Forgotten Classic: Arts The Beatdoctor – Transitions

I’m always on the search for Hip Hop from different locales and one scene I keep coming back to is from the Netherlands. Yup, Holland has a dedicated Hip Hop scene, which features artists rhyming both in Dutch and in English, along with some very musical producers, the most notable one on this side of the Atlantic being Nicolay of The Foreign Exchange. But another worthy beatmaker who has remarkable talent at creating evocative sounds is Arts The Beatdoctor, the artist behind this edition of Forgotten Classics.

Hailing from Utrecht, the somewhat mysterious Arts got his start producing a track for a 2003 Hip Hop compilation record known as Diamonds R 4ever, presented by rapper Lord Cyrus, which featured several underground US rappers and producers like MF Grimm. He caught the attention of Dutch rapper Pete Philly (of the acclaimed duo Pete Philly and Perquisite), who heard his demo and was impressed by Arts’ jazzy and abstract approach to production and helped him secure a deal with the Amsterdam based label Unexpected Records. In 2006, Arts released an EP known as Fragments and the next year released his debut, Transitions.

Transitions features a handful of rap guest spots from local rappers The Proov, Skiggy Rapz and Pete Philly, but on the whole, it’s an instrumental album featuring Arts’ talents in jazz, soul, and very downtempo beats. It’s an album full of subtle movements, wheels turning within wheels, which requires a close listen. Once you give it the attention it deserves, it opens up with some of the smoothest, most atmospheric music you’ll hear anywhere. The record is very evocative and it’s easy to get lost in the sounds, making you envision specific places and elements, as the artist in the vocal sample of the introductory track “Blending Quality” speaks about painting with sound. It’s the perfect soundtrack and a terrific late night burner. When “The Anthem” kicks in, you’re instantly into the music, as Pete Philly and the very live band go off on a really transcendent funky soul kick, with a strong piano and bass combo and Pete playing around and having fun announcing that the Netherlands is here. It’s a worldly approach to Hip Hop, different, but very welcome. Right after, Arts follows it up with “Laughs, Drinks, Jokes, Tricks,” which expertly expresses how atmospheric his productions can be, with the horns, strings, and subtle movements, which are opulent and full of intrigue. It’s the supreme soundtrack to a fall evening in some large city, with you and your friends having fun and hopping from place to place. Building from this wonderful track is “Revolve,” which sounds organic with its guitar and the breathless harmonies of guest vocalist Esther.

Transitions really nails the feel of a natural, living sound, which grows and changes, and nothing sounds out of place or ordinary. The live instrumentation really helps in this regard, so does the exploratory nature of Arts, who doesn’t push things too hard but instead lets them develop, like on “Fragments” with the wandering lead saxophone or “Split Personality (Part 1)” with its Rhodes piano keys, full of movement and probing vibes. The centerpiece of the record is “Transitions,” with guest The Proov rhyming about living in his own head over a moody, mysterious affair, which really gives me the feel of a train ride on a rainy day in some European city. It’s a really fantastic track, which has remained on my playlist for a long while.

Transitions’ release in 2007 led to much critical acclaim for Arts’ production and style, but became a record that while celebrated in some circles, was pretty much unknown in others. It’s the type of record you tend to stumble onto and wonder why people aren’t speaking more about it. Since the release, Arts has issued the EP Progressions in 2008, and has produced and remixed tracks for artists like Pete Philly and Perquisite, The Proov, and Joe Kickass. Though secretive on his next record, he’s hinted at something new and different, moving away from Hip Hop, and in early 2012, launched a contest where fans could send in their vocals (singing, rap, or otherwise), for the chance of being included as a guest on his next project. Until that next project hits, definitely give Transitions a spin. It’s a smooth, sublime experience.