Conrad Clifton - Black Dynamite (I Am Smiling)

After receiving valued tastemaker support from The FADER, Magnetic Magazine, Acid Stag, BBC Radio 1xtra, Kitsuné and others on his ‘Get Your Whole Life’ album, Conrad Clifton returns with a new full-length project, expanding on one of its central themes.

'IS IT YOU: Beat Tape (Full Circle)' is a 10-song concept that's built around a selection from his previous album, and serves as a bonus offering to fans. While 'Get Your Whole Life' is arguably Conrad’s most dancefloor ready project to date, he was able to leave space for one tune that stood out in the collection - a rare, sample-heavy hip-hop instrumental called “Is It You?”. Here, we got a glimpse of some creative origins, similarly heard on Yelawolf’s “Down” (Shady Records, 2014). The listeners wanted more, and Conrad doesn’t disappoint - adding 9 unreleased head-bops, that cohesively glide into one another with a perfect flow.

Musically, Conrad always wants to give more insight into his life, and journey as a creative. From project to project, the genres are fluid, and he's never been limited to one style. With the Beat Tape, he brings us full circle, to the history of where he started as a beatmaker. Some of the songs were developed 13 years ago, like “Hi, Still Here” - while others are fresh-made, like “dreambutdontsleep”. Each track displays his obsession with intricately chopped samples (also sourced from varying genres). A true nod to the greats like Madlib and J Dilla (“High.” is a tribute to “Hi.” from Dilla’s ‘Donuts’ album). All tracks have been updated and remastered, in the interest of creating something timeless.

“I've been impatiently sitting on a few of these tracks for years, waiting for the perfect time to share them. I felt that the start of a new decade was fitting. This is also, officially the 20th release on Infinity Pool - which comes in 2020, so it really feels like a milestone," says Conrad. "I'm trying to connect those dots and close the gap between my global listener base, and the people who knew me before, as HeadROC from the beat battles in Atlanta. I want to share all of the creative aspects of myself, and this Beat Tape is like the foundation to everything.”