{"title":"Hidden","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"frank-ocean-blond-2lp","title":"Frank Ocean - Blond 2LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e**Alternate Green (Not Blue) Bordered Cover\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBoys Don't Cry, the magazine distributed at pop-up locations the day this unlike-titled album was released, featured an essay in which Frank Ocean affably reflected upon his infatuation with cars. Allusions to parallels between vehicular travel and other aspects of life, such as making music, were drawn, his relief in completing the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/channel-orange-mw0002394636\" class=\"album-link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eChannel Orange\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e follow-up made apparent. For those who felt the proper debut wasn't forthcoming enough with hooks or traditionally structured songs, this is bound to seem less like a luxurious joyride on a freshly paved motorway than it does an interminable stay in a repair shop waiting lounge. In terms of pop appeal, none of it approaches \"Novacane\" or \"Thinkin Bout You.\" The focus is more on Ocean, the extensive list of \"album contributors\" -- possibly a combination of studio collaborators and mere inspirations -- notwithstanding. He's often accompanied by only keyboards or a guitar or two; less than one-third of the tracks include the sound of his voice and that of a beat within the same space. Over the course of an hour, all the sparsely ornamented ruminations can be a bit of a chore to absorb, no matter how much one hangs on each line. The writing talent on display, however, is irrefutable, whether it's a sharp aside, the precision and economy in the chorus of the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/beyonc%C3%A9-mn0000761179\" class=\"name-link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBeyoncé\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e-backed \"Pink + White,\" or the agony evoked in \"Self Control\" (with an outro multi-tracked to pull heartstrings). Through references to movement, and events that take place in automobiles and swimming pools, Ocean's words continue to be fueled by his memories of youth and young adulthood in summertime, while recreational pharmaceuticals are a factor more than ever. The lines regarding relationships are acutely descriptive with frequently abrupt transitions from deep to shallow observations. There's a little more playfulness to go along with the wistful heartache, Ocean's perverse sense of humor shows most when he follows his mother's stern anti-drug message with an ebullient vocal-and-organ number that opens with him \"gone off tabs.\" In the closing \"Futura Free,\" one of several cuts where processing distorts his voice the way a fun house mirror deforms a body, there is much weight to him to remarking \"Don't let 'em find Pac\/He evade the press\/He escape the stress,\" then declaring \"I ain't on your schedule.\" He's clearly bemused with the industry and fan entitlement. An undoubtedly reactive work, this is undiluted and progressive nonetheless. -All Music Guide\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Euro Import","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45981852729631,"sku":null,"price":54.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1575\/8523\/files\/oceanblond.png?v=1691436593"},{"product_id":"frank-ocean-channel-orange-2lp","title":"Frank Ocean - Channel Orange 2LP","description":"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDef Jam's contracted edition of Frank Ocean's \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/nostalgia-ultra-mw0002120003\" class=\"album-link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/nostalgia-ultra-mw0002120003\"\u003eNostalgia, Ultra\u003c\/a\u003e never materialized. The label nonetheless released two of the mixtape's songs as singles. One of them, \"Novacane,\" clashed with everything else on the radio, reached the Top 20 of Billboard's Hot R\u0026amp;B\/Hip-Hop chart, and crossed into the Hot 100. The singer's presence spread with appearances on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/goblin-mw0002114087\" class=\"album-link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/goblin-mw0002114087\"\u003eGoblin\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/4-mw0002136254\" class=\"album-link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/4-mw0002136254\"\u003e4\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/watch-the-throne-mw0002107551\" class=\"album-link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/watch-the-throne-mw0002107551\"\u003eWatch the Throne\u003c\/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/the-of-tape-vol-2-mw0002301192\" class=\"album-link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/the-of-tape-vol-2-mw0002301192\"\u003eThe OF Tape, Vol. 2\u003c\/a\u003e. He then completed this album with \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/malay-mn0000952049\" class=\"name-link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/malay-mn0000952049\"\u003eMalay\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/ommas-keith-mn0000870573\" class=\"name-link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/ommas-keith-mn0000870573\"\u003eOm'Mas Keith\u003c\/a\u003e, and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/pharrell-mn0000275757\" class=\"name-link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/pharrell-mn0000275757\"\u003ePharrell\u003c\/a\u003e as his co-producers. Journalists present at June pre-release listening events speculated that some of the lyrics revealed Ocean's bisexuality. Ocean subsequently published a screen shot of a document, dated December 27, 2011, that included details of a crushing romantic relationship with a male. Ocean also revealed that he wrote for the sake of his sanity and credited his inner circle: \"I'm sure these people kept me alive, kept me safe.