(a guide to minerology)

Not only is this a dope concept right off the bat, if I had to describe this artist it would be the literal definition (no pun intended) of ‘A Diamond in the Rough’ because here’s a man who has worked with the who’s who of the underground and still decided to keep it low-key and make more under-the-radar drops and that’s a level of mentality I can’t help but respect.

So with that in mind let’s talk about this!

This is the February 2025 beat tape by producer RAW MINERALS which consists of 19 tracks all named after minerals such as

– Amethyst 

– Cadmium 

– Diamond

– Aquamarine

– Feldspar 

– Emerald

– Rock Crystal

– Garnet

– Jadeite

– Barite

– Zircon

– Valentinite

– Hafnon

– Topaz

– Iridium

– Sapphirine

– Opal

– Ruby

– Gold

Now I’ll tell you now, I didn’t know 80% of these items existed! My base knowledge on this shit is pretty low but it doesn’t change the fact that right out the gate this is a killer concept that’s fun, original and definitely creative! (And that’s before we even discuss the music itself)

Once we get to that aspect, that’s when it really starts to get good! Because what we have presented to us is this lush, ambient daydream that can’t really be expressed with words compared to listening to it yourself and experiencing the rush.

From the opening track we get this smooth, calming sensation of elegantly drawn-out notes, light keys and various pitched chord progressions that come in and out of the track in this angelic lo-fi rhythm that I found to die for, this is some of my favourite sub-genre music and this man is doing a showcase of it!

There are so many beautifully crafted songs on this album such as track 2 where we get a bit more of a lively kick with these plucked strings, rhythmic taps and what sounds like a flute in the background which later is incorporated with some scattered jazz horns and some light bass strings! Each song presents its own mini, isolated worlds of themes and soundscapes that are unique to its own!

Hell, look at track 3 where we get the main presence of rain falling in this ASMR simulation type track with more long-strung chord progressions, various tap sounds, and then some random chords that appear throughout the track as well as some random laughter and human noises to accompany! 

Man, this is the kind of track I could easily have a deep night’s sleep to if it was played for a 10-hour loop!

Maybe there’s some sonic connection between the instrumentation layouts and the elements they represent? I’d have no idea, but if it does go that deep, then this man is the Einstein of beat making!

There’s even certain tracks such as track 6, which has this gorgeous jazz blend with hip hop. You’ve got these magnificent horns combined with those subtle drum patterns, plucked strings, and what sounds like sci-fi space lasers mixed between it! 

This instrumental sounds like the past and the future all rolled into one song! It’s very entertaining and enticing! 

Another song that really stood out to me was track 17. This had another old-school feel to me mixed with some ambient atmosphere! You’ve got those scattered synth sounds in various sounds and waves going off in a freelance, unpredictable pattern that I dug heavily! As well as all that noise, you have some luscious bass strings and some more sci-fi elements that blend into this mesh array of influences and variety that I can’t quite seem to put down!

The last track I want to point out is track -11. This one had me almost tearing up with how beautiful it sounded to me. Again, I’ve always been a sucker for this lo-fi, ASMR-style sounds. It’s what I use to try to fall asleep 90% of the time. The kind of sounds that take me away to a dream world, and this reminded me of that more than any other!

You’ve got that vinyl fuzz sound prominent throughout the track as well as those deeply rooted synth keys that feel far away in the background as well as some bouncy keys in the forefront accompanied by some heavy bass. This is the track to give me goosebumps and I wish there was a 10 hour track version!

I want to open the audiences ears to the level of depth and complexity this man has put into his music, I don’t want to spoil each track I wanted to give you a big glimpse into what this man is capable of and the sonic universe he created using create notion of the various minerals as a bench mark! 

Even though this beat tape came out last year, I ask all of my subscribers and fans to check this shit out! I can bet my life on the fact that you ain’t never heard a record like this and you probably won’t again! This shit blew my mind and I bet it will yours! 

https://rawminerals.bandcamp.com/album/a-guide-to-minerology