If there’s one thing that’s kept hip hop interesting in the last few years, it’s the increasing crossover and mix it’s enjoyed with various forms of electronic music: from the disjointed futuristic rhythms of Dabrye to the more recent bass-led sonic bombs from Rustie. Hip hop was always about experimentation and we’re finally seeing a new generation of artists re-appropriating this philosophy to deliver some seriously interesting stuff. Eliot Lipp has always drawn inspiration from early techno and hip hop, and with his latest album, his first for Mush, he delivers 12 tracks of souped up funk, taking cues from a range of styles and genres without once falling into any predictable traps. Warm synth melodies abound over eclectic rhythms powered by, at times, seriously crunchy drums and irresistible basslines. As an instrumental album ‘The Outside’ works a treat, without leaving you feeling the need to skip ahead. This album, like a few others in recent years, is the perfect embodiment of a new ‘boom-bap’ ethic that is keeping hip hop interesting and most of all alive. - ATM