Download Distorted Reverberations the new project from San Francisco producer Al Lover, a free remix collection of local psych and garage bands sampled and turned into instrumental hip hop.
“The idea behind the project was to take this current music and rework it into something entirely different while at the same time helping to further connect the underground music community,” said Lover.
Inspired by the revitalized SF garage/psych scene, Al Lover transforms the gritty garage sound using his MPC, various guitar pedals and recording techniques. Permission to sample the material was given by all the artists.
“I’m originally from North Carolina and moved to SF about three years ago. The idea for this particular project came about when I was at SXSW and just started asking fools if I could sample their material. Everyone was super down.”
Al Lover transforms wild, blues-guitar-driven jams such as Ty Segall’s "Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart” or Thee Oh Sees’ "If I Stay Too Long” into futuristic Dust Brothers’ style productions. The entire track list is below.
“I’ve been really inspired by the reinstated garage scene. I’ve seen some of the best shows of my life in little dives like The Eagle and The Knockout. It’s just a bunch of misfits and outcasts rocking the most. I feel that about my crew and myself. We’ve always been the misfits in the hip-hop scene. It’s funny being an outsider to another group of outsiders.”
Al Lover’s name may sound familiar from his highly acclaimed Safe as Milk Replica, a remix of Captain Beefheart’s first record Safe as Milk or his work with The Fist Fam, with whom he started making rap music in his late teens.
“I like most of my music grimy. I think that’s why I was originally drawn to the garage stuff. I grew up with my Dad bumping The Rolling Stones, T-Rex, and The Velvet Underground, as well as traditional blues like Sun House and Robert Johnson. I started listening to rap in grade school, NWA and The Ghetto Boys being among my first tapes. The rap/rock thing is the most corny if made wrong (which it usually is) but if done right, it’s the toughest shit ever.”
Distorted Reverberations Track Listing
1. Natural Child – White Man’s Burden
2. Shapes Have Fangs – Terlingua
3. Thee Oh Sees – If I Stay Too Long
4. White Fence – Sticky Fruitman Has Faith
5. King Tuff – Sun Medallion
6. Jeff The Brotherhood – Hey Friend
7. Ty Segall – Fist Heart Mighty Dawn Dart
8. Davila 666 – Yo Seria Otro
9. Night Beats – H-Bomb
10. Moonhearts – I Can Go On
–Whitney Phaneuf