Damu the Fudgemunks Conversation Peace is the first volume of the KPM Crate Diggers series, a curated series of albums constructed from samples taken from the archives of KPM and several related music libraries. In turn, the albums themselves will be considered part of the KPM archives, for future use as library music. Damu was previously familiar with some of the KPM records through his extensive vinyl hunting, but flying to London for the first time and being given access to the entire archive was truly an overwhelming, powerful experience. He spent much of 2020 organizing the sounds and piecing together ideas while homebound, then reached out to some of his friends and frequent collaborators for verses. The album has a classic boom-bap sound, with choppy breakbeats and dexterous turntable scratching, while the instrumentation sounds lush, vibrant, and organic. Many of the elements sound live rather than sampled (particularly the vibraphones, which are crystal clear), and it seems like several of the songs could be re-created live with an ensemble and sound largely the same. Damu himself raps on three songs, and the rest of the tracks verses are supplied by Raw Poetic, Insight, Blu, and Nitty Scott (the only emcee who hadnt previously collaborated with Damu). The lyrics are optimistic and uplifting, and while tracks like the opener Power of the Mind are mainly focused on relaxing to good music and soaking in positive vibes, several other songs have more socially conscious themes. On Reporting, Damu addresses all the confusion and craziness of the world, particularly commenting on the cruelness and unfairness of war. The Four Better or Worse suite, taking up the second side of the vinyl LP, is both the albums most musically ambitious section and its most topically relevant. On each part, the featured lyricist only steps up to the mike for a brief verse or two, letting the music develop and flow through different instrumental sections. On the Pete Rock-esque second part, Blu calls out the government and demands justice for Breonna Taylor; Damu makes space for Blus words to linger after his verse wraps up, then increases the drums and scratches before leading into the next part. During the mellow yet simmering seven-minute conclusion, Damu pledges to make informed choices and use natural resources, then gets swept away in the atmospheric guitars, shuffling drums, and percolating siren synths. On the whole, a very fluid, natural recording which maintains the spirit of classic hip-hop while also showcasing the artistry of the production libraries. ~ Paul Simpson

Rovi