Rainforest Clams Casino
Preheat oven to 450°. Spread salt into an oven-safe metal serving platter or a 15x10x1-in. Shuck clams, reserving bottom shells; drain liquid (save for another use). Arrange clams in salt-lined pan. Rainforest is an EP and it does leave the listener wanting. It works as a sort of mini album, finding enough variable direction to point toward a future template for Clams Casino with a myriad of aural directions when he does decide to craft a full-length.
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This is the first official solo release from Mike Volpe, aka Clams Casino, unlikely provider of beats for Lil B, Havoc, Main Attrakionz, and Squadda B. Earlier in 2011, Volpe issued a free-download compilation of instrumentals he had granted to rappers. Here, he assembles a conceptual 18-minute EP from leftover beats, which further showcases his form of left-field hip-hop -- an affecting, dreamlike, decayed din that incorporates voice samples twisted to such an extent that they sound sourced from torture victims and brokenhearted zombies. Despite the artwork, track titles, and environmental FX, Rainforest evokes a damp, mossy urban prairie. It’s not easy to imagine any remotely lucid MC’ing over any of it, as the constructions tend to be denser than Clams' vocal productions and rattle, thwack, and creep along. It's all the more twisted that the tracks come not from one of the Tri Angle label's “mysterious” artists but a traditionally photographed, normal-looking fellow from suburban New Jersey who lives with his mom, makes music in his attic, and drives a BMW.
| Sample | Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 03:53 | |||
| 2 | 03:24 | |||
| 3 | 03:31 | |||
| 4 | 03:22 | |||
| 5 | 04:15 |
| Background information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Michael Volpe |
| Also known as | Clammy Clams |
| Born | May 12, 1987 (age 33) Nutley, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts |
|
| Website | clammyclams.com |
Michael Volpe (born May 12, 1987), known professionally as Clams Casino, is an Italian-American record producer and songwriter from Nutley, New Jersey.[1][2] Volpe is currently signed to Columbia Records and Sony Music. He has produced tracks for artists such as ASAP Rocky,[3]Lil B,[4]Vince Staples,[5]Joji,[6] and Mac Miller[7] and has also remixed works by Big K.R.I.T.,[8]Washed Out,[9] and Lana Del Rey.[10]
Career[edit]
A resident of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, Volpe got his start in music tinkering with keyboards while he was a student at Nutley High School.[11]
Volpe's official debut EP Rainforest was released through Tri Angle Records on June 27, 2011.[12] His Instrumentals mixtape was released on March 7, 2011,[13] followed by the release of Instrumentals 2 on June 5, 2012[14] and Instrumentals 3 on December 18, 2013.[15] The mixtapes were distributed for free through his website.
Volpe contributed a score for Locomotor, a work choreographed by his cousin Stephen Petronio released on April 4, 2014.[16] He released his debut studio album 32 Levels through Columbia Records on July 15, 2016. He followed it up with his Instrumentals 4 mixtape, released on June 26, 2017.
In April 2020, Clams Casino cleared the Imogen Heap sample for his instrumental 'I'm God', which first appeared on Lil B's 2009 album 6 Kiss.[17][18] The song remains his most popular song with nearly 25 million views on Youtube.
Musical style[edit]
Volpe's music has been described as '[bringing] together conventional hip-hop drums, a sensitive ear for off-to-the-side melodies, and an overdose of oddly moving atmosphere.'[19] Associated genres include witch house and cloud rap.
