Intro 'Level' offers a tantalizing glimpse of the 2012 Clams Casino sound, but only lasts a minute before pivoting into the bland 'Be Somebody.' With both A$AP Rocky and Lil B on deck, 'Be Somebody' could have been an anthem, but no one sounds particularly invested. It features the Based God on a number of tracks, as well as an A$AP Rocky cameo. With a title referencing Lil B's Clams-produced classic, 'I'm God,' 32 Levels looks back just enough to remind us why we fell in love with him in the first place. The album is a clever mix of old and new. 32 Levels finally lands with a splash, featuring high-profile guests and a major-label promotional push (quite a departure from self-released mixtapes). 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.

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