Chaz Emphatic – “Base Layer Blues” – [Last Stab Records]

puplaif   7/20/2022   12-inch, A Library

Self-described moody, reflective, instrumental hip hop. Chaz Emphatic has been making music since 1992 as part of the underground rap collective, San Francisco Street Music (SFSM). In addition to SFSM and his solo work, he’s also involved in other collaborative projects on the Last Stab Records label such as Mummy Club. He’s very transparent about the equipment he uses (it’s listed on the back of the album and online) and he’s got a number of videos out there demonstrating his favorite tools for making beats. On Base Layer Blues, Chaz Emphatic draws samples from 90s hip hop, jazz fusion, and beyond, sculpting them into his own unique, beat-driven creations. There’s definitely sonic variety here, while the album as a whole hovers on the chiller side of vibrations. The tracks are mostly instrumental, featuring melodic guitars, saxophone, and keys paired with drum machine beats and periodic vocal blips.