I say this as one of the stand out elements of 32 levels is the beauty which is darkly conveyed throughout, but particularly in opening track Level 1. Unlike most hip hop producers Clams Casino is a big fan of subtlety, less is more, or in the case of the instrumentals less is beautiful. The strangeness of the sound becoming the artists’ trademark. However it is a sound that is not only unique but works to brilliant effect. And again on his debut album, whilst the vocals are enjoyable and sometimes great, it is inevitably the beats which stand out.Ĭlams Casino’s sound is at first strange to the ear consisting of Boards of Canada and Aphex Twin style synths coupled with fractured and half time hip hop and trap beats. In recent years Clams Casino has thrilled with a selection of free downloadable Eps made up of instrumentals, which have gone on to be used by some of the biggest names in hip hop and Alt RnB today, such as Kelela. Rather I am recommending you go out and buy the deluxe edition, which comes with the added bonus of having all the original instrumentals of each track on 32 Levels. However, it is not that album I am recommending to you. Clams Casino’s 32 Levels is a well-rounded enjoyable hip hop and Alt R&B album, which has impressed critics.
