“For me, sampling is like a collaboration,” says DJ Yuta Yamaoka, better known to global beatheads as Pigeondust. Residing in Chiba, Japan, Pigeondust spends his days either vinyl-digging or sourcing samples — that is, creating sonic collaborations — from his discoveries. Pigeondust is also a member of the EN TOKYO crew, representing a new generation of Japanese beat-makers who draw from a large variety of genres. In 2015, Pigeonhead joined Cold Busted with his fantastic album Moon, Wisdom & Slackness. He now follows up with an ambitious double album titled Way Back When.

Way Back When explores a galaxy of hip hop styles throughout its whopping 36 cuts. The vibe is gritty and street-smart, samples from jazz, funk, world music, and other pathways poured into one groovable stew. “Cheinowa” sets the tone with its tough beat, funk bass pops, and fly-by musical riffs. “Spriral Beat” is also notable for its arpeggiated jazz loop that shifts into gentle ‘70s piano soul. And the collaborations aren’t exclusive with samples — Turkish producer Ozoyo joins Pigeondust for the drum-twisting nature walk of “Magicnight,” and Swiss producer DRWN. appears on cut-up jazz jam “Intense.” There’s much to explore here.

Tracklist:
A1 Intro 1:52
A2 Chienowa 2:46
A3 Class 2:29
A4 Dummies 1:35
A5 Kan-nana Street 2:53
A6 Magicnight 1:56
A7 Cuttape 1:15
A8 Spiral Beat 3:14
A9 Skit 2:01
B1 Intro 2 1:22
B2 Sky 1:50
B3 Altona 2:13
B4 Maze 2:05
B5 Jazzloop A 1:33
B6 M-v-g-i 1:52
B7 Jazzloop B 1:09
B8 Reminiscence 1:39
B9 Home 3:01
B10 Mektup 3:06
C1 Intense 1:33
C2 Nothing But Jazz Loops 1:51
C3 Wave 2:57
C4 Jazzloop C 0:29
C5 Sunnyday 3:58
C6 Jazzloop D 1:52
C7 Rain 3:37
C8 Jazzloop E 1:32
C9 Jazzloop F 0:54
C10 Struggle 1:07
D1 Back In The Days 2:51
D2 B-Boy Blue 4:35
D3 Numero 3 1:06
D4 Skaters 1:49
D5 Keep On 2:20
D6 Fiesta 2:13
D7 1973 5:03