Clams Casino's hazy, bitcrushed beats were unmistakable when they first appeared backing rhymes by Lil B, Main Attrakionz, G-Side, and even Mac Miller around the turn of the 2010s, almost single-handedly giving birth to what came to be known as cloud rap. His profile expanded beyond underground rap circles when he began releasing a series of instrumental mixtapes in 2011; the first volume quickly became a cult classic, and was given a limited vinyl issue by experimental label Type, while Tri Angle (at the time associated with the witch house scene) released Clams' five-song Rainforest EP. Instrumental Relics collects highlights from the first few years of his output, and his sound remains as haunting and emotionally gripping as it was when these tracks first appeared. The collection begins with perhaps Clams' calling card, his groundbreaking instrumental for Lil B's "I'm God," which suspends (now fully cleared) samples of Imogen Heap's vocals in a dank, cave-like atmosphere and rearranges them with an almost Philip Glass-like precision, while sludgy drums thwack away underneath. Another production for Lil B, "Motivation," begins with a burst of radioactive fuzz surrounding a zombie's moan, before the track's decayed yet utterly hopeful rhythm kicks in, like vast sun rays illuminating a poison swamp. Clams' genius lies in how he finds sheer beauty within emotional wreckage -- on the life-affirming "Realist Alive" and the particularly chilly "Caves," wounded, lonely souls cry out for mercy, while birds chirp from on high. The Rainforest tracks are sharper and more blown out than the others, and make up some of the release's most cathartic moments, particularly the struggling-to-escape "Drowning" and the disfigured, muffled scream of "Gorilla." "Crystals," originally composed for Grand Theft Auto V, is a bit flashier, but no less eerie, as sour arpeggios play laser tag with Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares. The only skippable track (conveniently placed at the very end) is "Unchain Me," which is built around a corny yet nostalgic sample from the soundtrack to The Lost Boys, and sounds less surreal without Lil B rapping over it. Regardless, the release collects some of the best, most affecting material from a true visionary. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi

1		I'm God
2		I'm the Devil
3		All I Need
4		Swervin'
5		Human
6		Motivation
7		Caves
8		Numb
9		Treetop
10		Leaf
11		Drowning
12		Realist Alive
13		Crystals
14		Gorilla
15		Unchain Me

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