Various

A diverse conglomerate of international artists dedicated to the advancement of hip-hop through experimentation, the Motherboard has made its second yearly compilation available for free download. While the big name draws are Cali legends 2Mex , Liferexall and Riddlore, and Anticon producer DJ Mayonnaise, the best tracks are from the lesser-known artists. Intel Inside starts strong with "Agorophobe,” with Debmaster’s dark, sci-fi beat sounding like a hive of robot bees swarming around the rapid-fire raps of Wormhole. "Awaking” is also dark and aggressive, with glitchy raps from the Mole, William Blake and Abdul Damja. Selfhelp’s "So Very Cold” maintains the dark vibe but slows it down with a glitchy Mattr beat. "I’m Awesome” examines the humorous side of split personalities with a funny Ira Lee verse about dating himself. Fritz the Cat and Jon Juan brag and boast their way through fun freestyle track "Juggernauts (gettoriginal mix),” while Noah 23 flexes his skills with abstract raps and tongue twisting flows on his hype "Iggy Igloo.” And that’s just a small cross-section of the songs that serve as a great introduction to a solid selection of indie artists pushing the boundaries of hip-hop. However, with each song blending beautifully together, it’s a shame that the length of the compilation is two songs too long for a single CD.