Pop & Hiss premiere: Non Projects’ RareBit searches and destroys

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Though a majority of local beat heads hail from the city or suburbs ringing Los Angeles, almost every week brings a new transplant. Samiyam, whose stellar ‘Sam Baker’s Album’ arrives on Brainfeeder later this month, arrived years ago from Ann Arbor, Mich. The Gaslamp Killer comes from San Diego, where he cleared out dance floors in the cologne-wreathed Gaslamp District. Matthewdavid was raised in Florida. Just last week, the Anticon-signed rapper Serengeti moved here.

Those are just a few of the more established names. Beneath the crust are dozens of other twentysomethings who came in search of crazy beats, (in some cases) strong smoke and close-knit community. One of the more recent upstarts is Pacific Northwesterner Justin Hopkins, who records as RareBit and is dropping his debut EP on the local Non Projects label -- a imprint distributed by linchpin Alpha Pup Records.

Befitting Non Project’s experimental jones, the 24-year old illustrator/producer takes an omnivorous approach, filtering everything from 100-year-old comic strips to disco to found sounds recorded in Burma. Released Tuesday, ‘The Destroyer’ is atomization at work, each track splintered suites that last as long as Twitter thoughts. Still, it retains a focus that bodes well for RareBit’s future.

The full-length is slated for release this fall. In the meantime, there is ‘Aggro Crag,’ a slice of high-octane funk and ethereal vocals, disco, Oriental chimes, glitch and ‘G.U.T.’ jokes. It holds together quite nicely.

Download (Pop & Hiss premiere): RareBit ft. Sandra Wallace-’Aggro Crag’ [MP3]

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-- Jeff Weiss