For those unaware, Anthony “Ant” Davis is a distinguished hip-hop producer, one-half of the renowned duo Atmosphere, and a founding member of independent record label Rhymesayers Entertainment.

His decades-long career of beat-making has also included works for MF DOOM, Brother Ali, Murs, Rav, Sage Francis and a dozen others. Raised in a military family, his nomadic upbringing exposed him to many diverse influences and, coupled with his father’s love for collecting records, laid the groundwork for his deep appreciation for all sorts of music.

Ant’s latest endeavor, Collection of Sounds, is a four-volume series of instrumental works showcasing the breadth and depth of his musical expertise.

The Collection of Sounds series offers a window into Ant’s creative journey, reflecting his evolution as an artist over the years. Drawing from a vast vault of unreleased material, he’s exhumed cross sections of his catalog with surgical precision, organizing songs by sound rather than mere chronology.

With previous volumes in the Collection of Sounds series, Ant has traced his musical evolution, spanning hip-hop, funk, reggae and more, all influenced and inspired by extensive travel dating back to his youth. Vol. 4 deepens this exploration, introducing rock-inspired elements—guitars that wail, gnaw, and groove — while maintaining his signature sound.

The result is an immersive listening experience that transports listeners to sun-soaked streets, lively dance halls, and basement cyphers, but despite these genre experiments, Vol. 4 is firmly grounded in hip-hop.

Side A:
1. Hearing In Dark Colors
2. Darker Colors
3. All Right Now, Listen
4. Prelude Revisited
5. Behind The Sound
6. Day After 2010
7. Just Another Three A.M.
8. AAAND

Putting the vinyl album on the turntable, something that I always love to do, this richly textured set of soundscapes opens on the sweeping Hearing In Dark Colors and then we get the hip-trance cut Darker Colors, the sol grooved funk of All Right Now, Listen, the atmospheric, bass-driven Prelude Revisited, and then comes the purified elegance of Behind The Sound, the airy quirkiness of Day After 2010, a gracefully sculpted Just Another Three A.M., before rounding out on the spoken word R&B-vibed AAAND.

Side B:
1. Side Eight Synesthesia
2. Created With A Heavy Brush
3. Hearing Situations
4. All Sounds In Place
5. A Pinch Brighter
6. Classical Piano Number Seven
7. 4-Track Beyond Beat / Supreme Shoutout
8. Coloring, Shading, And Endings

Flipping the vinyl album over, re-dropping the needle, the first track of the second side is the low grooved Side Eight Synesthesia, the heavier-grooved Created With A Heavy Brush and the beat-rhythmic Hearing Situations and they are in turn backed seamlessly by the richly deep All Sounds In Place, the harmonically sonic A Pinch Brighter, the aptly-titled Classical Piano Number Seven, the fourth set in the collection rounding out on the rap-centric 4-Track Beyond Beat / Supreme Shoutout and the scenic, sunny-side-up ambiance of the beautifully smooth Coloring, Shading, And Endings.

The fourth installment of his instrumental series, Collection of Sounds: Vol. 4, may well lean more towards Hip-Hop, but still features smooth beats, intricate sampling, and lush, jazzy layers that create an immersive atmosphere. He masterfully incorporates sly riffs and funk-laden grooves, stirring sentimentality and highlighting his ability to craft emotive, engaging music.

The result is a sonically complex album where Ant blends funk, soul, classic R&B, and hip-hop influences, evoking a nostalgic sense of bygone eras.

Vinyl packaging includes 12 inch matte die-cut jacket with custom translucent blue plastic window, printed euro-sleeve with artwork by Saber and photography by ZooDeVille, custom blue opaque vinyl & marketing sticker.

www.rhymesayers.com