This is a brand new collaborative LP between Panorama City deejay & producer DJ Hoppa as well as Long Beach, California producer Johnny Slash. One of whom I became a fan of during my high school years after becoming an in-house DJ/producer for Funk Volume during their heyday & the other I first heard of when G-Mo Skee freestyles over a few of his instrumentals at the end of his gaming streams. K.A.A.N. just dropped 2 back-to-back albums produced by Hoppa over the summer Delusions of Grandeur & In Due Time maintaining the acclaim of some of his more recent output, but hearing Hoppa & Slash coming together for Shadows in Sound was interesting as someone who respects both producers’ artistries.
“Damn!” by Kail Problems is this dusty boom bap opener talking about being raised rugged in a city full of broad day muggers whereas “Microdose” by Wrekonize stands as one of my favorite tracks here working in more kicks & snares realizing that he’s definitely high taking more than what was supposed to be a minimal amount. “Lost!” by K.A.A.N. proves to be another highlight keeping it boom bap & the Maryland chopper setting a heinous tone lyrically just before “Funeral Pyre” by Body Bag Ben takes it further down the basement warning that the dysfunctionalists will leave y’all in permanent tourniquets.
The instrumental on “Bullsh!t” by Marley B. kinda radiates this funky boom bap vibe to it airing out all the cap that comes his way leading into “Smoke 1st” by Coast LaContro having a bit of a jazz rap influence so Coast can provide a banger for all the smoker’s out there. “Aim” by Cole Z hooks the kicks & snares up once again cautioning that he’s got the guns blazing when he’s out here working, but then the gorgeous sampling throughout “Can’t Save Me” by Rollen Poole finds him talking about them saying he’s out his mind.
“Protect the Innocent” by Seuss Mace nears the conclusion of Shadows in Sound by layering this synth/boom bap hybrid with conscious lyricism pleading for a safer tomorrow for our children to start today & the grisly “Code Red” by Big Renz properly closes out what is set to be a promising series of collaboration efforts from DJ Hoppa & Johnny Slash coming back to work after going rogue for a month as if he never had to leave in the first place.
If you highly enjoy what both of these guys have to offer behind the boards killing it for quite some time individually as west coast bred boom bap producers & they come together for a pretty solid collaborative effort. Their production over the course of 27 minutes is absolutely flawless with the guests ranging from established veterans like Wrekonize & K.A.A.N. to up-&-comers like Seuss Mace or Broken Complex Records signees Kail Problems & Marley B., both of whom dropped a collab EP earlier this summer.
Score: 7/10