In a time of hip hop when producers are highly sought after commodities, one name always enters the conversation when talking about the more prolific music makers. Sure, you’ve got the high profile names like Pharrell Williams, Kanye West and Timbaland, and they have made their share of good music. But in underground circles, arguably the best producer, in terms of quality to quantity ratio, is none other than Stones Throw alumni Madlib. The amount of music he has produced and number of artists he has collaborated with over the years reads like a best of compilation album. As Madlib he released the masterful Shades of Blue; under his Quasimoto moniker he released the critically acclaimed The Unseen; and he combined with MF Doom (as Madvillain) for the excellent Madvillainy. More recently he has collaborated with the likes of Dudley Perkins and Talib Kweli. With a back catalogue like that, it’s no wonder that Time Out magazine has chosen him to put together the fifth instalment of their Other Side series, The Other Side of Los Angeles.

Born Otis Jackson Jr, Madlib has always been a forward thinker in terms of fusing new sounds. With an obvious love of jazz and soul, the prolific crate digger has imprinted those genres on the record, but rather than limiting himself to one particular sound, he also takes reggae, rock, funk, disco and electro and combines them into one package. Starting off with The Lightmen Plus One, the frenetic pace showcasing old styles of jazz, with a trumpet that is played in such a staccato style it almost sounds like electronic beeps and bleeps. Then he moves to the old school hip hop style sounds of Cybertron, new school sounds with Dabrye feat. Jay Dee and Phat Kat. Prince Jazzbo’s sun drenched reggae track Blood Dunza is included, as is a track from legendary jazz composer Sun Ra Arkestra (featuring a humorous call and response bit).

Madlib includes three of his own tracks here under three different aliases. Under Quasimoto he delivers the classic stoner track Greenery, under Madlib he includes the jazzy lounge of Infinity_ and as Beat Konducta he pushes the subtle funky Smog Theme. All three showing a different side to his personality, but all showing his appreciation for quality beats. Other artists contributing to the mix include jazz singer Mark Murphy, MED feat Poke and the Madlib/J-Dilla collaborative effort Jaylib. What Madlib has put together may at first seem like an incongruous mix, but upon listening to it as a whole you realise that it really is a broad, eclectic mix of sounds from the City of Angels.

In addition to the beats, Stones Throw head honcho Peanut Butter Wolf takes the viewer on a tour of LA’s best spots for shopping, food, nightlife, sights, accommodation on a bonus DVD. Showing off his secret spots for buying furniture, records and clothes, the best underground restaurants and clubs and the best places to stay, it’s an intimate look at a city that Peanut Butter Wolf clearly loves. All in all this is a fascinating look at one of the world’s most famous cities. The sights and sounds that make this city what it is are perfectly captured in this CD/DVD set, and the real enthusiasm that Madlib shows with the music, and that Peanut Butter Wolf shows with the DVD help this avoid being simply a travel advertisement. While Los Angeles can sometimes seem like a one dimensional place, these two have shown a raw eclectic side to it that’ll make anyone who sees and listens to this want to hop on the first plane they can to experience it for themselves.