| Digital Lows | |
| Type: | mixtape |
| Artist: | Cities Aviv |
| Cover: | Cities Aviv - Digital Lows.jpg |
| Genre: | Alternative hip hop, cloud rap, experimental hip hop, chillwave |
| Label: | Fat Sandwich |
| Producer: | Muted Drone, RPLD GHOSTS, Danny Dee, Upgrayde, Royal'T, Blackbird Blackbird |
| Next Title: | Black Pleasure |
| Next Year: | 2012 |
Digital Lows is the debut mixtape by American rapper, Cities Aviv.[1] It was released on May 2, 2011, through Fat Sandwich Records. Produced by various artists including Muted Drone, RPLD GHOSTS and Danny Dee, the mixtape earned attention and critical acclaim from various music publications.[2]
The beats on the mixtape, which feature chillwave elements, were described as "imaginative but still traditionalist." The track "Black Box" samples Gil Scott-Heron's "Winter in America." The track "Die Young" features a looped sample of Depeche Mode's "People Are People," creating a hybrid style akin to "Rammellzee's avant-rap and Southern fight-rap." The tracks "A Beautiful Hell", "Doom x Gloom", and "sixsixsixes" are influenced by hip hop group Three 6 Mafia. The track "Meet Me on Montrose (For Ex-Lovers Only)" is based on a sample of Alessi Brothers' "Oh Lori" while the track uses a sample from electronic music act Blackbird Blackbird's cover of a Modest Mouse song, "Float On."
While his flow was compared to those of RZA, the album's soul music leanings and storytelling were compared to the works of underground hip hop groups such as The Nonce and Natural Elements.
The mixtape generally received positive reviews. Pitchfork reviewer Brandon Soderberg stated: "Balance is important here, and the darkest moments of Digital Lows soon enough let up to highlight Cities Aviv's most winning quality: his mordant humanity." He also further stated: "Even the usual hip-hop clichés are afforded specificity thanks to his expressive wit and precise determination not to use words in the same exact way as every other rapper." Jon Caramanica of The New York Times described the album as "lullingly pretty."[3]
| Publication | Accolade | Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spin | 40 Best Rap Albums of 2011 | |||
| Time Out | Top 15 Hip-Hop Mixtapes of 2011 |