MIX MASTER MIKE
Bangzilla
Scratch/Immortal
KUTMASTA KURT
Redneck Olympics
Threshold Recordings/Blue Ocean
· Beats for the geeks.
As a fan of early-’90s indie rock, my knowledge of hip hop is far surpassed by my knowledge of Sonic Youth side projects. Still, I know what I like and Mix Master Mike, with his scratchy rhythms, big beats, bleeps, bloops and (most importantly) sci-fi samples, appeals to my inner geek. With its Star Trek sound effects and Darth Vader dialogue, Bangzilla (to make an indie-rock comparison) sounds like the album Man or Astroman would have made if they were into hip-hop instead of surf rock. Given that Mix Master Mike is the man at the decks for Beastie Boys, it’s no surprise that at times the album sounds simply like an instrumental take on their material, but really how bad is that?
Kutmasta Kurt has also done work with the Beasties, and this remix collection highlights the skills he’s been honing for more than 15 years as a West Coast DJ-producer. Remixing Mos Def & Diverse, Dilated Peoples, Blackalicious, KoolKeith, Beastie Boys and many others, the result is a hooky, bouncing hip-hop primer.
MIX MASTER 4/5
KUTMASTA 4/5
JASON LEWIS
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