UNCUT GEMS (VINYL)

Swedish producer Max I Million is back on his
hip-hop steez with 'Uncut Gems,' an
instrumental album that blends left-field
creativity with boom-bap vibes. It's equal parts
futuristic and nostalgic, a distinctive
combination of sounds that never gets too
comfortable, nor too experimental. Pulling that
off is no easy feat, and neither is making it
sound this damn good. But that's just what Max
does with this project.
'Uncut Gems' is pure audio dope that's loaded
with musical layers. And it turns out that Max
actually produced these tracks with that
concept in mind, so that listeners would play it
again and again to unearth new sounds and
production techniques with each spin. "I want
to elevate minds and make them feel inclined
to, in the words of Dilla, 'Turn me up another
notch in your system!'," he says.