— Open Mike Eagle announces his upcoming project alongside the release of a new single produced by the legendary Diamond D of Diggin’ in the Crates Crew.
Open Mike Eagle has had quite a busy year whether you talk about his What Had Happened Was Podcast or his recent collab single with R.A.P. Fererria, Still Rift, and Video Dave. Now, he returns to announce his forthcoming project, Component System with the Auto Reverse, set to arrive on October 7th via Mike’s own label Auto Reverse Records. In addition to the announcement, he also shares a new song from the project in “I’ll Fight You” produced by none other than DITC’s Diamond D.
Component System with the Auto Reverse, Open Mike Eagle’s eighth solo LP, is grounded in our dystopian present but structured with the magical randomness of cassette mixtapes he made recording college rap radio shows in the late ’90s. Eagle made CSWTAR in this spirit with actual commercials and radio interviews from his old mixtapes spliced in to connect the dots. Part solo album and spiritual mixtape, part green room cipher, and part showcase for Eagle’s Auto Reverse Records, CSWTAR recontextualizes his place among his peers scored by crashing doom-filled hard rock flips from Madlib, Diamond D’s thumping jazz-inflected boom-bap, twisted cartoon-sampled suites via Quelle Chris, and more progressive production.
Speaking on the tape’s inspiration and the new track, OME says,
“When I was in high school I used to stay up late to tape the hip-hop shows on college radio station WHPK on the south side of Chicago. it was the only way to hear the underground rap songs that changed my world. I still have many of the cassettes, with songs by giants like MF DOOM, DITC, Outsidaz, All Natural, Juggaknots, Organized Konfusion and more… I named each tape. I named one Component System. This album was made in the spirit of that tape but with new music from me. Some of the people on the original tape appear on this album, I’m so proud of that that it brings me close to tears… This first single is produced by Diamond D of DITC, who’s beats and raps have inspired me my whole ass life.”
Listen to “I’ll Fight You” above, see full album details below and follow Open Mike Eagle on Instagram and Twitter to stay tuned for more from him.