Arial Black

Arial Black is a DJ who established the Mediapile record label in 2003 in order to release scratch and sample records. Mediapile Skratch Library Volumes One and Two were released to critical acclaim in turntablist circles, and what made them stand out from most battle records was the fact that they contained the densest collection of samples ever pressed onto vinyl. Black’s "skratch libraries” were the just the beginning of something bigger, laying the groundwork for Scally, Lost. The album is an excellent down-tempo excursion into the world of sample- and beat-driven avant hip-hop. Black shows his skills not only as a DJ but as a competent composer with an ear for the more experimental and melancholy sides of electronic music. One really cool thing about this album is that it’s being released as a collection of free MP3s from the Mediapile website.