Fantasy Thrilla has got an ear for beats and bass. Whether it be the Manhattan-based artist’s own productions or his carefully curated selections, he keeps it fresh. And his mix for Culture System is more live than a five hour energy drink. So whether you’re trying to build up those guns or back up them buns, Thrilla’s got you. From Munchiton and Jersey Club to nextwave juketronika and stateside heaviness, he keeps it knockin. Tracklist after the jump. (Art by Atelier Olschinsky).

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This is some smacked life music. Face that bottle, bump this, and stay fresh music. Young bols outta Jersey, the New Jersey Rebels like to fuck shit up basically. In a haze of treated reality they trade stories about recklessness. You might recognize this beat from Young Zee’s “Drugs”. You know, the one with that crazy video. But it’s a family affair, because Krash from the Rebels is actually Zee’s son. The track came from their new mixtape that dropped this week and features some production by Nadus. (Art by Sebastian Bentler.)

Life asserts it’s dominance as the dashboard crumbles, and a lack of control is embraced. Cocooned in a spiraling satellite orbiting earth’s last day, happy just to have had a chance. Basking in the glow of the navy blue jewel and snow white wisps on one side, soaking up the vibrant glow of humanity’s fire on the other. Flicking through the jpeg album of existence down there, taking the dark side with the bright, feeling both passionately. (Image of the Midwest US with aurora borealis off to the left by NASA.)

Life is dangerous but the sun is still on your back. Matter-of-fact street life tales paired with warm rootical riddims. This is Subatomic Sound meets See-I. The track retains much of the original; It relaxes on the same stoop but captures the scene as clouds move, allowing a flood of light. It revels in the little joys like glittering reflections on reverberating surfaces sustained in billowing, smokey delay. The track is a free release from DC’s Fort Knox Recordings and comes just in time for Subatomic’s Sound System tonight with Deep Space at Cielo. It’s the birthday party for the man otherwise know as Emch tonight, so come through and bask in Funktion One sound and toast another year. (Art by Francesco Brunotti.)

Reclined in a leather seat, “Ice” slides over synth fogs that obscure an unknowable deepness below. Depth charge downbeats encase distant bang fills. Subs zero in on sheets of toms. Ice so dry it clouds the mind. Neako prefers that this placeless beat mystify and invites the listener to roll with his mentality. The vocals, featuring Three 6 Mafia’s Juicy J, are more concerned with musicality than substance, consisting of a smooth flow and distortion that matches the rest of the soundscape. The most notable line is, “Time flies when your days are always better than your last, and your joy is in the future and your pain is in the past.” Hailing from Newark, this Taylor Gang affiliate’s latest mixtape The Number 23 [taken offline?] shows a strong ear for beats. This is evidenced by his own production work on cuts like “Ice” and though the selection of others’ music like Flying Lotus and Radiohead. (Image by Aymeric Rouillard.)

Aiko should have nothing to complain about now that Nadus has come along with some different type of beats. Everyone else may be the same while claiming they’re not, but he follows through on the promise with this remix. Taking her tune into garagey territory, the Newark producer brings a subtle East Coast club sensibility to the track. To catch more of this Brick Bandits affilate’s style – which ranges from Jersey and Baltimore club to juke and moombahton – come through to Bushwick tomorrow night for the Thread NY party. (Art by Wojciech Pijecki.)

Foreshadows of winter may be stretching over New York right now, but MPEACH is attempting to ward their spell off with some new tropical heat. She’s spreading the word of the fertile art music scene in her hometown of Caracas, Venezuela – which although tiny, has made an outsize impact far from its base in a small enclave wedged in the Eastern part of the city. The bonds of that circle are evident in Peach’s output, and this new EP features production support from Pacheko and Pocz along with remixes by Cardopusher and changa tuki heavyweights Yirvin and Baba. She was also part of a group based in her curent locale of Brooklyn called Todosantos alongside fellow expats Sunsplash and Ill Pharoah. To celebrate the release of the record tomorrow, she’s throwing a party in Manhattan along with tropical bass specialist Geko Jones and DJ Castor. To get warmed up for the big day, bump this remix of her conscious club stylings. (Painting by Ana Langeheldt.)

You know those times when publications that don’t cover hip hop complain about it? This instrumental track recently sparked such a rant, when a major magazine posted it for free on their blog, and used the opportunity to complain about rappers. It’s true a lot of ill beats get ruined by garbage verses, but lets try and be positive. This track presents the chance to talk about how more rappers should get involved with instrumental beat makers grounded on the electronic music side of things. There’s been lots of great verses rendered unlistenable by douchey beats too. The cooperation would open up new audiences on both sides and help shrink the divide between them. A$AP Rocky got the right idea collaborating with Clams Casino here in the New York area, and things are picking up over on the West Coast where the ‘beats scene’ has been in full swing for a minute. Let’s hope for more connectivity. This beat, produced by DC duo Starks & Nacey, is best described as goon music. Watch yourself! It was released on New York’s T&A Records. (Photo by Jonathan May.)

Emotions rise like a new sun in the night sky, brightening the darkness just enough to enjoy its eccentricities. Electric rattles roll, skipping over stuttering kicks and echoed rims. Comforting vocals waft with a smokey glow; subs ripple the very air; and xylo pads glitter high above. Arae brings his unique touch to Brooklyn by way of an aesthetic bond with London, landing in a warm circle of similar minds like the local Sleepyhead and Dunes. Catch them all tonight at Broke City along with the grimier styles of Messkid. (Image by Justin Mezzell.)

Less is more. It’s a common maxim in electronic dance music that Braille flouts to great affect on “Breakup” and a host of other tracks, including his work as one half of Sepalcure. (Read our interview and review of their last release over at Dubspot.) The beat that this track rides on switches up subtly throughout with various accents, triplets, syncopation, and shuffles. The drum palette slowly soaks up a series of polyrhythms and drifts into a variety of sounds on a similar plane. This idea of bleeding into new but related sounds is a theme that continues with his choice of synths, samples, and keys. The melodic bass loop that gives the track weight is renewed every now and then and gets matched with layers of counter melodies and harmonies on different frequencies. It all swims and dives in warm dub harbors, driving deep into effects only to emerge in open aired coolness while keeping its brisk pace. Vocal clips of satisfaction and reaffirmation jump in at surprising but rhythmic intervals, never overstaying their welcome and always keeping you wanting more. It dropped as part of the A Meaning EP on Hotflush. (Artwork by Matthew Albanese.)