\" One listen to Channel Orange makes it obvious that he is as free as an artist as he is as a man. The album doesn't have as many slyly powerful hooks as \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/nostalgia-ultra-mw0002120003\" class=\"album-link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/nostalgia-ultra-mw0002120003\"\u003eNostalgia, Ultra\u003c\/a\u003e, but Ocean's descriptive and subtle storytelling is taken to a higher level. He's up there with \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/bilal-mn0000057280\" class=\"name-link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/bilal-mn0000057280\"\u003eBilal\u003c\/a\u003e. As easy as it is to listen to Ocean's voice in long stretches -- he's casually expressive -- the number of deep ruminations over slow tempos requires some patience. Even the lone song that could be termed a banger is a ten-minute suite that takes 90 seconds to get on the floor; the song with the widest and most creative scope as well, \"Pyramid\" shifts from \"my black Queen Cleopatra\" and ancient Egypt (over swift synth funk) to \"Your love ain't free no more\" and a strip club (over booming, low-profile slickness). The lighter moments, such as the loose and bright \"Sweet Life\" and the relatively exuberant \"Monks,\" both of which would be standouts on any \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/nerd-mn0000374853\" class=\"name-link\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/nerd-mn0000374853\"\u003eN.E.R.D.\u003c\/a\u003e album, offer more than bright coating, dealing in surrealism and sharp observations that are equally penetrating. On the other end, the most personal song is \"Bad Religion,\" a phenomenal brokenhearted ballad consisting of organ, piano, strings, and handclaps: \"This unrequited love\/To me it's nothing but a one-man cult\/And cyanide in my Styrofoam cup.\" Everything that falls between, counting the rumbling drug dependency tale \"Crack Rock,\" the snapping\/swooning \"Pilot Jones,\" and the longing falsetto shuffle \"Thinkin Bout You,\" is vivid and worthy of complete immersion. -All Music Guide\u003c\/span\u003e","brand":"Euro Import","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45981868392735,"sku":null,"price":54.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1575\/8523\/files\/ab67616d0000b2737aede4855f6d0d738012e2e5.jpg?v=1691436783"},{"product_id":"frank-ocean-endless-2lp","title":"Frank Ocean - Endless 2LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuring the four years that passed between album-length recordings from Frank Ocean, the Grammy-winning singer and songwriter surfaced on releases by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/beyonc%C3%A9-mn0000761179\" class=\"name-link\"\u003eBeyoncé\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/kanye-west-mn0000361014\" class=\"name-link\"\u003eKanye West\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/james-blake-mn0002435745\" class=\"name-link\"\u003eJames Blake\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. Through the processing of reports and speculation throughout the time, and knowing Ocean's unease with the pop machine, the follow-up to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/channel-orange-mw0002394636\" class=\"album-link\"\u003eChannel Orange\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e appeared to be imminent, or maybe mythical, or somewhere within the two poles. On the first day of August 2016, The New York Times published \"Frank Ocean's Long-Awaited 'Boys Don't Cry' Is Due on Friday,\" yet the article's opening sentence was less certain, stating that the wait \"may nearly be over.\" Nothing was clear. Later in the month, within the space of two days, Ocean released a pair of recordings, neither of which was titled Boys Don't Cry. This was the first and inferior one, the prelude to the proper \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/channel-orange-mw0002394636\" class=\"album-link\"\u003eChannel Orange\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e follow-up. Termed a visual album, upon its release it could be heard only as one 46-minute piece accompanied by black-and-white imagery of Ocean, or a team of Oceans, constructing a staircase in a warehouse. The sound is introduced and concluded with sections of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/wolfgang-tillmans-mn0002838269\" class=\"name-link\"\u003eWolfgang Tillmans\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e' \"Device Control,\" a composition that obscures the distinction between sound