CASSETTE REVIEW: KNABLINZ / ARKA “BEETTAPE VOL # 2” (G.O.A.T. Beet tapes/?)

 https://goatbeetz.bandcamp.com/   

            This is a split cassette that has no markings on the cassette itself or j-card (or otherwise) to inform me of who it is by, what it is called, song titles, etc.    The artwork (And there is art) is without any words, which can make this confusing if you have several other cassettes that are similar, but luckily, this KNABLINZ / ARKA split is one of a kind. 

            The main connection between these two artists- each of whom claim a side- is that they both have those hip hop beats going on in their music, and they both tread on that R&B/jazz side of things as well.   Perhaps KNABLINZ does so a little bit more, but KNABLINZ also has a couple of audio clips, one of which is about Smokey from the “Friday” movies.   (I think that’s right, right?)

            With ARKA, you can get these sort of guitar riffs coming out that are somewhere between reggae and ska (There is an exact genre name in there somewhere—maybe dancehall—but my reggae subgenres are dusty) but they carry the overall vibe of triumphant hip hop that makes you want to put it on and announce “The Champ is here!”

            These two sides complement each other perfectly to the point that if you like one you will like the other, yet they are different enough for you not to confuse them or mistake them for being the same artist.   Someone out there should create a name for a split such as this (Symmetrical, even, cracked mirror… I don’t know, I’m spitballing here) and perhaps it already exists, but nonetheless this is rather excellent.