Ultra Suede is a new-ish Doomtree-adjacent project from Minneapolis producers DJ Fundo, MAKR, and AJAB. A little over a year ago, they were holding down a showcase series in the Twin Cities area, establishing themselves as a public presence amongst the bustling hip hop scene there. Now they are finally ready to release their first album and take their music nationwide and beyond.

DJ Fundo is probably the best known member of the group, since he has served as tour DJ for P.O.S. and Sims, and he’s part of the Get Cryphy DJ Crew as well. That said, he’s not well known as a producer, which puts him kind of on par with MAKR and AJAB, who are mostly unknown quantities coming into this project. Overall, the sound they are bringing is fairly minimal, hyphy-inspired, with a heavy dose of weirdness, a la Fog or Marijuana Deathsquads. It’s got a deliberate pace and a dark tone, but there are plenty of twists and turns along the way. The project is also something of a curated collection, with guest artists showing up on all the tracks except the intro and outro. We get some familiar names such as P.O.S., deM atlaS, Sims, ShowYouSuck, and Sophia Eris, along with a handful of artists you might not know, such as Dwynell Roland, RP Hooks, Moncelas Boston, J PLAZA, Mina Moore, Nona Invie, Corey Lawson, and Roniia. It’s a great balance that draws you in, and then introduces you to some new artists that you’ll grow to love. “Selfish,” featuring deM atlaS was the standout track to me the first time through, mostly because his delivery is so distinct and the energy is off the charts. However, on repeat listens, I really grew to appreciate the tender R&B of “Never Was,” which features the stellar singing voice of Corey Lawson, who gives a really vulnerable performance that opens up the sound of the album. It’s not a perfect album, since the group is still figuring out their sound and there are so many guests that it can feel a little up and down from track to track, but it’s more up than down.

Ultra Suede is an interesting project, and these three artists have come together to add something to the crowded Minneapolis hip hop scene that sounds fresh and original. I’m sure it will only get better from here.