Sebastian Fraye Volume 2

Californian beat-maker Sebastian Fraye continues his tribute to crate-digging and dusty vinyl discoveries with the finely crafted Volume 2. Released on Cold Busted, the album features 20 instrumentals constructed with samples, beats, and drops found in used bins of record shops and musty backrooms of thrift stores. The album cover — designed by Sebastian — is about this vinyl journey, featuring price stickers sourced from some of the albums in his collection.

The music is a celebration of digging culture — upbeat, nostalgic, and combining stylistic detours that transmit the thrill of discovering that magic beat. Highlights include the head-nod-worthy jazz-hip hop hybrid of “Art Imitates Life (Magic),” the feel-good sunshine bounce of “Special (Friends),” “Stereo (System)” evoking the classic era of the Mo Wax label, and the dreamy boom-bap of “Never the Same (Changes).” Sebastian Fraye’s Volume 2 shows how a vinyl-junkie’s dedication pays off. These beats are supreme.