Discography[edit]
Studio albums[edit]
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| 32 Levels |
|
| Moon Trip Radio |
|
Mixtapes[edit]
Rainforest Clams Casino Entertainment
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Instrumentals |
|
| Instrumentals 2 |
|
| Instrumentals 3 |
|
| Instrumentals 4 |
|
Extended plays[edit]
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Rainforest |
|
Singles[edit]
As lead artist[edit]
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 'Wizard' | 2011 | non-album singles |
| 'Worth It' (with Danny Brown) | 2015 | |
| 'Blast' | 2016 | 32 Levels |
| 'Witness' (featuring Lil B) | ||
| 'All Nite' (featuring Vince Staples) | ||
| 'A Breath Away' (featuring Kelela) | ||
| 'Be Somebody' (featuring ASAP Rocky and Lil B) | ||
| 'Be Somebody (Remix)' (featuring ASAP Rocky, AJ Tracey and Lil B) | non-album singles | |
| 'Live My Life' (featuring Lil B) | ||
| 'Time' | Savefabric | |
| 'Kali Yuga' (with Ghostemane) | 2017 | non-album singles |
| 'Summer Bummer (Clams Casino Remix)' (with Lana Del Rey featuring ASAP Rocky and Playboi Carti) | ||
| 'Vampire Knight' (with Chxpo) | 2018 |
As featured artist[edit]
Rainforest Clams Casino No Deposit
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| '4 Gold Chains' (Lil Peep featuring Clams Casino) | 2018 | non-album singles |
| 'Can't Get Over You' (Joji featuring Clams Casino) | 2018 | Ballads 1 |
| 'NITROUS' (Joji featuring Clams Casino) | 2020 | Nectar |
Compilations[edit]
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Instrumental Relics |
|
References[edit]
- ^Kuperinsky, Amy (January 8, 2012). 'Making a scene: A new generation of New Jersey hip-hop asserts itself'. New Jersey On-Line.
- ^Dombalon, Ryan (March 31, 2011). 'Rising: Clams Casino'. Pitchfork Media.
- ^Lester, Paul (November 17, 2011). 'New band of the day – No 1,151: Clams Casino'. The Guardian.
- ^Montes, Patrick (May 16, 2013). 'Producer Clams Casino on His 'Weird' Relationship with Our 4Knots After Party Headliner Lil B'. Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2014-02-02. Retrieved 2014-01-23.
- ^'Vince Staples Hops on Clams Casino's 'All Nite''. Highsnobiety. 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2017-01-08.
- ^'Joji teams with Clams Casino for new single 'CAN'T GET OVER YOU''. The FADER. Retrieved 2018-10-22.
- ^Roos, Brandon E. (November 27, 2011). 'Clams Casino Talks Making Strong Connections With Mac Miller And A$AP Rocky'. HipHopDX. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
- ^Martin, Andrew (December 20, 2011). 'Listen: Big K.R.I.T. 'Moon & Stars (Clams Casino Remix)''. Complex.
- ^Thiessen, Brock (November 9, 2011). 'Washed Out – 'Amor Fati' (Clams Casino remix)'. Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 2014-12-13. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^Adams, Gregory (January 17, 2012). 'Lana Del Rey – 'Born to Die' (Clams Casino remix)'. Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 2014-12-13. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^Olivier, Bobby. 'How this Nutley artist became New Jersey's latest music pioneer', NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 21, 2016. 'The EDM bleed has paid dividends for Mike Volpe, a Nutley native better known as Clams Casino, who has become one of the most sought-after digital designers in hip-hop's experimental universe.... 'It's great, how easy it is to get stuff out, and make music at home and all the sudden people everywhere can hear it,' he says, from his home in Hasbrouck Heights.... The Nutley High School grad first began to tinker with beats as a teen, fooling around with basic keyboards and synthesizers, much simpler ones than the machines now scattered around his basement home studio.'
- ^Sharp, Elliott (July 5, 2011). 'Guide To New Music, 7/5/11: New Releases by Clams Casino, Exhumed, Memory Tapes, and Pursuit Grooves'. Philadelphia Weekly. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^Reynaldo, Shawn (January 2, 2012). 'Clams Casino Offers 'Instrumentals' for Free'. XLR8R. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^Shaw, Steve (June 12, 2012). 'Clams Casino: Instrumentals 2'. Fact.
- ^Fitzmaurice, Larry (January 8, 2014). 'Clams Casino: Instrumental Tape 3'. Pitchfork Media.
- ^Seibert, Brian (April 4, 2014). 'Come Here, Look Back, Move Forward – Stephen Petronio Company Marks Its 30th Anniversary'. The New York Times.
- ^'10 songs you need in your life this week'. The FADER. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
- ^Chris. 'Clams Casino's legendary, Imogen Heap-sampling 'I'm God' finally gets an official release'. GORILLA VS. BEAR. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
- ^'Clams Casino: Instrumental Mixtape'. Pitchfork. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
- ^Yoo, Noah (October 29, 2019). 'Clams Casino Announces New Album Moon Trip Radio, Shares New Song 'Rune': Listen'. Pitchfork. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
External links[edit]
- clammyclams on SoundCloud
- ClamsCasinoMusic's channel on YouTube
- Clams Casino discography at Discogs