ALBUM:

Careful by Boy Harsher (2019)

PRODUCER:

Boy Harsher, Jordan Romero

GENRE:

Dark synthwave, minimal pop

CANNABIS:

Guava

CULTIVATED BY:

710 Labs

EFFECTS:

Relaxing, euphoric uplift without being overly speedy or sedating

AROMA:

Guava, funky gas, Vaseline

Remember how I featured Portishead back in Issue #2? When it comes to making sexy goth dance music, Boy Harsher has emerged as their (very worthy) heir apparent.

Think She Wants Revenge, but swap their guitars for synths—or Bauhaus crossed with the soundtrack from Drive (2011). This is music best played after midnight, preferably blaring through the speakers of your black-on-black 80s sports car or in the basement of a club that still has a Studio 54 or Berghain-style doorman to keep out the normies.

Unsurprisingly, given how much of their work feels like a soundtrack, this duo of singer Jae Matthews and producer Augustus Muller originally met back in film school. For those with a Shudder subscription, you can stream their 2022 Lynchian short film The Runner about a woman’s descent into the (sexual, violent) unknown. Careful (2019), their sophomore effort, touches on some pretty heavy subjects—the off-and-on-again romantic relationship between bandmates, the death of Jae’s stepfather, her mother’s dementia diagnosis—which align perfectly with the dark vibes of Augustus’s beats.

Speaking of perfect pairings, I’m reaching for a (fittingly) black box of 710 Labs persy rosin to throw into my e-rig as I give this one a spin. This music demands your focus and a heady, sativa-dominant hybrid like 710’s Guava should boost your brain’s ability to detect the unique layers of each track, while still allowing your body to lose itself as you dance along to Careful’s hauntingly transfixing rhythms.

Guava was originally bred by Cookies Fam, and while its genetics remain a bit of a mystery, it’s largely believed to be a Gelato pheno. You’ll notice many familiar flavors: namely fruity, sharp citrus (lemon, lime, orange) with petroleum jelly-esque, chemically gassy notes. A Fruit Roll-Up served at the gates of Hell.

ALBUM:

C’est Chic by Chic (1978)

PRODUCER:

Nile Rodgers, Bernard Edwards

GENRE:

Disco, R&B lounge

CANNABIS:

Super Silver Haze

CULTIVATED BY:

Heirbloom (CBX)

EFFECTS:

Imagine the disco genre as a type of cannabis

AROMA:

Sweet & sour skunk

1978’s C’est Chic is an all-time, certified platinum disco classic. I hesitated to include it because I’d imagine many readers are already familiar with the one-two punch of production gods Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards.

Is there any late-70s act that they didn’t create for? Outside of Chic—“We Are Family” by Sister Sledge? That’s them. Debbie Harry’s debut solo album? You betcha. I mean, even Sugarhill Gang’s immortal “Rapper’s Delight” is just a sampling of the Rodgers/Edwards hit “Good Times.” They truly defined the sound of an era.

We’ve all shaken our asses to “Le Freak” before, but just wait until you hit the smooth R&B grooves of “Savoir Faire” or the soul ballad of “At Last I Am Free” to get a full sense of Chic’s range. The best part? They’re still touring—minus Bernard Edwards (RIP), of course.

Wow, what a surprise, Jake went with an old-school strain for this pairing! Super Silver Haze even sounds like the name of a Chic track, eh? When I reach for SSH, I know I’m in store for an energy bomb that will melt away any anxiety or depression. Spicy, sour, and herbaceous, it reminds me of the smells you’d get while cutting class to get high behind the school: a mixture of football field, the skunk living in the woods surrounding it, engine fumes, and the tropical chewing gum you’d use to help hide the stank.

I’ve got to give Heirbloom their due. This is exactly the sort of brand I’ve been hoping would emerge to reintroduce classic cultivars into the market. While Super Silver Haze (Skunk #1 x Northern Lights x Haze) three-peated at the High Times Cannabis Cup from ’97–’99, I’m surprised that many have never tried it. It was famously bred by Nevil Shoenmakers.

ALBUM:

Memory Allocations by Ramleak (2025)

PRODUCER:

Corbin Dooley, Chris Miranda, Nick Poortman

GENRE:

Techno

CANNABIS:

Tamarind Rosin Gummies in Runtz Mintz

PRODUCED BY:

Dee Thai x Doja Pak

CULTIVATED BY:

Fidel’s

EFFECTS:

Social relaxation

AROMA:

Sour soap

I try to write my column with integrity. It would be borderline unethical for me to feature an album that was gifted to me by its artists, right?

Well, good thing I now genuinely love the music of Ramleak: the duo of LA-based Corbin Dooley and Chris Miranda, who I’ve had the pleasure of seshing with at the WeHo consumption lounges. I had zero idea these guys were putting out such high-caliber, stabbing, warehouse techno beats, accented with live guitar, bass, piano, and synths—which is exactly in my Q zone. Picture yourself at Boiler Room Berlin. You know the vibe—DJs like Sasha, Scuba, Teki Latex, DJ Hell. A little earlier Gesaffelstein.

