5/09/2010

RJD2 - Deadringer (2002)

I was reading an interesting post on The Drowning Machine about the "neverending sampling chain":

(To make it easier, below follows the extract. Credits for "Purge+audit")

Sometimes the sampling daisy-chain seems neverending...So, the wonderful CRACKED today informed me that (among other groups), Led Zeppelin famously plagiarised many of their songs... Including Stairway to freaking Heaven.(In case for some insane reason you've never heard it): Led Zeppelin, Stairway to Heaven (1971)



This is in part due to their trick of not putting any song-writing credit on their record sleeves. Its unfortunate that most self-proclaimed 70s prog-rock fans today dont bother to look up anyone OTHER than Led or Pink, or realise there was a whole ocean of similar stuff at the time.

But it does give me a chance now to show you SPIRIT, from whose track Taurus, Zeppelin stole the intro to Stairway. Spirit were a top underground group in the late 60s early 70s. To be honest I don't know a lot about their career, though I'm curious to follow them now. Taurus is lifted off their first album, Spirit, 1968. (LINK here)

Spirit - Taurus (1968)



The same track was sampled by RJD2 on his seminal hit 2002 DefJux album Deadringer, which I have no doubt EVERY beathead has heard at least one (that is if you don't own it as well, which I'm convinced most of you do).

RJD2 - Proxy (2002) (listen about the 2:30 mark)


And to follow the sample chain, the sample you're hearing throughout the song should be familiar as Steve Reich's exquisite Electric Counterpoint 1. Steve Reich - Electric Counterpoint 1 (here performed by Gaku Yamada)



As far as I can tell, RJD2 specifically sampled the Pat Metheny performance of the same piece, which isn't availble on youtube to show you, but is absolutely worth getting in its own right.

Here's part 3 of the same suite.



Now, this may be familiar to you OLD beatheads... 1990 old. Orb is one of few early 90s ambient dance groups which has actually aged pretty well.

Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds (1990)



Okay, I'm exhausted, so thats all for now."
After reading the post up, I thought it was time to expose RJD2 here. Particularly lets show RDJ2`s album debut known as Deadringer.

The kind of work I highly recommend for everyone! Another pack of high-end beats from 2002 too. Goggle it!

Tracklist:
01. The Horror
02. Salud
03. Smoke and Mirrors
04. Good Times Roll Pt.2
05. Final Frontier
06. Ghostwriter
07. Cut out to FL
08. F.H.H.
09. Shot in the Dark
10. Chicken-Bone Circuit
11. The Proxy
12. 2 More Dead
13. Take the Picture Off
14. Silver Fox
15. June
16. Work

DL 320

BUY IT!

I hope you like it!

See you!

Katalyst - Manipulating Agent (2002)

Hi folks,

Believe it or not, I'm terribly missing this place as much as many of you might be bored when you notice the lack of update. So let's stop the stalling and go right to point!

"Katalyst (Ashley Anderson) initially recorded under the name Moonrock with fellow producer Illpickl. After 2001, As Katalyst, he formed experimental record label, Invada Records together with Portishead's Geoff Barrow, for which 2002's Manipulating Agent was the label's first release.

His later (and probably wider known release) "Whats Happening" explores a wider and more mainstream style, wheras this record is a moody DJ Shadow influenced downtempo/instrumental hiphop sound, with a keen sense for digging."
(ref.)



It's kind of funky/groovy hiphop beats with undeniable touch of Portishead`s flavor. Somebody described it like that: "add 2 parts Portishead with 1 part DJ Shadow. Shake and serve".

Tracklist:

01. Introductions
02. Race Against Time
03. Out of This World
04. Showtime
05. Whose Reality?
06. Break Up
07. Cycle
08. Combustible [Special DeLivery Remix]
09. Fusion
10. LB on the Cut
11. Time Bomb
12. Passing of Peace
13. Uprocking
14. Compound Interest
15. Mad Scientist

DL 320

BUY IT!

See you!