Cut Chemist, DJ Shadow

Editor's Review:

"Hey martial arts fan... Are you ready to get your guts kicked out?!" begins Brain Freeze, and with a query is surely meant more for hip-hop fans than for martial arts fans, the introduction goes on to promise, "Sights like you've never seen, sounds like you've never heard, and a kick like you've never felt before." So true. This two-track, 50-minute release offers a whirlwind of music provided by Shadow and Cut Chemist using almost exclusively 45s, that is, 7" records that spin at 45 rpm. Impressive, no?

The combined abilities of these vinyl slicers - Cut Chemist moves a record like no other, and nobody can drop beat like Shadow -make for an interesting, if not a near perfect mix of talent and influence, with tons of old school breaks, soul and blues records and furious scratching interludes mixed with classic, flawless mixing movements.

What was originally recorded as a practice session for the Future Primitive Sound Sessions DJ series (an "ongoing underground event dedicated to towards bringing about the evolution of hip-hop and DJ culture"), Brain Freeze is two of the duo's best practice takes, and if this is just a practice, the recording of the event must be stellar. From the kung fu introduction, the record's two tracks delve into the vinyl history that spawned current hip-hop and turntable trends; from lots of funky old soul to rock and roll to plenty of rich breaks and beats, this is one of the most impressive releases that's come off the press this year, and in true underground fashion, the best stuff is almost always the hardest to find. Rumor has it that Shadow and Cut Chemist only pressed a limited number of these on the independent tip, so happy hunting.

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Released January 2000

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