From Cali to NYC, from France to Japan, these mixmasters help keep the medicated from nodding off
By Paul Rogers
DJ SPOOKY
If I tell you that DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid (a name taken from a William S. Burroughs novel) is a writer (appearing in The Village Voice, Raygun etc.), conceptual artist (shown in museums and galleries worldwide) and a professor of “Music Mediated Art” at a Swiss graduate school, you’ll realize that this veteran NY deej is far from just yer average crate-digger. Credited as a pioneer of “illbient” (a fusion of hip-hop, dub, drum ‘n’ bass and jazz), Spooky still DJs worldwide, and his multi-media explorations of sound, words and vision have included collaborations with everyone from Ryuichi Sakamoto to Slayer’s Dave Lombardo.
www.djspooky.com.
DJ SHADOW
Growing up as a hip-hop kid in the days of ’80s hair metal, the Bay Area’s DJ Shadow was always destined to do either something very special or nothing at all. His early single “In/Flux”—a bastard coming-together of instrumental hip-hop, rock, funk, soul and jazz (and one of the first to be dubbed “trip-hop”)—showed he’d achieved the former, and this was confirmed with his revolutionary debut album, 1996’s Entroducing . . . which was recognized by the Guinness World Records book as the “First Completely Sampled Album.” Shadow tours like a mofo, yet still finds time to write/produce original music and score films. His fourth album is imminent.
www.djshadow.com.
MADLIB
Even if you’ve never heard of Madlib, you’ve probably heard his work. This L.A.-based DJ/rapper/multi-instrumentalist/beatsmith/producer has collaborated with the likes of Mos Def, Erykah Badu (who graced CULTURE’s June cover!) and De La Soul as well as enjoying solo success, as Quasimoto, at the turn of the millennium. Raised in Oxnard, Madlib works from a broad, abstract palette, with a weighty respect for jazz and soul, and his albums include remixes of dub reggae and Blue Note Records. Though it’s rumored he’ll be contributing beats to mega-selling oddball Kanye West’s next record, Madlib stresses that he’s a “DJ first, producer second, and MC last.”
www.stonesthrow.com/madlib.
DJ CAM
Respected as one of the more experimental artists of the “French Touch” scene, Parisian DJ Cam (who’s now based in L.A.) leapt from humble DIY roots to hit albums (like 1996’s 300,000-selling Substances) and singles (including 2002’s “Summer in Paris,” which moved over a million) and remixing the likes of Michael Jackson and Nas. His debut full-length, ‘95’s indie-released Underground Vibes, is still widely regarded as a masterpiece. Cam’s sound is a restless, abstract exploration of hip-hop and jazz which has enjoyed consistent critical acclaim and he’s toured extensively in Japan, Europe and North America. New album Seven is his first since 2002.
www.myspace.com/djcamrecall.
DJ KRUSH
The true veteran of this list (born in 1962), Tokyo DJ/producer/remixer DJ Krush was amongst the first to use turntables as an on-stage instrument alongside live musicians and is credited as a pioneer of both Japanese hip-hop and the “trip-hop” genre. Having enjoyed domestic success with the Krush Posse in the late ’80s, Krush released his solo debut in 1994 and has been super-prolific ever since. His unique and atmospheric instrumental style—which incorporates soul, jazz, hip-hop and sounds from nature—has kept him in demand as a producer and composer for film, TV and commercials. Krush has been promising a new album and continues to spin internationally.
www.sus81.jp/djkrush.
