Stream: Derek Christoff & The Arkeologists – The D.ark Tape

The D.ark Tape is literally an ‘underground’ release by by Derek Christoff, an emcee who goes by the name of D-Sisive. The album is recorded in a basement together with Toronto-based production team The Arkeologists, with no promotion afterwards whatsoever.

In 2007, I walked into a basement that would change my art forever. I realize that sentence is super dramatic, and equally as rape-y, but it’s the only way I can describe it. It was dark. Small. Low ceilings. Filled with cigarette smoke. I sat down on the couch, while Norman Krates [The Arkeologists] prepped his MPC2000 for our first session.

Ten raw tracks recorded within a day on a $200 eight-track tape, with gritty beats and high-pitched vocal samples as backdrop for Derek’s rhymes. Embrace the imperfections, because The D.ark Tape is full of first takes.

D-Sisive’s song “Kneecaps” off his debut record The B.O.O.K was recorded in the same basement back in 2007. Looking back at that session, it inspired the gang to create ten more tracks in that very basement a few months ago.