Global collective of musicians, producers and graphic designers, known as raised by the internet, have released their first official compilation, Motherboard, which contains eleven tracks by twenty-one different contributors and running through the master and mix systems of four producers. If you haven’t come across RBTI before, what brings this group together is a mutual admiration for Texan collective BROCKHAMPTON (many of the members met on a fan forum) and the fact that as young creatives, the vast expanse of the Internet has become their second home, their studio, their social space, a formless education, a digital parent. Their shared connection to this virtual existence is a prominent theme of Motherboard, which opens with ‘Kodachrome’, a track featuring one of the group’s more well known figures, the 17-year-old wunderkind Jelani Aryeh, alongside Troi Blank and Asha Imuno. Creeping electronics and hand-tapped drums set the path for Aryeh’s brooding voice, fire lyrics and faultless rhythm. It’s interesting to wonder whether or not the track is an homage to Kodachrome, the first successful colour film for photography and cinematography, which lost its stake in the markets once digital imagery became the popular first choice (although rumours of a Kodachrome comeback are stirring...), or whether RBTI is using that as a wider metaphor for changing times; things lost, but not forgotten. One thing’s for certain, the dark, persistent and pensive vibe of ‘Kodachrome’, with the clever Gambino-esque use of a phone call for Imuno to showcase his lyrical and production skills, is the perfect introduction to a compilation you’ll have on repeat all year. -HT