DJ Alibi

Twenty-one-year-old Russian born/Toronto-based Mikhail Galkin seems to have emerged from thin air, as the incredibly talented producer managed to get his demo in the hands of Thes One, who rightfully signed him to a deal on his Tres Records label. With the seal of approval from People Under the Stairs’ beatsmith, you should get a good indication as to what DJ Alibi’s debut sounds like: smart arrangements with interesting and clever samples that create some breathtaking compositions rooted in hip-hop, soul and ’40s Hollywood musicals. Collaborations with artists such as Theo 3 and label-mates Giant Panda make for good listens but the majority of One Day is Alibi letting loose with dozens of snippets pieced together to create awfully sophisticated songs for someone barely out of his teens. Though his work with MCs is nice, these instrumentals are the clear winners, as Alibi adds several layers of classic rock, jazz, classical music, samba, folk and strings, everything coming together as if recorded in the same room, leading to either banging, abstract hip-hop or melodic soundtracks, sometimes both. One Day is upbeat and positive, as Alibi keeps his program light and danceable; it’s a winning combination that will hopefully send this local’s fantastic debut around the world.