Since then, Volpe has produced for FKA twigs and Vince Staples, all while quietly toiling away at his debut album. As cloud rap evaporated, Volpe's solo output dried up. But by the time he got to the third Instrumentals, the formula started to wear thin. Volpe rode high on the praise, releasing a second mixtape and working with artists like The Weeknd. Then, with the first Instrumentals mixtape (eventually reissued by Type), Volpe's beats found their way to experimental music heads who admired their ghostly textures and sense of space.
They caught the ears of Lil B and A$AP Rocky, helping define the cloud rap movement. Layering samples from all kinds of sources (choral music, new age, pop, R&B) and fastening them to sharp drums, Clams Casino productions were both mighty and mystical. But then he's a rare producer in general, arriving out of nowhere with an already well-defined and magnetic sound. Michael Volpe is the rare kind of rap producer whose instrumentals are better remembered than the songs they were made for.
