Rapper and podcaster extraordinaire Open Mike Eagle’s last album, Anime, Trauma And Divorce peeled back the skin on some of the most painful experiences of his life. Now, on the newly announced Component System With The Auto Reverse, Mike Eagle is letting himself have some fun digging into his past; a past where he made cassette mixtapes from tracks he heard on his local hip-hop radio station.
“When I was in high school I used to stay up late to tape the hip-hop shows on college radio station WHPK on the south side of Chicago,” the rapper said in a statement. “It was the only way to hear the underground rap songs that changed my world. I still have many of the cassettes, with songs by giants like MF DOOM, DITC, Outsidaz, All Natural, Juggaknots, Organized Konfusion, and more. I named each tape. I named one Component System. This album was made in the spirit of that tape but with new music from me. Some of the people on the original tape appear on this album, I’m so proud of that that it brings me close to tears.”
The album has production from Madlib, Quelle Chris, Child Actor, and others. The new single, “I’ll Fight You,” was produced by DITC’s Diamond D, whose “…Beats and raps have inspired me my whole ass life,” Mike Eagle said.
Listen to “I’ll Fight For You” above and check out the album artwork and tracklist for Component System With The Auto Reverse below.
1. “The Song With The Secret Name” (produced by Child Actor)
2. “TDK Scribbled Intro” (produced by Kuest1)
3. “79th And Stony Island” (produced by Quelle Chris)
4. “I’ll Fight You” (produced by Diamond D)
5. “Circuit City” featuring Video Dave & Still Rift (produced by Madlib)
6. “I Retired Then I Changed My Mind” (produced by Child Actor)
7. “Burner Account featuring Armand Hammer” (produced by Quelle Chris)
8. “For DOOM” (produced by Illingsworth)
9. “Crenshaw And Homeland” (produced by Diamond D)
10. “Multi-game Arcade Cabinet” featuring R.A.P Ferreira, Still Rift & Video Dave (produced by illingsworth)
11. “Credits Interlude” featuring Serengeti) (produced by Illingsworth)
12. “Peak Lockdown Raps” (produced by Child Actor)
13. “Kites” featuring Video Dave and Still Rift (produced by Kuest1)
14. “Cd only” [bonus track] featuring Aesop Rock & Diamond D (produced by Diamond D)
Component System With The Auto Reverse is out on 10/07 via Auto Reverse records. Pre-order it here.