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!

Friday, July 29, 2022

New Music: StapleMouth & Th' Mole - Estuary

 


 

Well, as I hinted at last week our good friend Th' Mole over at Weird Rap was kind enough to drop us a promo advance of this. I've been needing Estuary in my life ever since I heard Rift (which was a new take on the instrumental / acapella formula essentially, they released those ahead of the album and worked them into spoken word pieces and a beat tape. You can read my review here). Staplemouth's lyricism is IMO some of the best we have these days, and his hiatus from hip hop left a huge hole most folks weren't even aware of. 3 Sunz Eclipse with Nameless Myst was his triumphant return; Estuary is where he grabs a hold of that ring he had in his grasp in 2012 and smashes it to pieces.

I did a fairly extensive and wordy promo post for Rift. So basically I knew what to expect with this one and I was not disappointed. We have here a sort of companion piece to Ruler of Desperate Measures. Dark as hell, chock full of eschatological imagery and hidden meaning with unorthodox production that manages to be simple enough to allow Staplemouth to take center stage with his amazing vocals while also showcasing musicianship and the true ear for composition that Th' Mole's been able to claim since he first dropped out of the sky wearing a super hero outfit (although he's come a long way since that Christmas album).

If you've never heard Staplemouth let me give you a quick rundown on one of my favorite rappers. Coming up in the Oahu scene of Hawaii along with his crew ...of Proliteariots, Staplemouth boasts a voracious appetite for lore and the ability to spin it into rambling and daring looks behind the veil. Not only can he approach subsonic syllabic speed in the blink of an eye (no his recordings are not digitally sped up as everyone who I played "Hanging Gardens 2012" keeps trying to claim. If you want to watch him do it look right here) when you slow down and pick apart what he's saying a truly formidable talent and intelligence emerges. Add to that the ability to balance brute lyrical force with an almost delicate and beautiful vocal range, there is truly no one like this man dead or alive.

As far as this current release, Staplemouth has this to say:

"Estuary to me is about allowing change and learning to exist between what was and what currently is. My life went from white to black...  I'm the complete opposite of who I once was.  But I was able to evolve in that process.  It's about being able to adapt and live in brackish water... or Estuary."

Like all true art, Staplemouth's poetry does truly lend itself to interpretation through the lens of individual experience. For me the album takes a snapshot of the world in flux, with the pandemic and the reluctant baton passing from the Boomers and the gun crisis in the USA and the war in Europe all creating a sense of uncertainty and barely manageable panic. As he says, we are now struggling with the idea of merging what the world was with what it is now in a way that allows us to thrive and feel safe again, something not easy to do in the post(ish)-Covid era.

I do have the lyrics in a beautiful promotional package, and the following passage from "Wounded Soldier" (a remake of an older song I don't believe was ever released in case it sounds familiar) is a great example of the bleakly beautiful poetry on display with Estuary, and although it is an older work it captures where we are in starkly ugly imagery.

"We make the world a sin • Now • That’s an educated guess • There isn’t like a fountain or tiny button to make it happen type of gadget • But maybe we can hatch it with just a warm thought • Covered by the torn end of a moth-eaten blanket • Don’t pose a threat to the man with a macabre smile • Run amuck in a sacred domicile where the priest dissects a child • Now what the fuck is this planet melting into?"

I really have zero complaints. But in some ways I think the Rift idea should have been released AFTER the official album, although in it's uniqueness I sense at least some courage from Weird Rap and as an indie music fan I value that a lot. But I think if I had never heard these words before, combined as they are with this beautiful music it would have had a very huge impact on me. Such as it is the familiarity was already there although it was cool to finally experience the full blown might that is Estuary.

 


 

 

Watch the above, and then buy Estuary on vinyl or digital or as a tape deal with Rift from Weird Rap over yonder. That's an order, let's make these dudes famous.



