavy drum programing, layered bass tones, and distorted fuzz hammered out a unified vision for their debut project. Joined by underground stalwarts Gajah and Megabusive, and IronBar Collective mainstays Emcee Graffiti and Dephyant, the project's lenses encompass social decay, and the shifting foundations of cultural and artistic consumption. That same lens also draws tightly inward, capturing the mental collapse and aggression borne of these environmental factors. Though it may have taken its time incubating, these songs are initial carvings into material that promises to be mined even further." HERE.
As people move in doors, what better time to catch up on some music. Here are 30 of my favorite tracks that have dropped thus far this year. Check em out if you haven't yet!
Who the heck is this? I have no clue. Nor do I remember how I came across this album, as I can find no reference to it anywhere. Cypher does have another EP with producer Freddie Joachim from 2006 which is still floating around, but this appears to be his first solo work, very underground if the album art is any indication.
I do remember enjoying this album a lot. The production is smooth, head-nodic samples and hard hitting drums, with clever rhymes and a refreshing style.
I'd love to know if this guys got anything else out there besides these two EPs. Discogs has a 12" from him, but aside from a feature or two that's all it appears he made. Anyone know anything? Whether you do or you don't, I expect you'll enjoy his self titled The Cypher Optics EP.
Thanks for listening, and once again stay safe out there.
Hey, you remember that review I wrote for the Happy Tooth & Dug single Lie Awake a few months ago? No? I'll wait while you find it... Yeah that's it. So you know UGF and those dudes are homies for real. They've blessed us with dope music ahead of the release dates a few times now, and I'm glad they did because I now consider myself a fan. I've picked up their solo stuff as well as some of the random collaborations and such they've been involved in. It's all fun music with original beats and clever lines bursting with sincerity and integrity. I highly recommend you check them out here.
I had the good fortune to hear some new tunes from Dug & Happy Tooth recently, and wanted to share them with you. It may seem like UGF is starting to seem a bit Happy Tooth & Dug heavy, but I want you to notice this isn't Happy Tooth & Dug. This is Dug & Happy Tooth. I will repeat, this is "Dug & Happy Tooth", not to be confused with "Happy Tooth & Dug". Same people, but different.
In all seriousness, D & HT differs from HT & D by the absence of a live group on production. No crunchy guitar, smooth bass, spacey synths, the occasional banjo. Just the vocal talents of two emcees from Columbus, true fans of the art and hardworking musicians. I was actually very interested in this release for that reason, because a huge part of what I like about HT & D is the live instrumentation on songs like "Smoke, Steam, Dust" and the aforementioned "Lie Awake". I enjoy the rhymes as well, but I was curious to see what they could offer without the live band to set them apart. I've listened to their 2016 EP as D & HT entitled If You Can Hear This, and while it was good after hearing their work as a whole band I know they can do better. They make a very solid combo as a live act, but on The Signal Glittering Inside the Storm we get to see what kind of magic HT and D (I mean D & HT) can conjure up alone, with a half a decade more of experience and maturity to draw from.
I'll spoil this whole thing now by saying I enjoyed this album. Not to go overboard on these guys, but as far as songwriting goes I believe this is some of their most solid work, and I mean that in a good way. While it doesn't have the highly unusual flavor and energy of HT & D, it does show the versatility these guys display as poets in the form of well written songs and catchy deliveries. I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, but I also want to let it be known that I went into this album without bias, just because HT & D (dammit D & HT) are cool ass comrades doesn't mean I'm going easy on them. They've been nice enough to offer us previews of their work, and I review it if I like it, which so far I have. With that let me back up a bit.
The Signal Glittering Inside the Storm is entirely produced by Evaridae, a Madison, WI based beatmaker who approached the duo with 14 instrumentals ready and waiting for concepts and raps to finish them off. That makes the writing process somewhat unusual, almost a Bike for Three, "Let's Never Meet" type of affair, for those who understand what I'm talking about. With the internet age in full swing I guess this is becoming more and more common, although I wonder if these beats were intended to feature D & HT's vocals, or if the producer realized how well they would work after the fact? Either way, they've been crafted into some good rap songs. Sonically these beats are spacey, melodic and run the gammut from upbeat to somber although with a melancholy atmosphere predominating. I find they work best when they have a decent balance of rhythm and melody, as both rappers tend to deliver rhymes in a sing song tone, and it's amazing how effective an unexpected melodic line can be from HT at the right time.