These deep, heavily European influences can be felt on Memory Allocations. “Raydol (Chris Miranda Remix)” is perfect for a run or weightlifting (at least, I’d imagine so). “Sleigh Queen” might be the least Christmas-y Christmas song in existence, but nevertheless, it’s a certified banger. “Dimensions” feels like I’m in a rave thrown by the creatures from War of the Worlds. The pairing for this one was a bit of a struggle. A strong sativa might end up giving you an anxiety attack, so I opted for something a little more accessible: Dee Thai x Doja Pak’s Tamarind rosin gummies, infused with Fidel’s Runtz Mintz. Too many of us forget to eat while we’re raving, so you might as well get a few calories in while enjoying the sweet and sour (and kind of soapy) tropical tang of the tamarind. Expect effects that keep you social and focused—ideal for nights at the After Hours.

ALBUM:

Lord Willin’ by Clipse (2002)

PRODUCER:

The Neptunes (Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams)

GENRE:

Hip Hop

CANNABIS:

Bubba Kush x OHaze

CULTIVATED BY:

Budularo

EFFECTS:

A burst of positivity, cerebral headband tingling, zen chillness

AROMA:

Hashy and earthy

Clipse have remained a dominant name in rap since their debut album, Lord Willin’, dropped all the way back in 2002—which is even crazier when you learn they formed in ‘92. Brothers and Virginia Beach natives Pusha T and Malice were “discovered” by Pharrell and this album stands out as the paragon of his Neptunes-era production. This is a full hour of menacing, boastful tales of struggle and sin. It both put their state on the map and etched their faces forever onto the Mt. Rushmore of drug dealer music. “Grindin’” or “Cot Damn” are best known but I suggest “Comedy Central” ft. Fabolous, “Virginia,” or “Gangsta Lean.” There are no skips. I grew up with this.

I also grew up with strains like Bubba Kush and Haze. This pairing is a no-brainer, having enjoyed BK while listening to Clipse countless times over too many years. Budularo’s “Long Flowering Varieties” are my new favorite obsession out of Mendocino County. This is cannabis that, on paper, isn’t efficient or particularly easy to grow (13 weeks, in this case!), but ultimately yields terpene and effect profiles you’ve been craving for decades. The jar tastes hashy, floral, and earthy. I’m getting...chocolate toothpaste? OG Kush, with the other parent believed to be an Afghani, crossed with Sam the Skunkman’s Original Haze is a tough set of genetics to beat. It’s a product of both Dutch influence and early online seed trading communities. I beelined for their booth at the last Hall of Flowers event and plan on doing the same next time around, especially if there’s a chance I can grab some of their (16-week) Bandaid Haze. History, wrapped up in rice paper.

P.S. The first Clipse album in 16 years, Let God Sort Em Out, is finally out. Save some Budularo for it.

ALBUM:

Loaded: The Greatest Hits 1994-2023 by Bush

PRODUCER:

Various

GENRE:

Grunge, Rock

CANNABIS:

Legend Variety 3-pack (Wedding Cake, 805 Glue, and Blue Dream)

CULTIVATED BY:

Pacific Stone

AROMA & EFFECTS:

Yes—all of them.

I’ll never forget my first time listening to Bush and their debut album Sixteen Stone. The neighbor kids back home in Michigan had far better taste in music than I did at that age, also turning me on to Oasis and No Doubt. It was mainly their parents’ influence...mine were more into Jim Croce and KISS.

Specifically, “Glycerine,” “Comedown,” and “Machinehead” fueled my journey out of adolescence, teaching me that life was about to get a whole lot more complicated in the years to come. Hell, I might have even had my first kiss to “Glycerine.” It was on constant rotation. No, the biggest name in British grunge wasn’t done after Sixteen. “Swallowed” off of Razorblade Suitcase never fails to scratch my Pixies itch—complete with a video chock-full of religious iconography and Steve Albini’s production. “Letting the Cables Sleep” from The Science of Things recently came back into my life, spurred by a perfectly-timed needle drop on ER.

If “Speed Kills” off of ‘01’s Golden State proved the new millennium didn’t slow them down, 2014’s “The Only Way Out” affirmed they weren’t going anywhere. As a massive John Wick fan, the inclusion of “Bullet Holes” on the third movie soundtrack reminded me how much I love these guys. They never lost a step. Check out 2022’s “More Than Machines” if you doubt me. This album closes with one of my favorite Beatles covers— Bush’s version of “Come Together,” which I’d pick as my walk-out song if I end up going pro for baseball or boxing. Hey—there’s still time!

For a Greatest Hits album, I need some variety in my life. Bush is a true rock legend—and thus, Pacific Stone’s “Legend” Variety Pack featuring 3 heavy-hitting cultivars, each one an all-time classic, felt apt. Spark up that euphoric Blue Dream the second you turn on Loaded to sufficiently amp you up. The richly flavorful 805 Glue (tons of earthy pine, with a sour, medicinal taste) makes for a perfect intermission. As the album draws to a close, you’re going to be glad you have that Wedding Cake to settle you back down—a release valve to let the raw energy Bush have just delivered properly dissipate out of your system.

Jake Kuczeruk is a cannabis expert and writer for the Budist app. He’s worked with numerous brands, driven market expansion, and cultivated a deep product knowledge. He is passionate about old-school strains and landraces.