RJD2

Lineup: Supastition (Hip-hop, Punk) and J-live (Hip-hop, Punk). With the same care he combines sound sources into songs, RJD2 has stitched together an impressive career out of many projects: instrumental albums, international tours, credits for Mos Def, MF DOOM, Phonte, producing the theme for Mad Men, and beyond. The Columbus, OH producer titled his new album Visions Out of Limelight in honor of his comfortable place in the underground and his "self-imposed exile" at work on the tracks. For his latest instrumental LP, the producer found inspiration in sources that can be taken for granted by less-discerning listeners. Thanks to time at home with his son, RJD2 was completely immersed in the TV theme songs of the '70s, '80s, and '90s. "I realized how incredibly composed and skillfully complex many of them were. These songs contained a few core tenets: a great groove, a great chord change, a strong melody, and a concise time frame," he says. "It made me realize how hard it is to make instrumental music with a melody that's as memorable as a lead vocal." The producer was also determined to build tracks around interesting basslines, inspired by classic parts in Dr. Dre's "Deep Cover," KMD's "Black Bastards," and [Diamond D example]. It was a deliberate change from the chord-centric compositions in post-millennial hip-hop and funk. It became a "mini-mission" for the producer to make a modern album that puts the bass in the forefront of the songs. Both approaches align on single "Catch The Exit Door," as electric bass percolates up and down the