Exile Population Control (Samiyam Remix)

Alexander Manfredi, better known as Exile, has been working in hip hop for the past 15 years. Hailing from Southern California, he first started making beats with pause tapes before he had access to any kind of legitimate production equipment. He formed the underground group Emanon with Stones Throw's Aloe Blacc early in both of their careers and made noise with a string of EPs they released before their debut LP The Waiting Room.

He released a solo compilation album that featured his productions alongside an array of MCs and singers entitled Dirty Science. Exile probably gained the most notoriety for his 2007 album with rapper Blu, Below The Heavens, which received tremendous amounts of praise both for the MC's introspection and skill as for the producer's ability to craft both beautiful and hard-hitting beats.

Early last year, he released the immensely creative instrumental album Radio. Composed from samples taken from public radio in Los Angeles, including everything from static noise to commercials, Exile incorporated his source material in ways far beyond expectations. Now, almost a year later, Exile debuts Radio AM/FM, a collection of remixed versions of some selections from the original Radio. The remixes include straight-up reinterpretations of the original tunes through a new producer, as well as vocal accompaniment to previously instrumental-only tracks.

The result is a mixture of sounds that makes this record become more of a compilation than a cohesive album. The Clutchy Hopkins remix of "In Love" is a mellowed out take on the original with added instrumentation. Take's remix of the breezy "Summer Song" transforms it into a banger with elements of dubstep. The Samiyam remix of "Population Control" melts the original down to a trudging bass-line that drives the track forward. Grouch and Eligh of the Living Legends hop on the original version of the aforementioned track and infuse it with their distinct style of lyricism. Old pal Blu takes a crack at composing a romantic poem over "Love Line" while Evidence of Dilated Peoples and Alchemist trade bars over the spiritually-driven "It's Coming Down."

While it may be a bit long-winded for some (21 tracks in all), there is enough variety in these remixes for everyone to find something to like -- and it's also an excellent way for fans of Exile to get hip to some like-minded artists they may not have been aware of.