Re: If ya liked them records....

[improv@peak.org (Dave Trenkel)]

At 3:52 PM 1/25/97, Kim Flint wrote:
>><RE:DJ Krush>:
>>his album "strictly turntablized" is a collection of "excursions into the
>>hiphop avant-garde".  it's purely instrumental and has some deep, tweaked
>>textures that are amazing.  one of the coolest albums ever.
>>
>>the albums "krush" and "meiso" are essential too.  the track "edge of 
>blue"
>>(on "krush") features a delayed, wah-pedaled, whammy-pedaled trumpet 
>solo on
>>top of a slinky gangsta-bass line that brings tears to my eyes...  these 
>two
>>albums feature some guest vocals that detract somewhat, but there are 
>still
>>plenty of redeeming instrumentals.
>>
>>anyways, check this stuff out!
>
>looking forward to it!
>
I second these rec's, Krush is very interesting. This might be a
stereotype, but I find his mixes to have a haiku quality: simple, spare,
with very few elements, but with a wonderful sense of internal balance and
completeness. I think Krush is kind of the opposite end of the spectrum
from DJ Spooky, whose mixes tend to be very complex and busy. The raps on
Meiso are detracting, even if they are better than the typical gangster
posturing. But that's what programmable CD-players are for.

>Two albums that made a big impact on me, which you should check out if you
>aren't familiar with these, are:
>
>Public Enemy, "Fear of a Black Planet" - still gives me some of the 
>biggest
>goosebumps of any album I've ever listened to. The rhythm tracks a
>masterpieces.
>
Agreed, this record is a masterpiece, and an example of an entire approach
to music that was almost litigated out of existance. This was one of the
last great records made before all samples had to be cleared with the
original artists, another great example of this style is the Beastie Boys
2nd record, "Paul's Boutique", produced by the Dust Brothers. I read
somewhere that there was on the order of 2000 samples form vinyl on "Fear
of a Black Planet", and having to clear all them would have been
impossible. It's too bad, none of Public Enemy's or The Bomb Squad (PE's
producers) work since then have the density and complexity of Black Planet.
I don't want to start a debate about copyright issues, but I think that
it's a shame that the Bomb Squad's or the Dust Brothers' work, which
actively recontextualizes the samples they use, had to be held to the same
legal standard as that of lesser producers.




________________________________________________________
Dave Trenkel, NEW EMAIL ADDRESS: improv@peak.org
self promotional web-site: http://www.peak.org/~improv/
"A squid eating dough in a polyethelene bag is fast
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                                     -Captain Beefheart
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