The producer/rapper collaboration is often so much more rewarding than a super group (*cough* Divine Fits *cough*), especially when the two parties seem so well matched. "Bookfiend," the recent collaboration between DOOM and Clams Casino is an excellent example of this. Clams Casino's hazy production and DOOM's easy muttering flow sync up nicely. Of course, since this is DOOM, little is known about the track's circumstances or if the pair worked on any more songs together. Let's hope they did if the results are like this.

Similarly to artists themselves, from the perspective of a record label, the choice to sign an artist can side with the artists rising popularity- their potential to bring in the money, or, side with a belief in the style of music that the artist is channeling. And when it comes to Tri Angle Records, the latter is true (though the former has been a perk).

"I think I had a relatively clear vision for the label pretty early on and that definitely helped me wrap my head around everything." reveals Robin Carolan, the label's founder, in one interview. And this is all the more apparent when browsing through the family of artists signed to it- a list which includes names like How To Dress Well, Holy Other, Balam Acab, and perhaps most notably, Clams Casino.

In addition to the fact that their music has generated a lot buzz, the element these artists have in common is their inclination toward a pulsing, intricately controlled use of reverb.  A technique which has come about from the rise in digital software and hardware for making music and a technique that allows for the effect of stacked, yet indistinguishable layers hammered in with heavy rhythms. Atmospheric layers that sort of melt right into one another. That faith in the powers of almighty reverb  maybe best describes why these artists fall under the same family. Put that reverb together with a preference for making music under 100 BPM and you have the two ingredients that make up the recipe for the Tri Angle sound. That slow drone with the deep beat.

But as the artists under Tri Angle prove, this formula leaves a lot of room for variation. How To Dress well puts the reverb emphasis on his r&b vocal melodies while Clams Casino samples vocals in a way somehow indicative of the second-coming Christ. Aside from their similarities regarding the technical side of song construction, all these artists under Tri Angle evoke that indescribable something in a song that gets us feeling. Instead of seeking artists that make tracks which get us grooving, Carolin has opted to seek out artists who are fueled by highly personal emotions derived from the condition of permanent isolation.

I first took notice upon the label after the startling realization that it was the name behind many, it seemed all, of the new artists that I was listening to. And as I found upon further investigation, this pattern was too much of a coincidence to be an actual coincidence- if I have it right, it was actually something that had been calculated by one man, Robin Carolan, who detected the ingenuity of these artists before the rest of us did- "I was always a fan of labels that seemed to exist within their own world. The ones that appeared to know what they were about, like 4AD in the 80s, Warp, Ghost Box, Rephlex, etc. I think very carefully about everything I release, almost as if I’m trying to create a narrative for the label with each release."

To hear more of what Carolan has been after and learn more about the inventory of the artists under Tri Angle Records, check out their website and/or soundcloud. And for a taste, here's a song from Holy Other.

BuffaBLOG's pilgrimage to Pitchfork Music Festival is out of respect for the voice that Pitchfork Media provides for independent music all over the world. It's no secret that their media facilitates the exploration of music while also providing opinionated reporting that allows the readers to decide what they like and dislike. Because Pitchfork reaches so many unique individuals across the world, they and their readers help to expose the freshest Artists.

When it comes to Hip-Hop this is most certainly the case. While not ignoring the Commercial Hip-Hop industry, Pitchfork's coverage tends to lean towards the Rappers of the underground. Focusing on up-and-coming individuals with unique talents.

A$AP Rocky: photo by Brock Fetch

This year's Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park in Chicago July 13-15 will feature many of those same buzz-worthy artists. Most notable is A$AP ROCKY who came into the light last year as a young buck with a high-talent ceiling. His interesting music on the mixtape LiveLoveA$AP excited many and caused him to get so much attention via the internet. Likely because five of the tracks on that mixtape was produced by another critically acclaimed Pitchfork Music Festival artist CLAMS CASINO. He gained notoriety for his brilliant genre-bending productions for both A$AP Rocky and also The Based God, Lil B. Many will tell you that both he and ARAABMUZIK are two of the best Hip-Hop style producers outside of the mainstream right now. Along with producing, AraabMuzik is an incredible performer. Using multiple samplers as live instruments he precisely plays unlike any other.

Young Southern gentleman BIG K.R.I.T will also get to display his talents. His sliding country style is definitely influenced by his predecessors Outkast and UGK. He is one of the unknown true talents in the Rap world, producing tracks for artists like, Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y, Smoke DZA, Ludacris, and Chris Brown.

Kendrick Lamar: photo by Jeff Forney

Additionally getting the nod from Pitchfork are South-Central Los Angeles rappers KENDRICK LAMAR and SCHOOLBOY Q from the 'Black Hippy' Hip-Hop group. Lamar's Independent release of Section.80 last year turned many heads and was revered as new Alternative Hip-Hop. It's a smooth laid back style, very California, but more importantly lyrically relevant. Unlike the Commercial Rappers of the world these two artists, and for that matter all of the Hip-Hop Artists at the Pitchfork Music Festival, are spitting lyrics that tell a story about humanity today. Not Diamonds, nor Yachts. And who couldn't that be more true about than DANNY BROWN? His "Radio Song" is a original slam at Rappers who are complacent making songs for profit only rather than creating meaningful music. He will be front-and-center on Saturday night to show off his zany personality.

Danny Brown: photo by Ysa Perez

One commonality of the Hip-Hop artists at this year's Pitchfork Music festival is that they all are going agains the grain of what Rap music has become. So although people can tend to scoff at the terms used to describe these branches off like "Alternative Hip-Hop" "Trillwave" or "R-Neg-B" it may very well be these sub-genres that save Hip-Hop from itself. Pitchfork Music Festival has curated the best of these acts to showcase the potential of where Rap music can go in the future.

The Pitchfork Music Festival is July 13-15 at Union Park in Chicago, IL. For the entire schedule and lineup check out their festival website HERE.