J. Dilla’s Estate Is Dropping a Posthumous Instrumental Album

It's been a little over nine and a half years since J. Dilla passed away, but the rap world's hunger for his music never seems sated. While the tributes and remixes and unauthorized compilations are to be expected, the wildly prolific Jay Dee has vaults of beats that are still being unearthed. So next month (on Oct. 30, to be exact), Dilla's mother is teaming up with Vintage Vibez Music Group to drop another collection of rare material. The album, called Dillatronic, is available for pre-order now on glow-in-the-dark CD or three-LP vinyl; both runs are limited. There are also deluxe packages that include a variety of new merchandise, and one that includes passes to the annual Dilla Day Weekend this February in Miami.

As one could probably deduce from the collection's name, Dillatronic focuses on the electronic influences in Dilla's back catalog. As Vintage Vibez points out, Detroit is perhaps best known for the pivotal role it's played in the North American electronic music scenes. This is evidenced in the single, which the label shared today (Sept. 23) along with the announcement: "Dillatronic #7" is built on a framework of synths, but features Dilla's trademark off-kilter drums. The song can be streamed below. Last year, during the closing song on his solo album Nobody's Smiling, longtime friend and collaborator Common remembered Dilla, rapping about their shared experience as roommates during the producer's final months.