Frankenstein "The Pain Remix" (1996)

Frankenstein records have been making the rounds on hip hop blogs, and for good reason. Lyrically, he's solid, while the production is consistently dope. Frankenstein didn't really make party records, but they fit so seamlessly into mixes. "The Rain is Gone" 12", "UV" EP, New York Remix EP, "The Pain" 12"; all solid. But the melanchony that permeates a lot of his production is perfectly encapsulated in "The Pain Remix." And I would argue that if any Frankenstein track is essential, it's this:

Frankenstein "The Pain Remix" 12"

The first time I heard this track was on a DJ Bless (NYC) mixtape, and he cut the sh*t out of it with doubles. It hard to make a track simultaneously sinister and bouncy, the formula of the production here. Fortunately, Frankenstein manages to find the perfect tone and lyrics for the beat:

I do the walkin', but the brain does the travel
Find the unknown as my thoughts unravel
Now I feel the pain, homeboy, more than ever
No matter what I do, sh*t comes out clever
...
They call me "Frankenstein" for the way I combine
The ill-type production with the ill f*ckin' rhyme
I don't know a lot, but one thing's for sure
My body feels the pain, and my brain feels sore

The beat has a texture most don't; the sound effects distinctly create the atmosphere of a dungeon...you can't help but infer that Frankenstein is literally rhyming in his lab. On the flip side is "What Does It All Mean?", much more laid-back, but in some ways more thoughtful. Included are both tracks and instrumentals.

[UPDATE, 7/13, 6pm: Re-archived, re-upped file]