An invite to a DJ KRUSH sound event sent me headlong into adventure!
As I strode down the gritty dimly-lit side street - just off the freeway - the experience drummed up nostalgic memories of my rebellious youth in New York City - the twilight loft parties, avant-garde art shows in the Village, and jaunts down dark alleyways in search of cheesy off-off-Broadway venues.
Would such a trek in Los Angeles prove fruitful?
Absurd notion!
Yet, here I was traipsing down the mean streets with an eye-out for "scratch" - the academy for local DJ's - and in hot pursuit of the whiz-kid of the turntable elite who's been breaking out all around the Nation in a big frenzied splash!
Tonight, the elusive KRUSH would be offering up his spanking new 3-disc DVD, signing autographs, and waxing eloquently on the subject of scratching.
Yes, Los Angeles - once wide and flat culturally - is now rife with eclectic off-beat hang-outs ripe for the picking.
Here and there in the sprawling wasteland that is Los Angeles, visionaries cry out - and crave to be heard - above the din of mediocrity. If you can fathom it.
My heart leapt.
I now spied the low-slung building where the heartbeat of the rapper-set throbbed defiantly.
What a funky den of iniquity.
The decor was something out of the beat generation. The rough brick walls, cement floor, and foil flourishes here and there, appealed to the down-to-earth artsy-fartsy types who milled about - sipping on rehab thirst-quenchers - of all things!
The "John" was plastered with a handful of cast-off, long-playing LP's, with surprising aesthetic results. Meanwhile, the "main room" was artfully accented with a collection of visually-stunning prints which signaled a discriminating presence.
Meanwhile, a couple of casually-dressed middle-aged Asian men in one corner, guarded the treasure: 3-Disc sets of KRUSH mixes at $20.00 a pop, posters, and other sizzlin' memorabilia spanning a career of two decades.
For some inexplicable reason, I surmised the gentlemen were Krush's relatives perched diligently over the spoils; but later, was surprised to learn they were execs from Sony in Japan who were sponsoring the tour and the release of the new DVD packet.
An early recording, ZEN, has been described as,"An irresistible slice of trans-state trip-hop with cascading notes of a vibraphone and flute perfectly complementing atmospheric grooves."
The tuneless baseline and production gloom surrounding one piece (Vision of Art) are the foundation for the tough-as-nails paranoiacs - "Company Flow" - the inside flap astutely notes. The record company goes on to add that the quasi-jungle beat programming on "Sonic Traveler" highlights an instinctive bent for Tunde Ayanyemi (on Kudi and Bata drums).
On these tracks, DJ Krush proves he's an astounding innovative artist.
In addition to his own musical musings, Krush has turned out a dazzling array of undercurrents for DJ Disk on "Duck Chase", for Zap Mama on "Danger Love", and for Kazufumi Kodama on "Day's End".
Through an interpreter, DJ KRUSH enthusiastically responded to a myriad of curious, insightful questions from fans.
A good one - what's in your thoughts when you're scratching?
If he's totally in sync with a rap artist, he imagines he's fashioning a pool of sound the performer can comfortably swim in. Oh yeah, he finds some rappers frustrating to work with; after all, the ****ers are usually late for the gig!
In contrast, he notes that Japanese spinners are meticulous and always prepared.
During instrumental sessions, on the other hand, he visualizes a short film in the inner recesses of his mind; in fact, in a surreal moment, he imagines himself on sound waves - flying through the caverns of tall spectacular skyscrapers - through the core of the thriving bustling cityscape.
Does he favor any one locale in his travels?
It's been such a dizzying non-stop parade of hotels, clubs, and faces that he can't conjure up one to single out.
When he reveals his age - 45 - I don't feel like such an old fart in this twenty-something crowd of raging hormones and high-energy creative juices.
Yeah, Krush is on the leading edge of cool!
Krush appeared a bit reticent about zeroing in on technique - especially in respect to his own singular sound - or even the specifics of the gizmos he facilitates to bolster it; but can you blame him?
He's top gun and lesser-known musical outlaws are breathing down his back to unseat the King, after all.
Krush's fave scratcher is "Shadow".
Amid the crush at scratch, the DVD was previewed. It's a tasty compilation of clips from his musical palette and current spins.
Won't spoil it for ya!
DJ KRUSH was born Ishi in Tokyo in 1962.
KRUSH dropped out of school at an early age, then joined a local gang which called themselves the "Yakuza".
But, after a couple of harrowing gang experiences early in his youth, he cut ties with the criminal underworld.
The movie - "Wild Style" (directed by Charlie Ahearn) - inspired Ishi to pursue hip-hop music in the early 80's.
But, when he headed to a couple of local instrument shops looking for the right equipment, he came up empty-handed. After all, the term "mixer" was unknown to most of Tokyo's electronic store salesmen back then. So, Krush he was forced to craft his own equipment with a hand-drill and various electronic parts piece-meal.
The musical shoe fit; and, the rising star quickly rose up through the musical ranks.
In a short time, the man with a knack for sound, proved he was a gifted producer and DJ with a superb ability to mix; hence, the reason he's greatly touted in the International Club Scene.
By 1987, the visionary DJ formed KRUSH POSSSE, which made numerous appearances in various media transmutations. Although No. 1 in Japan, the group soon collapsed as a unit, though. A solo career followed when the band disbanded in late 1992.
But, Krush never looked back.
Soon, the mixer garnered attention as the first DJ to use turntables as live instruments when he offered up free sessions to receptive musical artists on stage.
A productive recording stint followed. There was a release of a 1st album - "KRUSH" - in January 1994; then, countless recordings later which were quickly snapped up by fans in Japan, Europe, the United States and around the globe.
All his solo releases have ranked high in various charts in and out of Japan.
The 6th Album - "Zen" - was highly acclaimed and awarded the Best Electronic Album at the 2002 AIFM Awards (United States).
His 8th album - "jaku" - topped the RPM chart of CMJ for three weeks.
In March 2006, he released his first "Best Albums" package in a self-remixed style.
Then - a year later - "吹毛常磨 (Suimou Tsunenimasu)" - was released in Japan in a special DVD box which represented twelve years of ground-breaking work in the music industry.
Aside from his National activities as producer, remixer and DJ, Krush is constantly expanding his creative realm to include soundtracks for films, TV dramas and commercials, to live sessions with various musicians that transcend musical genres.
In the spring of 1998, he formed a production unit
with DJ HIDE and DJ SAK, collaborated with Nigerian percussionists, and released a single and album through Polydor Japan.
On a humanitarian level, Krush took a giant step when he signed on to a commitment which will be launching various projects with the specific aim of addressing issues of worldwide concern in the 21st Century.
Now that's he on tour in America, he's skyrocketing!
Catch his meteoric rise, if you can!
Info on "scratching": www.scratch.com
