Clams Casino's Instrumental Mixtape, the out-of-nowhere delight of 2011, represented some interesting trends in music last year, particularly the concurrent surges of independent hip-hop and murky R&B. But it also stood alone as a peaceful oasis. Stripped of vocals, his beats worked almost like ambient techno, bouncing along with purpose but creating a soothing, hypnotic sensation. It was hip-hop, but somehow it floated, too. That ability to create atmosphere with a thumping backbone didn't go unnoticed, and Clams' profile has since risen over the past year, resulting in production work for chart-friendly rappers like Mac Miller and helped define A$AP Rocky's kicked-back, drug-laced aesthetic.
Clams faces a little more of a challenge with Instrumental Mixtape 2. We're familiar with his style now, and that initial "wow" factor has worn off some. And while the beats on the first tape were unquestionably strong, many of them supported stream-of-consciousness Lil B raps which, no disrespect to the Based God, most people didn't mind leaving behind. Now that he's making beats for songs with more memorable hooks and verses, do Clams' productions work as well on their own? The short answer is yes, and you don't have to look further than the opening cut for proof. The beat for A$AP Rocky's "Palace" is pretty glorious by itself, with a natural arc that moves from collapsing drums to a coda of soaring, disembodied vocals. But even without Rocky's indelible hook, it feels whole.
It's worth considering why these tracks, and not other producers', are able to function so well independently. It's not that Clams is hip-hop's most talented beatmaker. There are plenty of guys, from Hit-Boy to Lex Luger to AraabMuzik, who can match or exceed his ability. What makes him unique is that he fills in all the spaces that other guys tend to leave open for MCs to rap over. Luger's "H.A.M." beat (highly unofficial version here), for example, is a thrilling piece of production, but the gaps where Jay and Kanye are supposed to come in feel empty. But that's not the case with something like "Wassup", which comes pre-loaded with its own embellishments: The layers of ambient hiss, the skittering drum track, and those cooing, clipped voices all bleed together in such a way that invites a rapper but doesn't require one.
Clams' talent for making an instrumental more than just an instrumental is his ace in the hole, and it's what makes this mixtape nearly as enjoyable as the first installment. There are plenty of examples of the classic Clams sound, that buoyant, medicated drift. But the album gets really interesting in the back half, which is more varied and includes some non-rap remixes. You've got the Lana Del Rey rework, which deconstructs the original to the point that it's no longer recognizable, and a beat for Squadda B's "Kissing on My Syrup" that's more aggressive than we're used to from him, a sort of chugging space-station boom-bap. These are the moments when Clams' talent is most encouraging, because it feels like his ideas are still germinating. For a guy with this kind of potential, not only for contract beatmaking but his own material, it affirms that we should be in for a nice, long ride.
