1. Clams Casino Instrumental Relics Vinyl Plank
2. Clams Casino Instrumental Relics Vinyl

RIYL: Balam Acab, Shlohmo, Burial, Oneohtrix Point Never

Label: Clammy Clams

Clams Casino - I'm God Lil B, Instrumental Mixtape 2 contains sample of 'Just For Now' performed by Imogen Heap. Similar to other electronic tinkerers like Burial and Balam Acab, Clams had an unnatural talent for finding balance between strange, eery sounds and sweeping, sublime ambience. Arguably the best example of that talent is his 2011 single I’m God, a lush hip hop instrumental sampling Imogen Heap’s 2005 deep cut Just For Now. Clams Casino, the mysterious beat producer from New Jersey, released a bombshell on major streaming platforms this week. Revered in the Northwest as a cloud rap king, real name Michael Volpe has performed at Shambhala and clubs in the region. In tune with his ethereal sounds and relative obscurity, he dropped a surprise electronic-infused compilation. Instrumental Relics. Writer: Funmi Ohiosumah - Michael Volpe - Oliver Rodigan - Flohio / Composers: Flohio - Clams Casino.

Responsible for creating worlds with ASAP Rocky, Vince Staples, Mac Miller, Washed Out, Lana Del Rey and many more, Clams Casino’s atmospheric production inspired a new generation of hip hop, electronic and indie rock aesthetics. Similar to other electronic tinkerers like Burial and Balam Acab, Clams had an unnatural talent for finding balance between strange, eery sounds and sweeping, sublime ambience. Arguably the best example of that talent is his 2011 single I’m God, a lush hip hop instrumental sampling Imogen Heap’s 2005 deep cut Just For Now. Processed and looped into an ethereal apparition, I’m God quickly became a focal point for other aspiring producers and songwriters.

As far as I know, the track was never cut to vinyl until now. 500 copies may seem like a lot, but I doubt it’ll make it through the weekend. If you love the song as much as I do, I wouldn’t wait around too long. $15 shipped ain’t exactly cheap for a 7″, but it’s the cheapest you’ll ever see it.

The Details

Clams Casino Instrumental Relics Vinyl Plank

I’M GOD / I’M THE DEVIL WITH IMOGEN HEAP 7' SINGLE
First pressing on clear vinyl, limited to 500 units

Additional Images

Price $10

Listen on Spotify

Clams Casino's hazy, bitcrushed beats were unmistakable when they first appeared backing rhymes by Lil B, Main Attrakionz, G-Side, and even Mac Miller around the turn of the 2010s, almost single-handedly giving birth to what came to be known as cloud rap. His profile expanded beyond underground rap circles when he began releasing a series of instrumental mixtapes in 2011; the first volume quickly became a cult classic, and was given a limited vinyl issue by experimental label Type, while Tri Angle (at the time associated with the witch house scene) released Clams' five-song Rainforest EP. Instrumental Relics collects highlights from the first few years of his output, and his sound remains as haunting and emotionally gripping as it was when these tracks first appeared. The collection begins with perhaps Clams' calling card, his groundbreaking instrumental for Lil B's 'I'm God,' which suspends (now fully cleared) samples of Imogen Heap's vocals in a dank, cave-like atmosphere and rearranges them with an almost Philip Glass-like precision, while sludgy drums thwack away underneath. Another production for Lil B, 'Motivation,' begins with a burst of radioactive fuzz surrounding a zombie's moan, before the track's decayed yet utterly hopeful rhythm kicks in, like vast sun rays illuminating a poison swamp. Clams' genius lies in how he finds sheer beauty within emotional wreckage -- on the life-affirming 'Realist Alive' and the particularly chilly 'Caves,' wounded, lonely souls cry out for mercy, while birds chirp from on high. The Rainforest tracks are sharper and more blown out than the others, and make up some of the release's most cathartic moments, particularly the struggling-to-escape 'Drowning' and the disfigured, muffled scream of 'Gorilla.' 'Crystals,' originally composed for Grand Theft Auto V, is a bit flashier, but no less eerie, as sour arpeggios play laser tag with Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares. The only skippable track (conveniently placed at the very end) is 'Unchain Me,' which is built around a corny yet nostalgic sample from the soundtrack to The Lost Boys, and sounds less surreal without Lil B rapping over it. Regardless, the release collects some of the best, most affecting material from a true visionary.

Clams Casino Instrumental Relics Vinyl