Amalgama is a producer who has been steadily moving through the underground internet rap scene, gaining more traction with each release. Hailing from Rhode Island, the producer’s sound taps as much the paranoia of Memphis rap as it does into the spaced out sounds of internet cloud rap. Amalgama presents a synthesis made by and through internet culture, proudly wearing his influences on his sleeves. Now, with the release of his collaborative album with MILLENIUM, HOUNDS Vol. 1, it feels like he’s on the cusp of something bigger, establishing himself as a consistent and reliable artist to keep an eye on. We sat down with Amalgama to break down the album, his feelings on the underground, and peeked into what we can expect in the future.

Last November I stumbled upon the tape VAULT CATACOMBS (A.K.A CORTES’ DWELLINGS), instantly drawn to the magnetic black and white Mayan imagery on the cover and the hypnotic, distorted hip-hop beats inside it. The project comes from an Arizona-based producer MILLENIUM, member of the group Absent Call of Response, one of the most exciting voices in the underground right now. I had the pleasure to sit down with MILLENIUM for their first interview ever, just as they are getting ready to release their newest project, the Memphis-inspired collaboration Hounds, Vol. 1 with Amalgama. We talked about Mayan culture, geeked over the new billy woods album and discussed the difference between making beats for yourself and for others.