If only every up and coming producer had a back catalogue like BoomBaptist. Over the course of this year, the Austin beat maker has dropped several volumes of music he’s crafted in the past, before he started releasing music, in which we’ve been introduced to the different styles that BoomBaptist is capable of as an instrumental hip hop producer. We’ve also had the fortune of being able to listen to BoomBaptist explore and change in fast-forward, which is also incredibly interesting. With the latest installment in The Lost Files, you can hear the confidence growing in his music.

Apparently, BoomBaptist spent some time in France during this period in his life, with many of the samples coming from finds in Parisian record stores. With how much this particular volume is right up my alley, I’m thinking I might need to take a trip in the near future. There’s lots of soul, jazz, and funk coming straight at your ears. Things start off with the infectious horns and vocals on “The Anthem,” which is a little reminiscent of Deadringer-era RJD2, and we get some fun boogaloo/boom bap with “Awwwreaddy (Texas Theme).” Things get decidedly intimate and sexy with “Gratitude,” “Prelude To Sex Scene,” and “Loving You (Favorite Things),” but each in their own individual way. The most unique track on the collection is “Fly Like an Eagle (BoomBaptist Wigflip),” which manages to remix Steve Miller in a way that I can actual groove to and appreciate, which is not my normal reaction to hearing Steve Miller. My personal favorite on the collection has to be “Seductress Duct Tape (Too Tough),” which is just funky as hell, and makes great use playing a vocal sample against a horn riff. What becomes steadily apparent with this volume, though, is not how much the style has changed, but how much more refined and confident BoomBaptist has gotten with his production over the years. The music is tighter, hits harder, feels funkier…it’s better in the most satisfying way.

Rarely do we get to watch an artist grow over several years in retrospect in one single year, but BoomBaptist has opened up his past to us in 2012. It’s very satisfying to see the last volume deliver on what it felt like we were building to this whole time. With all the fun I’ve had learning from BoomBaptist’s past endeavors this year, I can’t wait to see wait he’s got in store fore the future.