Album of the Day - Clams Casino's 32 Levels: spaced-out and beautiful

Michael Volpe's work is positioned amid cloud-rap, hip-hop, and witch-house, benefiting from an association with the excellent Tri Angle label, which put out his 2011 EP Rainforest.

He does not stray far from his experimental vision and videogame influences, but mingles many compositions with strong appearances from artists such as A$AP Rocky (Be Somebody), Vince Staples (All Nite), and Lil B (Witness). Volpe occasionally veers towards a more commercial sound (the R&B-influenced A Breath Away, with Kelela), but overall there is a spaced-out atmosphere, with beautiful samples on 32 Levels, and echoey vocals on Back to You (with Kelly Zutrau).

The most intriguing song is Ghost in a Kiss, with Future Islands' Samuel T Herring, who restrains his own vocal to complement Volpe's subtly epic, trippy soundscape.

[ clammyclams.com ]