Anvil Hands is the alias of one R. Shay, instrumental hip hop and electronic music producer based in Brooklyn, NY. A dirty crate digger at heart, the eclectic beats favor a mix of 70's psychedelic and new age electronica, pounded out like a bedroom hip hop producer.

He spent several years honing his craft until late 2008, when he finally put down a sequencer to piece together an album. The first LP, Last Place in the Rat Race, is often described as having a dark, cinematic break beat sound reminiscent of the mid 90's. The album has garnered more attention internationally, while keeping a lower profile stateside.

Flashing forward one short year, he contributed productions to wise-cracking Vinnie's Scullo's, I Spit on Your Grave (May 08), took the helm on a debut album from apocalyptic hip hop duo Papermates (t.b.a), and slung out numerous remixes for artists such as Julianna Barwick, The Missing Teens, Skyzoo, and Valeska Jakobowicz. Anvil Hands is also one half of production duo Ex-Nihilo, alongside fellow DJ and producer Net Rockwell.

He has a sophomore sequel slated for 2010, titled The Monk & The Machine. It has a similarly dark and epic vibe, but a distinctly electronic, ambient texture, and an overall focus on shuffling drum rhythms rather than indulgent sampling. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.