Ten years ago, the group known as The ILLustionists was started by emcee Sammy Warm Hands and producer Web Beats as an excuse to have fun and make music together. Not to long after they formed, the group expanded into a six-piece live band and recorded extensively. By 2011, the group was largely known as just Sammy Warm Hands and E. Ville, who toured extensively together through 2013. By 2014, Odar Beats had taken over the reigns as the groups main producer, and they began to work on their sixth album. Unfortunately, the album never saw the light of day, and the group went on hiatus as people worked on other projects. Now, as the group reaches their tenth anniversary, they’ve gone back through the vaults and culled together their twelve best unreleased tracks to release Digital Purgatory.

A couple of characteristics defined The ILLusionists, which are on display here. One is the boundless, in-your-face energy, which hits from the opening bars of “No Fucks Capacitor” and doesn’t let up until the end of the last song, “The Show Stoppers,” with Sammy Warm Hands, E. Ville, and a host of guest artists including Ogar Burl, Gradient, Sarx, Kee Stratagee, Man Danno, Jordan Miche, and Carnage the Executioner delivering a barrage of rhymes that comes at you with the shit talking and the clever wordplay. That pairs well with some great sample-based production by Web Beats and Odar that’s reminiscent of some early ‘90s Beastie Boys, finding just the right balance of winking pop culture references, funky grooves, hard drums, and punk energy. It all comes together to make an album that you’re going to want to listen to with the volume turned ALL the way up and just wyle out to. If you’re looking to get the party going in 2018, you don’t have to look any further than Digital Purgatory.

Digital Purgatory serves well to both reward long time fans and to introducer new listeners to the group. More than anything, though, it’s just plain fun to listen to. It’s just a bunch of friends getting together to make hip hop for the fun of it, and it comes through with the music.