New Philip Grass – “Onit”

Somehow we (inexcusably) forgot to post this absolute Gem last week, but better late than never I guess. Philip Grass is a new member of Portland’s Dropping Gems posse and has contributed the delectable first entry into the label’s third comprehensive compilation, Gem Drops 3, which happens to be the first entry to be released on vinyl. “Onit” falls somewhere between Madlib’s Quasimoto and the more aggressive side of the Low End Theory sphere and is a more overtly genre-bending offering than we’ve come to expect from DG. It’s easy to get caught up in the stuttering, heavy synth work in “Onit”, but the heavily distorted vocal sample, faltering FX and cracking drums are the real driving force here. Gem Drops 3 is out April 16 and also feature DJAO, City Mouth and M. Constant.