art and dance track. Its lucidity, crispness, and energy are at odds with the murky, slightly submerged-sounding suite of predominantly fresh material. The Ocean sequence begins like a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/this-mortal-coil-mn0000926307\" class=\"name-link\"\u003eThis Mortal Coil\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e-gone-quiet-storm project, with a fragile and spectral cover of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/the-isley-brothers-mn0000766893\" class=\"name-link\"\u003ethe Isley Brothers\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e' \"(At Your Best) You Are Love\" held aloft by strings orchestrated by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/jonny-greenwood-mn0000826381\" class=\"name-link\"\u003eJonny Greenwood\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and piano and synthesizer by \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/ommas-keith-mn0000870573\" class=\"name-link\"\u003eOm'Mas Keith\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/blake-mn0002435745\" class=\"name-link\"\u003eBlake\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. From there, the set is fragmentary -- the original tracks average two minutes in length and tend to melt into one another. It all snakes along, albeit slowly, akin to a fogged-out lazy river ride with an adjacent big screen projecting a flickering series of memories that veer from ballerific to frantic-romantic. Ocean, whose voice is joined most frequently by a (still underutilized) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/jazmine-sullivan-mn0000546738\" class=\"name-link\"\u003eJazmine Sullivan\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, alternates between offhanded raps and singing that ranges from plainly observational to almost exorcistic. The tender everyday stuff, like when Ocean consoles his lover after a lost game of basketball, tends to be as affecting as the comparatively intense moments. This offers more of the detailed scenes only Ocean can script, as well as some stray sly quotables. Ultimately, it's a smartly ordered patchwork of mostly secondary material. -All Music Guide\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Euro Import","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50056508637471,"sku":null,"price":49.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1575\/8523\/files\/R-27179943-1684955339-3331_720x_d3bc56c7-6a3d-41b3-bc81-14d59e96669c.webp?v=1734808526"},{"product_id":"wugazi-13-chambers-lp","title":"Wugazi - 13 Chambers LP","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe infamous Wu-Tang + Fugazi mashup cuts! Cecil Otter \u0026amp; Swiss Andy Present!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Euro Import","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50600210727199,"sku":null,"price":34.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1575\/8523\/files\/artworks-000009245426-bgh7e1-t500x500.jpg?v=1739917641"},{"product_id":"kendrick-lamar-section-80-2lp","title":"Kendrick Lamar - Section.80 2LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e**Euro Import\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKendrick Lamar Duckworth's proper debut album followed mixtapes dating back to 2003, when the Compton rapper was a teenager known as K-Dot. A portion of Section.80 is linked by recurring narrative threads, including a tragic story about a young woman sexually abused as a child and later slain as a sex worker. Introduced early in the album with \"No Make-Up\" (\"Don't you know your imperfections is a wonderful blessing\"), the empathically spun storyline clashes with demeaning terms the rapper frequently uses elsewhere, though he preemptively counteracts criticism by recognizing the existence of the bad and good, the \"evil and spiritual\" in him. Kendrick's conceptual aptitude is part of what makes him stand out, but he thrives most at relating defiance in dealing with his circumstances -- the effects of coming up in an environment with drugs and gangs as present as oxygen -- and bucking life expectancy. Another strength is the ruthless nature in which he goes after the competition, heard most potently in \"Rigamortus.\" The \"dope-ass instrumentation\" of which Kendrick later boasts over \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/terrace-martin-mn0002366358\" class=\"name-link\"\u003eTerrace Martin\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e's tense and fiery post-bop is provided by a crew of roughly a dozen, most prominently \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/sounwave-mn0002750056\" class=\"name-link\"\u003eSounwave\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (on five tracks), who specializes in layering entrancing atmospheric touches with beats that alternately bump and crunch. -All Music Guide\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Euro Import","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50609059823903,"sku":null,"price":44.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1575\/8523\/files\/kendricklamarsection80.jpg?v=1740163101"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.bullcityrecords.com\/collections\/hidden.oembed","provider":"Chaz's Bull City Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}