Michigan beatmaker
Apollo Brown
was one of the first artists to sign with underground hip-hop staple
Mello Music Group
. Since 2010, he has released more than two dozen full-lengths, including full collaborations with renowned emcees like
Ghostface Killah
,
Ras Kass
, and
Planet Asia
, in addition to
Sincerely, Detroit
, a guest-filled love letter to his home city. He's also released instrumental projects on occasion, with 2011's
Clouds
being a dreamy beat tape and 2014's
Thirty Eight
closer in spirit to a neo-noir soundtrack.
This Must Be the Place
is a reserved and relaxed set of three-minute instrumentals filled with hazy, watercolor melodies seemingly designed to evoke far-gone memories. Based on productions solicited by several audio designers and music libraries, the release resembles a "lo-fi beats to study and chill to" playlist more than
Brown
's past instrumental efforts, yet it still maintains the character and quality level of his other output. Some of the material has appeared in other forms -- "Watch the Ball Drop" is essentially the instrumental to "What the Hook Gon Be" from
's 2021 album with
Stalley
, but it's so haunting and gorgeous that it deserves to be heard on its own. Other tracks play like nostalgic daydreams, from the mellow sway of opener "Got It Good" to the grainy fidelity and dragging snares of "Flowers Die." "Escapism" has busier, more neon-tinted sequencers, and "Catching Moments" similarly feels like a pleasant '80s throwback, with synths that could have been in a
Wham!
song and a breezy "Ashley's Roachclip" breakbeat. Choral vocals add a hopeful touch to "Pipe Dreams," and the jazzy elements of tracks like "Nervous Goodbyes" make for some of the album's most soothing moments.
makes for sublime background music, but it also demonstrates the restless producer's dedication to his craft. ~ Paul Simpson