The rise of cassette releases appears to be continuing unabated, which hopefully means that we can count on upstart labels like Culture Dealer to regularly supply the world with blasts of homespun weirdness. One of its latest offerings is Freekbeat (artwork above) from Virgina-based producer Ohbliv. Part of the Chocolate Milk collective, Ohbliv seems quite adept at crafting funky slices of beat-driven electronic pop. ’80s funk and boogie are obvious touchstones in his music, and “Freekphone”finds him indulging in that era’s laid-back sense of collective cool while piecing together chopped-up strings and breezily bouncing beats.

Freekphone