South Central Los Angeles-based avant hip-hop team People Under The Stairs, the brainchild of producer/MC duo Thes One and Double K, have soaked up Southern California sun, soul, and psychedelic music and will release their next 20-track opus on September 30.

The ambitious album, titled Fun DMC, furthers PUTS’ expansive explorations of spiritually-imbued jazz, soul, pop, and psychedelic rock, while the group’s sound remains firmly grounded in classic hip-hop. Lead single “Step Bacc” encapsulates this vibe with a skittish, Madlib-style rhythm, stereo-panned choruses, tight scratching, and loose guitar loops, along with the duo’s dexterous lyrics. Like L.A. forefathers King Tee, Alcoholics, or 7A3, PUTS manage to sound gritty and funk-fueled while dropping fluid and astute rhymes.

Fun DMC showcases Thes One and Double K’s tight creative chemistry–several tracks have an easy, conversational quality not unlike two friends chopping it up while watching football game. They went the extra mile to get true vintage recording qualities, including Thes dropping $50K on his home-built analog mixing desk. The duo also recorded on-site at local hip-hop weekend barbecues and street parties to capture an accurate live atmosphere.

Although the guys toured relentlessly before the new album started production in February, they’ll hit stages around the U.S. again soon.

Fun DMC
01 The Swan Fever
02 Step Bacc
03 Up Yo Spine (Live at the Fishbucket Pt. 3)
04 Ste. for Peter Pt. 1 “The Fun”
05 Ste. for PEter Pt. 2 “The Grind”
06 Anotha’ (BBQ)
07 The Ultimate 144
08 Letter 2 c/o Bronx
09 Party Enemy #1
10 Enjoy
11 Gamin’ on Ya
12 Critical Condition
13 The Wiz
14 People Riddum
15 California
16 Love’s Theme #1
17 A Baby
18 Same Beat (The Wesley Rap)
19 D
20 The Mike & Chris Story

Dates
09/19 Denver, CO: Marquis Theatre
09/20 Colorado Springs, CO: The Black Sheep
09/21 Salt Lake City, UT: Urban Lounge
09/22 Pocatello, ID: Icon
09/24 Missoula, MT: The Other Side
09/25 Spokane, WA: The Boulevard
09/26 Portland, OR: Hawthorne Theater
09/27 Olympia, WA: China Clipper
09/28 Seattle, WA: King Cobra
10/01 San Francisco, CA: Independent
10/02 Pomona, CA: The Glass House
10/05 San Diego, CA: The Casbah