Kode9
DJ Kicks
!K7 records
Is there no end to remixing? Of course not. Potential permutations on beats are infinite and if not in a Cantorian sense, at least in a practical sense: If Chipotle, a restaurant with one of the most limited menus going claims 60,000+ combos, why should the dub step world feel any real limitations? In this slice of Kode9’s favorite spins, he looks to nearly 30 bands to increase his already glimmering fame and creates an hour’s worth of mid-energy club craziness. The only break from track to track arises from my antiquated version of Winamp pausing briefly between CD tracks – I’m already on track four, and if not for the pauses how would I know there was any change in artist between Lone’s “Once In a While” and Kode 9’s own “Blood Orange” and Cooly G’s “Phat Si?” Are we STILL saying “Phat?” OMG, that’s so 1999 post-Prince!
The flat skipping drum and top hat ticks set the bass lines here, but occasionally a trumpet will pop up for a quickie (Ill Blu, “Hellion”), a keyboard will wander in to get out of the rain (Scrathca DVA, “Jelly Roll”), or a speed vocal drops in to give up a methedrine-fueled rap (Sticky, “Look ‘Pon Me”). The energy fluctuates, as it should, and fast cuts crescendo, then drop back to allow the audience to catch its breath and drink something glowing electric blue or sparkly black with dry ice fog. The room is always dark, the music always loud, the modulation occurs in time signature but not in amplitude, and if they didn’t have that nagging voiceover to discourage copies, this disc could be a slice of audio heaven for the next decade, or at least a week or two.
K7: http://www.k7.com • DJ Kicks: http://www.dj-kicks.com
