I hated being late for mom’s meatloaf. It was rude to not be timely. Fortunately, it was just as good or maybe even better the next day. With so much great music being released all the time, it is hard to always have my chair at the table when the next main course is being served up. Such is the case with this late 2024 release from First Word. But in reality, this release tastes even better as a left over with a history that spans 10 years. Like mom’s secret recipes, there’s a back story to how it all came together. “[T]hey could sample what they wanted, but the records had to stay within the walls of his flat.” (Bandcamp) At the start, Mr Thing opened his collection for the sampling but wouldn’t allow any of his collection for the taking. And so over the next decade, these four would continue to collaborate by sharing records and tracks for recreation. This latest and final installment brings together all of their first three efforts and rounds out their final and fourth contributions to the series.
Tall Black Guy and kidkanevil have been on the radar for some time which is what lead me to this release in the first place. But it was the other two ingredients that really helped to round out this record. A multi-artist release is a great way to pick up on worldly flavors from numerous producers. But at times it just doesn’t allow you to take multiple bites to get to know them very well. So when a release like this takes the time to highlight multiple tracks from just a few creators, it is a great way to savor the flavor. The cohesiveness in this release might just reveal how their partnership first evolved in that record store long ago. On Nothing Leaves the House, we find out that this recipe will go down in mom’s cook book to be shared for years to come.
At the start, we hear from Tall Black Guy. This Detroit native claims a “Motown, jazz, and early Hip Hop” influence that comes across easily in his reworks here. We can be thankful that the man gave up b-ball for a life in music production because his works on the release really showcase that he can still hit those aural 3-pointers. His discography is deep and his love of reintroducing the old comes across strong. From De La Soul to MJ, nothing is out of bounds for TBG. Eric Lau is le deuxième cours on Nothing Leaves the House. Lau brings his wealth of talent on this release sampling a variety of genres. He first chops up an African-style beat with a catchy lingo. Then, he kicks us around with a cinematic blast from the past, followed by a hip-hop beat, only to round us in a jazzy Motown blanket all in one track! Kidkanevil changes the direction to some degree in the next segment of this record as he incorporates his characteristic and interesting ability at beat mashing and sample mixing. His last contribution, Sun Gonna Shine, is the icing on the cake with its subdued roll of lyrical stylings. And lastly we are introduced to Mr Thing, the original source of the spice for this anthology. This DJ master from the UK shows us that he hasn’t lost anything since his win at the 2000 UK DJ Championships. His mashups are top notch.
What an incredible way for all four of them to share the love even as they now reside across the globe.
Track Listing:
1. Tall Black Guy – One To One 03:54
2. Tall Black Guy – Solar Coaster For The People 04:16
3. Tall Black Guy – Constantly Moving 04:35
4. Tall Black Guy – Super Heights 03:27
5. Eric Lau – Chop 4 Mr Thing 02:43
6. Eric Lau – Dedication A, B & C 03:00
7. Eric Lau – YNWAJP 02:34
8. Eric Lau – Lau Left The House 02:08
9. kidkanevil – Loopin’ Ill 01:59
10. kidkanevil – Explorer Flip 02:09
11. kidkanevil – A Love That’s Worth Sampling 02:00
12. kidkanevil – Sun Gonna Shine 01:52
13. Mr Thing – Changes 02:52
14. Mr Thing – Carnival 03:11
15. Mr Thing – Higher 03:02
16. Mr Thing – Funky Coffee Thing 03:04
Buy here.