Contrary to the HT & D material, these are straight up no frills indie rap beats. While not always as unusual as the live production from their band, Evaridae is a very competent producer in his own right and crafts some truly beautiful instrumentals ("Nothing to Nobody", "Up") as well as a serious banger or two ("Z's", "At a Bar in My Nightmares"). I actually appreciated the subtlety of his production as it allowed the two rappers to really carry the album themselves through virtue of their lyrical and vocal talents, creating a nice background upon which the rappers and guest singers / vocalists (some really great hooks here from a variety of vocal talent) were able to craft engaging and catchy tracks that stick in your head.
Here's a fun little music video for the track "In Public", just to get a taste of what sound I'm speaking of.
I said last time I talked about HT & D that the duo are especially effective because of the contrast between their styles. In my experience Dug goes for a laid back, strictly lyrical approach, with an unusual voice and a penchant for whimsical lines and left field deliveries. He's got this one song about bats that really proves my point. Check it out it's damn fun. Happy Tooth has a great singing voice as well as one for rapping, and I feel like he uses this especially effectively to craft their tunes into catchy and listenable tracks, as on this song from his latest solo album. As a duo they have that unusual chemistry, and I've listened to enough of their solo material to really feel that while it's all at least pretty good, there's something great about their collaborative efforts. From my conversations with them I feel like it may even be as simple as they enjoy working together and it translates into something listenable.
I find myself especially drawn into the music of these dudes because of the lyrical content as well. Neither of these emcees is pretending to be anything they're not, they obviously love the same music as us. They speak honestly about the issues that we all struggle with, including self doubt, depression, anxiety, loneliness alcohol abuse and disillusionment in a culture that fosters it like wildfire. Even on songs like the above "In Public" which reference the life of professional musicians, D & HT still have to deal with questioning themselves and their purpose. Their willingness to speak about insecurities and fears really endears me to their work, and I think it makes them uniquely relatable as people just doing what they love and REALLY hoping you love it too.
One thing I used to tell people when I introduced them to this duo is that their music isn't for everyone. You need to be open to something different as neither of these guys sound anything like what most people expect rappers to sound like. That said, I believe that this album could win over some of the less open-minded rap fans, especially anyone who can identify with some of the honesty on display here. I feel like milo (R.A.P. Ferreira I guess now) fans and Doomtree fans
alike should find something to like on this release, and it doesn't hurt that there are beautiful tunes and catchy hooks abound. I'm really stoked to think that these dudes could get some real recognition outside of the weirder fans like myself. They've been super supportive of Trylemma and my efforts here on this blog, and it's been a lot of fun to offer what support I can back. Hopefully they won't forget UGF if and when that happens...
Get The Signal Glittering Inside the Stormhere, available on 3/14 and only $5! In a world where some dudes are asking $3 or more a song, that ain't bad, and it's definitely worth it. Trust me.
It's been a weird week, both of us have been busy, and with the impending global emergency we figure a double upload is in order. I do have a review planned for next week, something I got the chance to listen to ahead of time that I'm looking forward to examining in more depth. But for now, I bring you Ecid's first album Stance-Sub Abusive.
Hailing from the Minnesota scene, Ecid still manages to set himself apart among such notable peers as Kristoff Krane, Eyedea and Carnage the Executioner. His signature production is always on point, and while his rhyme style is not for everyone he's usually clever with concepts and punchlines.
This album from way back in 2002 is not his best work. It's got some great production but lyrically and delivery wise he's still got a long way to go. However, it does possess a charm and with the weight of history it manages to make itself relevant, especially for his more hardcore fan base. I discovered him late, but albums like Werewolf Hologram are unique and fun listens for any indie music fan.
Also be warned, there is an issue with the last track, although the rest of the album works perfectly it has some data corruption. It's not a huge loss as it's during a particularly awful freestyle, but for the completists among us like myself it's a bit irritating. However it's better than not having the album at all.
Enjoy Stance-Sub Abusive! And in all seriousness, stay safe with this whole virus deal. You guys rock, let's all survive this and build a better world.
Well folks, Trylemma is off in a third world country this week conducting a deal with some very sketchy fossil collectors in order to hook us up with the rarest specimens... Or he has to work, but I like my reason better so we'll go with that. Anyway sorry for the delay yesterday.
Therefore, UGF is happy to bring you The Unimportant Ones, a collaborative effort from a few of Portland's most important rappers (wait...) Ethic (yep) and Braille along with someone named ILLTripp as Mentors of the Aurora.
This album was a cassette that I ripped recently and haven't had a chance to listen through yet. I can tell you that sound quality is good, material is very dope with that early millennium 4 track flavor we all grew up on. Heavy on the spirituality for those who favor that, and competently produced with some very tight rhymes for the rest of us. Especially cool knowing how far these dudes have come in 20 years.
With that I'll keep it short and sweet, definitely let us know what you think of The Unimportant Ones. See you on Friday (tomorrow, but we're pretending it's Wednesday)!
