Albums to watch

32 Levels

Clams Casino

32 Levels

Full-length major-label debut from the New Jersey hip-hop producer Michael Volpe with contributions from Vince Staples, A$AP Rocky and Lil B

ADM rating[?]

7.0

Label
Black Butter
UK Release date
15/07/2016
US Release date
15/07/2016
  1. 9.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    32 Levels sees Clams Casino step up a level and make a hugely positive and lasting impression
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  2. 8.3 |   A.V. Club

    The true pinnacle of 32 Levels comes in the final victory lap of “Blast,” a track that finds Volpe comfortably back inside the realm of hazy, heavenly electronics
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  3. 8.0 |   The Irish Times

    The most intriguing song is Ghost in a Kiss, with Future Islands’ Samuel T Herring, who restrains his own vocal to complement Volpe’s subtly epic, trippy soundscape
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  4. 8.0 |   NME

    A frequently dazzling piece of work from one of hip-hop’s most ambitious and imaginative stylists
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  5. 8.0 |   PopMatters

    32 Levels is the album that Clams Casino’s production up to this point has been promising, and he made good on it
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  6. 8.0 |   DIY

    Emerging from the shadows, ingenious producer Michael Vope puts his own agenda forward on an impressive debut
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  7. 8.0 |   Q

    Dense, immersive and at times reminiscent of Massive Attack circa Mezzanine. Print edition only

  8. 7.5 |   Consequence Of Sound

    Much like his wistful beats, Clams still maintains a sense of mystery while opening himself up
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  9. 7.0 |   Loud And Quiet

    A solid collection that, significantly, sounds like an album, cleverly straddling pop and hip-hop while weaving a coherent thread
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  10. 7.0 |   Clash

    In its own right, it’s further evidence of Clams’ special talents but for those who have followed his career closely, it’s hard not to think about what could have been
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  11. 7.0 |   Spin

    At his best, Clams knocks our tried-and-true pop formats just slightly off-balance, to the point where you’re left wondering why we have the blueprints in the first place
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  12. 7.0 |   Spectrum Culture

    32 Levels will serve to introduce the producer to a much larger array of fans
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  13. 7.0 |   Gig Soup

    Feels more like a flexing of production muscles than it does a cohesive statement, but that doesn’t make it any less worthy of diving into
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  14. 7.0 |   Crack

    Volpe leaves hip-hop behind and gravitates much more towards poppier territory
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  15. 6.9 |   Pitchfork

    32 Levels, has two distinct sides: a uniformly strong rap side and a pop side that’s not nearly as engaging or distinctive
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  16. 6.0 |   The Observer

    32 Levels begins and ends strongly but sags in the middle like an old sofa
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  17. 6.0 |   Exclaim

    An adventurous but inconsistent affair that suggests Clams Casino has plenty of ideas — and perhaps his masterpiece — still in him
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  18. 6.0 |   Tiny Mix Tapes

    32 Levels is a line in the sand, rather than a high watermark, for Clams Casino and the genre as a whole; a fertile growth outward, rather than a zeitgeist-recapturing album
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  19. 5.8 |   Pretty Much Amazing

    The genre-spanning approach dilutes what could have been a memorable project, leaving 32 Levels with a storage of untapped potential and only a few beacons shining their fullest light
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  20. 5.6 |   Resident Advisor

    What's most disheartening about 32 Levels is how it floats by anonymously for 37 wishy-washy minutes, which is especially hard to take from a producer whose tracks used to command your attention
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  21. 4.0 |   Under The Radar

    32 Levels makes you wish Clams Casino would find a solo level of solitude where his music can flourish without interference
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Clams Casino: 32 Levels

  • Download full album for just £10.49
  • 1. Level 1 £0.99
  • 2. Be Somebody £0.99
  • 3. All Nite £0.99
  • 4. Witness £0.99
  • 5. Skull £0.99
  • 6. 32 Levels £0.99
  • 7. Thanks to You £0.99
  • 8. Back to You £0.99
  • 9. Into the Fire £0.99
  • 10. A Breath Away £0.99
  • 11. Ghost in a Kiss £0.99
  • 12. Blast £0.99
  • 13. Level 1 (Instrumental) £0.99
  • 14. Be Somebody (Instrumental) £0.99
  • 15. All Nite (Instrumental) £0.99
  • 16. Witness (Instrumental) £0.99
  • 17. Skull (Instrumental) £0.99
  • 18. 32 Levels (Instrumental) £0.99
  • 19. Thanks to You (Instrumental) £0.99
  • 20. Back to You (Instrumental) £0.99
  • 21. Into the Fire (Instrumental) £0.99
  • 22. A Breath Away (Instrumental) £0.99
  • 23. Ghost in a Kiss (Instrumental) £0.99
  • 24. Blast (Instrumental) £0.99
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