this week, i bring you another #fiveforfriday list!
this time i bring you some legendary albums of abstract turntablism, spanning from 1998 to 2008.
scratch music was pretty hot in the late 90s/ early 2000s (q bert was even in an apple commercial), but for some reason it fizzled out pretty hard.
i know the bay area is probably still a pretty heavy scene... and with the advent of the laptop dj technology, DJing is probably more popular than ever -but the scratch DJs never really made it into the mainstream, other than maybe a few high profile dj gigs for popular rappers. this seemed to lead to weaker track selection, as you have to play for your "new" audience of "uneducated unsophisticated heads."
so they traded the hardcore scratch routines for playing popular songs and doing mashups (no disrespect for djs that are into that stuff, i just hate seeing my heroes fall so hard)/be so lo$t)
anyway, here is a list of 5 legendary avant hip hop scratch albums by DJs, in no particular order:
d styles
"phantazmagorea"
2002
this is am incredible album for several reasons. number one, it is the first album to be made entirely by scratching. there are no programmed beats, just different percussion scratches layered on top of each other with a deep, complex sound.
number two, it is a very dark concept album, touching on some pretty rough subject matter...like Charles Manson and the antichrist. oh, and dont forget John Wayne on Acid. not your typical hip hop album by any means.
d styles finally put out a follow up album this year, "noises in the right order." it is very good record done in a similar fashion, i recommend checking it out...but, why did it take 18 years for a follow up?
ricci rucker
"fuga"
2008
this is one of these dollar bin cd finds, that i had no idea existed. while i had heard of ricci rucker, i never knew of this ambitious project.
its basically an experimemtal jazz album, as he recruited and sampled live musicians to be further mangled and reinterpreted through programming and scratching. great underrated piece right here.
mixmaster mike
"anti theft device"
1998
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUbPOQKK95L1bOwNr26S_39IODFAm2UZT
this one is a playlist link, sorry
classic hip hop scratch sound collage album right here. freshly appointed beastie boys dj with his debut full length, a wild and lengthy journey into dimensions seldom traveled.
this album follows the tradition of some of his early mixtapes, using many oddball layered samples and abstract scratch sources to really keep you scratching your head (no pun intended)
this is a very 90s experience and truly psychedelic in nature- those 2 things are probably not a coincidence.
he did a follow up, called "eye of the Cyclops" a year or two later- which is also excellent. unfortunately, most of the stuff I've heard him do in the last 15 years seems pretty boring, like he isn't trying at all(or just trying to make money, i guess) very sad, as these albums were very fresh and interesting sounding, in my music snobby opinion
kid koala
"carpal tunnel syndrome"
2000
now this is how you make an album! short and to the point with no dull moments. kid koala is a legend at digging up the most random obscure samples and working them into his routines...you are basically guaranteed not to recognize any of the source material.
this is a really bizarre attempt at a pop album in my opinion. but top 40 is about the last place to find this one. they even made a cool animated video that got played on that Canadian music channel, much music, ill link it here for fun.
dj q bert
"wave twisters"
1998/album
2001/film
this is basically the grand daddy of them all, a sci fi themed concept album that would later be turned into the first (and only) animated scratch feature film. the animation really tries to convey the sounds he was going for while making the album. they add or take away a few parts, but for the most part the music stayed the same.
the plot involves a space dentist (its been done a million timea already right?) who has to battle the forces of evil that have outlawed the arts of hip hop...its maybe half star wars half footloose. definite essential viewing experience in my opinion. did i mention its in surround sound? you can hear the scratches bounce around the speakers, pretty cool stuff.
he has actually been working on a prequel ablum, im not certain if it will be a movie as well...but its supposed to be released next year and there are already some pretty cool full tracks available for free on his website ( www.thudrumble.com )
thanks for reading... i hope you learned something!