MESTIZO & Controller 7 Join Forces for Collaborative Album Couch with Jason Jagel-designed Alt. Cover (Grey Carpet Records)
MESTIZO & Controller 7 are two Underground/Indie Hip-Hop luminaries, who have now teamed up to self-release a collaborative 10-track album entitled Couch. Emcee MESTIZO, a Fake Four, Inc. affiliate, has released music with A7PHA (doseone,) Free The Robots, The Heavy Twelves, Mike Gao, k-the-i??? Meaty Orge, MURS, and Isaiah Toothtaker. Beat-maker Controller 7, a one-time anticon. affiliate, has contributed production work for projects attributed to Atmosphere, Deep Puddle Dynamics, Sage Francis, sole, Themselves (doseone & JEL,) and Third Sight. Upon Couch's initial release a few weeks ago, I decided to reach out to Controller 7 on a whim, via email, who told me he and MESTIZO are, actually, friends-of-friends and despite working together, have never met in-person. In addition to having doseone as a mutual collaborator, Controller 7 & MESTIZO "met" through producer Meaty Orge, who released BARBEQUE. part 1 with MESTIZO in 2019.
Controller 7 tells us he reached out to Meaty Orge about connecting with MESTIZO after hearing they recorded BARBEQUE. part 1 in a matter of days; "that got me fired up. I've spent the majority of my music making days overthinking things. I was blown away that they did something in two days." Controller 7 soon sent MESTIZO a Direct Message and they agreed to make a song together, but once C7's juices got flowing and he got back into making and constructing beats again, he had a whole album's-worth of material before he knew it. Can you image how surprised MESTIZO must have been, who still though he was just getting one song, received damn near a whole album's-worth of beats from Controller 7!!? The album we're now so fortunate to have in our possession, Couch, is chock-full of dusty Boom-Bap leaning beats, vocal samples, interludes, and, of course, stone cold rhymes. Couch boasts just one lone featured artist, Controller 7 collaborator, DJ D-Styles from Third Sight providing scratches on near-album closer, "PROMISED LAND."
And yes, if you're wondering, that is, indeed, a picture of a "street" couch on Couch's album cover! Controller 7 says, "when I was working on beats, I walked by a couch on the street and took a photo. I was thinking about album art and it jumped out at me. I was feeling pretty grim about the world; politics and the environment, just things in general are kinda grim." Amidst the current state of the world, during this Coronavirus/COVID-19 Pandemic, Controller 7 explains, "it applies even more these days. The world is beyond understanding at this moment. I kinda rushed to release it, but it felt like there's no point in waiting anymore and now is as good a time as ever to listen to it." Above, you will see a quasi-alt. cover, or self-described "fan art" created by world-renown Stones Throw & Now-Again Records-affiliated artist Jason Jagel. You can learn a bit more about Jägel's re-designed alt. cover, which may be used for an upcoming vinyl pressing of Couch, below. MESTIZO & Controller 7's Couch is now available to purchase on Bandcamp (along with the instrumentals!) or on your preferred digital streaming service of choice.
"This is so amazing to me. I am a huge fan of @jagel and the fact that he made this self-described "fan art" and sent me a very complimentary message, totally made my day. You, likely, know Jason Jagel's work from some of DOOM's albums and other @stonesthrow & @nowagain releases. He's got murals around SF, one in the SFO Airport and he posts amazing little pieces frequently. His dad, also, did super-iconic album covers for John Coltrane & Ornette Coleman. This completely made my day. Be well, everyone. And reach out to people. It's amazing who you can connect with, if you just try. Couch started with a random DM on Instagram. Thank you, @jagel. This is amazing..."
- Controller 7 (@controllerseven)