Friday, July 22, 2022

...of Proliteariots - Co-Stars (2002)

 


 

 In celebration of the impending drop of the new Staplemouth album with Th' Mole Estuary (seriously cannot fucking wait for y'all to hear this. It drops the 10th but I've got an advance and as soon as I have the cognitive capacity I'm going to absorb it and report the details. More coming on that!) I've decided to share a cool little single from Staplemouth's earliest known crew from his home on Oahu.

Pretty much the definitive Hawaiian underground hip hop (along with Neila of course) Proliteariots delivered some of the dopest wordplay I'd heard in years, with stylistic flair and a sound unlike anything else out there. Not just rapid fire, completely unusual and hard to pin down. Add to that Aloeight production and you've got audio crack in the best possible terms.

Enjoy this little two song vinyl rip courtesy of Hawaii's hip hop history, and Nocturnes bedroom!


DOWNLOAD

 

 

Friday, July 15, 2022

Stacs of Stamina - Cashew Fenny (2002)

 


 

I've been meaning to post this one for a while, but my personal rip is 192 kbps which I made years ago and I can't find the CDr I ripped it from (yes I have this one on CDr, actually I have two because one was damaged beyond repair and I finally found another) so up until now I didn't have the means to do this justice. Thanks to Chris I now have a vinyl rip that sounds good and is variable bitrate so good news on that front.

I've always liked these guys. Marcus Graap's got a dope voice for rapping, as does Bashie and the beats have an old school grime that I enjoy. Add to that the fact that they speak English, and the kind of cool international feeling I admit to getting when I kick it to European rap and they're about the best hip hop to come out of Sweden that I'm aware of.

Marcus is now half of Zucchini Drive along with Speed Dial 7 from Cavemen Speak. I gotta say I prefered when they both mostly rapped (Zucchini Drive is something more rap adjacent), but I'd still recommend their work as well.

I guess that's it. Time to post some music and eat some dinner. Stay tuned for more next week, thanks for sticking with us!

Enjoy Cashew Fenny!


DOWNLOAD

 

 

Friday, July 8, 2022

New Music: Monk Sunstruck - Arsonism

 


 

Hey all! Been a long time. In fact, in the history of UGF it has never been this long between posts. It feels weird to me. But it was a nice break and I hope the rest of you have been enjoying your Summer (or Winter, depending where you live of course). As I said before it's just me, your boy Dimxsk at the moment posting once a week on Friday's, usually a fossil hookup but occasionally a post on some new music in the works. Oh and thank you all for the kind words two weeks ago. For some reason I can't reply individually to comments lately (no idea why, if any of you have suggestions let me know) but know that I see and appreciate your encouragement!

Today is a release post. Some of you may remember a fossil a while back from Thee Anomalous and Able Rock. Thee Anomalous is a huge fan of hip hop going way back, and as such he stumbled onto this blog and we chopped it up a bit. Hailing from Woodland, CA he comes with a sound reminiscent of folks from coastal California (think Maleko, Caustic, JKC etc.) rapping conscious lyricism with a touch of spirituality and a very solid love and respect for the culture. I would recommend following the link above and starting with that for more information.

Arsonism is the second of two releases he's done under the name Monk Sunstruck. I don't know much about them (during my vacation I was working a ton and didn't have the chance to pick his brain before writing this, I wish I did), just that this is his triumphant return to the art form. I will say I like this, it's got maturity and a professionalism missing from his earlier work (although his earlier work was very very dope), along with some interesting song writing and deeply personal content like the touching tribute to a fallen family member "Hey Little Brother".

This is a humble offering. It doesn't try to transcend any genre boundaries, it doesn't trip over it's own feet in an attempt to be something groundbreaking. Like I said before this is the rap of a man who loves the music we do, lives the life we do, and took the time to translate that into six little songs. Not incredible, but difficult not to like.


Check out Arsonism here and consider downloading For the Sake of Planets, Vibe right here at UGF as well because that one is fire! See you next Friday!