They Robot (Independent)

These days, the rap mix tape is primarily a showcase for MCs, but even though They Robot is "guided" by New York's Saul Williams, it is, above all, an homage to the DJ-led tapes of days gone by. It is no secret that Vancouver's No Luck Club holds the pioneering NYC decknician Steinski in the utmost regard, and this is the duo's attempt to bring that man's cut 'n' paste methods into the 21st century.

As with their own proper studio recordings, They Robot is just as pleasurable for trainspotters as for neophytes; vinylphiles will have fun trying to identify the dozens of snippets and breaks sprinkled throughout, while the blissfully unaware will revel in the mix's rollercoasting dynamic range, which spans echo-chamber dub (Rhythm & Sound's "We Been Troddin'") and frenzied Afro funk (Antibalas's "Who Is This America?").

Best of all are the pair's remixes of familiar songs; where most mix tapes feature MCs spitting over well-known beats, NLC's Matt and Trevor Chan flip the concept, jacking a cappella raps by LL Cool J and Fat Joe and placing them over lively jazz and funk breaks. Elsewhere, the brothers inject some post-slacker-generation dialogue from Richard Linklater's Waking Life into RJD2's piano-led "Since We Last Spoke", a clever gambit that adds a bittersweet touch to this otherwise delirious exercise in gene-splicing.