Tranzformer's Dirty Dome Records with Dankery Harv AKA Dank from Frank-N-Dank, Dusty Crates & Toxic Thoughts (Record Label Profile)
Airic "Tranzformer" Estala is a San Diego-based producer, emcee, beat-maker, and Punk Rock/Experimental artist born in raised in El Centro, California. Estala has previously collaborated with Blu, J57, Blame One, Guilty Simpson, Frank-N-Dank, ILL BILL, Rick Gonzalez, Planet Asia, Johaz, CashUs King FKA Co$$, Koncept, and more. Tranzformer is affiliated with producer J57's newly-launched FiveSe7en Collective (@FiveSe7enCollective,) New York-based record label and digital distributor Soulspazm Records (@Soulspazm,) and his own label imprint, Dirty Dome Records (@dirty_dome_records_.) Since launching his Bandcamp page around 2013, Tranzformer has self-released a staggering 29 projects, be they beat tapes, albums, mixtapes, singles, or EP's. For the purposes of The Witzard's introductory feature on Tranzformer & Dirty Dome Records, I would, however, like to primarily focus on Tranz's currently released and as-yet-unreleased body of work with Dankery Harv AKA Dank of long-time J Dilla affiliated group, Frank-N-Dank. Airic Estala & Dankery Harv first met during the earliest aughts of The Internet and social media on MySpace and organically started working together, as Tranzformer produced a few beats for Frank-N-Dank.
Their first album-length collaborative release, ALL AMERICAN HOOD was a 2015 EP issued on Dirty Dome Records with rhymes from Dank AKA Dankery Harv and beats constructed by Tranzformer & J-Science AKA Smash Bro$. It will soon be followed up by a full-length Dankery Harv x Tranzformer x Smash Bro$ LP called Late Night Labour. In addition to the 3-man group, Dank & Tranzformer are also, part of a Hip-Hop group together called Dusty Crates; they released a 2017 5-track EP together, simply called DUSTY CRATES, which was attributed to "Tranzformer & Dankery Harv" on the project's cover artwork. About 9 months ago, Dirty Dome Records quietly released a track on their Soundcloud called "Solar System" Feat. CashUs King FKA Co$$ from Tranzformer X Dankery Harv's impending Late Night Labour EP/LP. Last, but not least, is Tranzformer & Dank's third and final group (for now!) together: Toxic Thoughts. Here, Tranzformer is known as "Rugged Spitter" and Dankery Harv is referred to as "Big Heavy." Toxic Thoughts is more of a Punk Rock/Hip-Hop/Experimental music-leaning duo and is deeply influenced by Airic Estala's Punk/Hardcore roots.
Toxic Thoughts have, so far, released one track, "Real Friends"—no, not a Kanye West cover—which was uploaded to Tranzformer aka Dirtydome's Soundcloud page about 10 months ago. "Real Friends" sounds vaguely similar to Rancid's Tim Armstrong, Skinhead Rob, and Blink-182's Travis Barker's Punk Rock/Hip-Hop super-group, Transplants, and their extremely strong genre-blending 2005 album, Haunted Cities. Toxic Thoughts are currently finishing up their self-titled debut EP, which will, likely, be released at some point within the next few months. Also, coming soon on Dirty Dome/Soulspazm Records: Tranzformer X Dankery Harv (Dusty Crates)' Late Night Labour with Smash Bro$, Tranzformer & Spray Money's Voyage One album dropping on Halloween, and plenty more as-yet-unannounced solo and collaborative projects. Since August, Tranzformer has unleashed a new album, Raw Odyssey, with Grey Era and a slew of talented emcees, as well as his own Random Flips EP, which was just re-released earlier this week with 2 newly-added Bonus Tracks. All of the aforementioned projects are now available on Dirty Dome Records/Tranzformer's Bandcamp & Soundcloud pages.