Instrumental hip-hop producer RJD2 has left his longtime home at Definitive Jux and relocated to XL Recordings for his third album, in what’s perhaps a fitting move. As his career has climbed over the last four years, his work has used a larger range of styles, and The Third Hand suggests the sharpest left turn of all. Head over to RJ’s MySpace page to stream his unlikely pop ballads with plenty of piano and harp. Don’t worry, all you purists. His original genre remains in the mix. It’s just a slightly different take on hip-hop.

The Third Hand is out March 6, 2007 on XL.