Seven Future Beats Compilations You Better Not Miss

They've tried to call it "wonky," "left-field," "future beats, " or simply "the Beat Scene." A handful of blogs even tried to call it "aquacrunk" once.

I'm talking about the gritty, off-kilter instrumental hip-hop that first drifted into our headphones through a cloud of high-grade, California weed smoke. Think warped kick drum and hi-hat rhythms, wiggling synths, and heavy basslines modulated by woozy side-chain compression—an unusual architecture built on the foundation that the legendary J Dilla once laid.

You may know it as the sound that Flying Lotus and his Los Angeles co-conspirators picked up on, flipped and brought to the fore in the mid-2000s; the sound that Dabrye and Prefuse73 pioneered across labels like Ghostly International and Eastern Developments, and one that LA's Daddy Kev fearlessly championed on all the Alpha Pup releases. The damn sound doesn't even have a real name (many producers just call it hip-hop) though I think "future beats" is as good as any.

Now, the above description doesn't even come close to covering a tiny slice of this movement's far-reaching history. For that, you'll want to look into the full history of hip-hop, from start to finish—period (for a great place to start, read Jeff Chang's seminal Can't Stop Won't Stop).

In my opinion, the best way to experience the finest in future beats is to dig through the staggering number of great compilations released since 2006 or so. So I did the work for you and picked seven albums that represent the cream of the post-FlyLo crop. Then there are three classics from the vaults for good measure.

And before you trolls start coming at me with the "You forgot X" or "How could you not mention Y," let me set the record straight—the below list is NOT DEFINITIVE, and I'm hoping you add your own contributions in the comments below. So roll one up and let the head start nodding.

Beat Dimensions 1 (2007)

This is an extremely important release for its time. The compilation was put together by Cinnaman of

Rush Hour

, the Dutch record distributor, and Jay Scarlett of German radio show

Sound Supreme

. It was their tribute to what they heard coming out of LA, crossed with some of their best MySpace finds.

Beat Dimensions 2

was just as great.

All City 7x7 Beat (2009)

All City is Dublin, Ireland's premier hip-hop record store and beat label. Its owner Olan O'Brien has been a major player in the scene for ages. This was a compilation of seven 7" releases of superb beats that had come out in 2008, with an all-star cast of European left-field heads: Dimlite, Fulgeance, Mike Slott and Onra. It's hard to find now but worth tracking down.

The Moon Comes Closer (2010)

This record is the jewel in the crown of

Project Mooncircle

's label catalogue, taking us through jazzy, melancholic rollers and razor sharp jams. Under the name Finest Ego, the label also released five compilations showcasing specific countries—all worth checking out.

Nihon Kizuna (2011)

This is a massive, sprawling compilation of craziness put together as a charity effort for the effects of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. There are 50 tracks on the original, and 34 more on the Bonus. It's a who's who at the time of producers from around the globe.

Sound Healers (2011)

This one's a more subtle release but it's always been one of my favorites.

Bambooman

, who put it together, has an incredibly good ear for pretty synths, skittering beats, and meditative songwriting. It's perfect for a sunny Sunday or a late-night chill session.

Beat Garden 2 (2013)

The Gergaz label is a treasure trove and the selection on their compilations is always impeccable. Run as a collective out of Slovakia, it provides a perfect window into world of young risk-takers in the scene today. Volume 3 is due out any week now.

Intergalactic Travels 2 (2013)

Intergalactic Travels is the "best of" compilation series from

Urban Waves

, which is pretty much

the

blog source for info on groundbreaking young artists in the scene. I love their quote justifying a 40-track release—"Wise-asses say, 'I'd rather get quality than quantity.' Urban Waves replies, 'We are all about quantity of quality.'" Volume 1 is terrific as well.

And here are three classic throwbacks to the knob-twisting, beat-making experimentalists of hip-hop's second decade:

Headz 2 (1996)

In the mid-90s and early 2000s, MoWax and

Ninja Tune

were

the

labels pushing boundaries in weird, indie hip-hop in the 90s. Perhaps you've heard of dudes like DJ Shadow? That was MoWax.

Headz 2

was the insane compilation that sat regally behind the register at record stores to discourage young me from spending $150 on it. It's never been equaled before or since.

Deep Concentration (1997)

This is the great

Om Records

' finest foray into their particular blend of boom-bap, with a heavy emphasis on turntable-ism. This is West Coast shit at it finest, and a seminal moment in that chapter of California music history.

Rapid Transit (2000)

This was everyone's favorite at the turn of the millennium. It featured all kinds of weird marriages between beats and rhymes that bled into the electronic realm of Warp and Schematic. It's the first place I ever heard Prefuse 73, and packs great singles from people like Push Button Objects. It even has Autechre basically doing hip-hop as Gescom. Definitely worth tracking down.

Matt Earp is the DJ and writer Kid Kameleon. He currently lives in Berlin. Follow him on Twitter -@kidkameleon