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Clams Casino is the pseudonym of New Jersey resident Michael Volpe, who has shot from relative obscurity to production sensation thanks to a handful of blistering tracks. Edging into the limelight after passing tunes to Soulja Boy and Bay Area superstar Lil B, his originality has resonated with more than just rap fans. Clams hasn’t confined his songwriting to rap music alone, and listening to his productions you can hear a keen sense of harmony Read more on Last.fm
The first Instrumentals tape was a welcome introduction to a lush, hypnotizing new soundscape in hip-hop. It succeeded on sonic merit alone, even without having heard any of the songs in their original contexts. Here, an emergent Mike Volpe brings us certified bangers (namely cuts from 2011’s game-changing LiveLoveA$AP), and the real treat is not hearing new songs, but hearing songs in a new way. After one listen, the texture and tapestry of sound weaving into every single beat adds a new dimension of appreciation for songs I already loved. For fans of hip-hop, that “standing by the ocean at night” feeling, or just sounds that sound good, I implore you to listen to this tape. Clams is giving it away for free; you have nothing to lose and so much to gain.