We got our first notable album release of the year on January 2nd from the one and only Darko the Super. This album is currently exclusive to the official U DON’T DESERVE THIS BEAUTIFUL ART Bandcamp page, but it’s definitely worth your time and money. This is one of the better instrumental projects I’ve heard in a long time. I know it’s super early to be saying this, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this album maintains my number 1 spot for best instrumental releases of the year. It’s that good.

The first song I wanna talk about is track 4, which is called Nigel’s Theme. This song in particular has kind of an Indie Rock vibe to it that I really love. The guitar loop sounds excellent, and I really like the vocal sample that comes in too. The best thing to me about this album is the fact that the instrumentals are so dynamic. You have to listen to the entire track to get the full breadth of sounds. It’s not just a simple loop that goes on and on and outstays its welcome. I was gonna save this line for the conclusion of this review, but I’m just gonna say it now; this feels like a fully fleshed out instrumental album rather than a beat tape. The extra guitar sample that comes in around the 2:02 point sounds fantastic. The song’s dope as hell.

The following track is called The Selner Brothers, and it’s even better. The atmosphere of this track is a little darker, and the drums are more hard-hitting. There are some really damn awesome sounds in this track. When the piano came in I was totally agog. There’s a new word for you. I added that one to the lexicon recently. Anyway, this is one of the most detailed, intricate instrumentals on the project in my opinion. I think it’s phenomenal.

Track 7 is called Valentine Gets a Job Working for the Man. I think the most interesting thing about this track is probably the drum pattern. It’s not your typical percussion loop. It kinda fluctuates throughout the runtime of the track, which is really cool. The vocal sample that comes in at the 47 second point is very nice as well. Again, the ever-evolving nature of the production really keeps things engaging. This track is really awesome, but the following track is even better in my opinion.

Gil’s Straw Broom is my favorite song on the album. The instruments in this beat just sound gorgeous together. There’s what sounds like an upright bass along with a piano loop, which is just a really pretty combination. What’s really cool is that there’s a hook on this track. The vocal sample occurs right where the chorus should be. It’d be easy to make a full rap song with this track. I’d love to hear an MC spit over this. The fast-paced drum pattern is really awesome too. The song’s dope as fuck.

Track 9 is another highlight entitled David and Jan’s House. This is probably the most unsettling instrumental on the project. The ebbing and flowing of the piano melody along with the strange vocal sample really establishes kind of an ominous vibe. I don’t know if it’s supposed to be spooky on purpose or if I’m just perceiving it that way. The kind of uptempo percussion is what saves this from being too fitting of a soundtrack for a horror film. It’s an awesome beat.

The next song I wanna mention is called Old & Dirty. This is arguably the craziest beat on the album. There’s a lot going on with this one. The way all the sounds come together to form this collage of samples is really captivating. Unlike some of the other tracks I’ve mentioned before, I don’t think an MC would sound great over this beat. I mean, it might work, but I think this works best as an instrumental. The vocal samples kinda take up space, so vocals from a rapper would make it sound too cluttered. This song is audible chaos, but in a really enjoyable way. I love it.

Track 18 is called Open the Pod Bay Doors, and it kinda reminded me of Aesop Rock’s production style a little bit. The main difference is the lack of chunky percussion sounds on this one. The drums are nowhere near as hefty as the average Aesop Rock-produced instrumental. They’re pretty good, but just not as attention-demanding as Aes’ drums. I really love the Electronic type sounds though. Aside from Aesop Rock, this one also kinda reminds me of El-P’s work. It’s a pretty awesome song. I really love it.

It’s followed by And the Winner Is…, which is another one of the prettiest and most complex instrumentals on the project. It kinda reminds me slightly of Lobotomy Day Dreams from the Big Baby Gandhi collaboration. There’s a really awesome piano loop, and the drums sound kind of like a throwback to the type of stuff that was common in the 80s. Much like track 15, there are a lot of different sounds being employed in this instrumental, but it doesn’t sound too hectic or over the top. I think it’s an awesome beat.

The last song I would like to mention is called Mike Has a Baby. This one’s just under a minute long, but it’s honestly a top 3 track on the album for me. It has kind of a Rock-inspired edge to it, but it’s very melodic and catchy. The fast paced percussion induces the coveted involuntary head nod. The guitar sample is awesome. This track sounds like I’m cruising through a city with my top down on a sunny day at dusk. It’s only grown on me more and more since I first heard it. I think this is an amazing beat honestly. I love it.

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^{This album is pretty damn great. I was honestly caught off guard by how much I ended up enjoying it. This is not only the best instrumental project I’ve heard from Darko, but one of the best Darko albums I’ve heard period. This is a very adventurous collection of sounds, and there really aren’t any lulls. Before this came out, I was under the impression that his production alias was Doc Heller, so I’m not really sure why this is labeled as a Darko the Super album. Maybe he’s relinquished the name Doc Heller for good. I’m not sure, but it doesn’t really matter at the end of the day. This is a very high quality album, and I think it’s a must-listen for any Darko fan. It’s rare for me to hear an instrumental project with zero skips, but that’s exactly what happened here. Give this one a listen and let me know what you think in the comment section below. I think it’s super dope.}

Favorite Song: Gil’s Straw Broom
Least Favorite Song: Angelina’s Theme