For all of the vaunted democratizing power that the inception of hip-hop introduced into the world of DIY music, there’s been a similar, no less important paradigm shift in recent years, as the proliferation of easy-to-use production techniques have filtered down into the consumer marketplace.

Two turntables and a microphone may seem worlds apart from a MacBook and a copy of FruityLoops, but the software revolution has had an enormous impact on the ability of kids at home to jump straight into the game with nothing more than an omnivorous appetite for records, an ear for a tune, and hours spent doing the drudge work of mastering the new tools of the trade. Noel Munger, 21, a.k.a. M. Constant, an exciting young Boston hip-hop producer who released the intriguing “Bugged EP” this week, is one recent example...

“Wise Words,” the first of five EPs set for release this year from John Morabito, a.k.a. Dark & Stormy, drops later this month on the Hotfingers label. The two tracks here are a blast of progressive tech-house, with insistent hand-clap and high-hat beats pushing through unfolding static and tightly woven bass grooves. The moniker might sound like an overcast downer, but it’s a misnomer, at least on this bright and sunny release. Morabito, who has previous releases on labels like Metamimetic, Mokilok, and PitchBend Recordings, will have an EP release party the week of May 28.