Beginnings

Known mostly for his work with some of the Bay Area's most promising young artists (Melina Jones, Emassin, Kazwell, and Paulie Rhyme, among others), Deedot has spent the last decade concocting mega-smooth instrumentals that are primarily sample-based and custom-made for each emcee. Influenced by golden-era masters but adding his unique flavor to the mix, his productions almost always mix loops and a live element. Yet here, on his first straight solo release, he throws longtime listeners a curve with an EP that's 100% keyboards: played, recorded, and mixed on a Korg M3. In lesser hands, this could have been disastrous. But Deedot keeps things funky on every tune, creating what sounds like an unusually fresh mix of Kelis-era Neptunes, DJ Quik's signature instrumental jams, mid-career Herbie Hancock, and '80s synth-heads/soundtrack masters Tangerine Dream. Catchy without being corny, these tracks are all mid-tempo bangers that could be rapped over but work even better on their own. It's just straight-up good music that doesn't easily fit into any one genre. All five joints are high-quality, but "Bolo," "Flip Flops," and "Nyomy" are highlights.