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Underground > Radio & Music >

Def Jux

17:00 / 02.07.05

Pin made a throwaway comment to me a few weeks back that the most recent Def Jux releases seemed to bump a hell of a lot more than the labels opening few full lengths. And having just purchased the latest HHC I'm inclined to agree. The issue is devoted the Jukies, with several articles and a really quite stunning mix CD on the cover. Their recent upturn in quality seems to be going hand in hand with a critical re-appraisal on the part of said magazine. HHC placed Funcrusher Plus (the seed that formed El-P's later label) as the best record of the year for 1997, but backlashed within what seemed to be mere weeks, something that's lasted until what seems to be this recent turnaround eight years later. The label seems poppier and more tunes based than ever, while retaining the grit in the production.

What are people's opinions on the label's output so far, and their apparent aim to just do their own thing regardless of whether people want to draw them into the underground/overground Wombling free argument?

00:20 / 06.07.05

An old interview that's worth linking. Especially in the context of the old Lith hip hop debate.

Regrettable Juvenilia

19:06 / 07.07.05

Can you tell us a bit more about the mix CD, Seth?

Haus of Mystery

07:39 / 08.07.05

I was quite surprised at HHC's turnaround actually, having spent the last few years attacking nearly all post-'Cold Vein' Def Jux releases. (Aesop's 'Bazooka tooth' got 1 out of 5 for example)
For me, I got a tad tired of the in-house sound, and after a few amazing releases they seemed to chuck out a fair amount of shite (SA Snmash? Murs anyone?). Seth, I know you really dig 'Fantastic Damage', but for me I think it's a step too far for El-Producto. Take out the whole sludgy middle section IMHO. The first four tracks are killer (my personal favourite being 'Tuned Mass Damper' - I'm a sucker for a heavy piano break and some post -'Little Johnny' screaming...) and the album lifts itself agaion at the end, but I'd say it's a far from classic. Too much aural battery-ramming for me. I prefer Cannibal Ox's album, where El-P's sonic soundscapes are unsurpassed.
But rececently I've drifted away from their output, and I'm doubtful they've released anything of the caliber of Aesop's 'Labor Days' or Mr Lif's 'I Phantom'. But I could be wrong - what recently has blown your trumpet? Didn't Lif form some kind of angry political group?

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

13:07 / 08.07.05

There's a couple of really stand out tracks on that Perceptionists album ("Breathe In The Sun" and "Love Letter", e.g.) and one great one on the new C-Rayz Walls ("Paradise") but there hasn't been a stand out full out Cold Vein release from the Jukies in a while. I did like that Aes Rock EP quite a bit, though.

22:14 / 08.07.05

has anyone heard arc sin's "resonant murk tactics" ? it's only on the DJRx imprint. i like it a lot, but i'm biased.

08:13 / 09.07.05

Flyboy: the tracklisting for the mix CD...

Intro - DJ Wiz
Jukie Skate Rock - Central Services
Blo - The Perceptionists
Left it to Us - Cage ft the Weathermen (El-P, Aesop Rock, Tame One & Yak Ballz)
Fast Cars - Aesop Rock
Facemelter - Aesop Rock
The Harvest - SA Smash
Iron Galaxy - Cannibal Ox
First Words Worse - C-Rayz Walz ft El-P
Paradise - C-Rayz Walz
Hangar 18 and the Temple of Doom - Hangar 18
Hell's Winter - Cage
Relying on Bombs - Rob Sonic
Everything Must Go - El-P
Walk Like a Man - MURS
Five O'Clock - The Perceptionists
Bus Stop Biddies - RJD2
Return of the B-Boy - Mr. Lif
Outro - DJ Big Wiz

It's a great mix, almost everything on there is really strong. So since my first post I've been listening to some of the artist's other stuff, and while C-Rayz Walz is mainly fucking shite the Perceptionists (Mr. Lif's "political" group... ish) are excellent on the whole. I'm even starting to like RJD2 despite his sound occupying a dodgy space on the Moby/Fatboy Slim/DJ Shadow spectrum. His remix of Mos Def and Diverse' Wylin Out is astonishing. On the strength of Hell's Winter I'm now after some Cage stuff, as well as finally hunting down Aesop's Labor Days.

MacGyver: The Cold Vein doesn't get replay value for me because Vordul and Vast sound like they're asleep throughout the record. The production is some of the best El-P's ever done, but it's largely wasted on these guys. By comparison El-P's rhyming is on form all the way through Fantastic Damage. While it gets a lot darker around the middle the quality doesn't drop for me (apart from arguably on Accidents Don't Happen, which I still quite like).

Haus of Mystery

14:53 / 09.07.05

Y'know Seth, I listened to 'Fan Dam' after typing that to see if my views held, and I've gotta admit it's a pretty unique listen. In my studio, with it as a backdrop I was pretty much in El-Pville. I'm surprised though that you're so hard on The Can Ox MC's. Whilst neither have lived up to their initial promise, on that record they compliment each other excellently. 'Straight off THe DIC' still gives me a semi...

Yotsuba & Benjamin!

19:25 / 09.07.05

Yeah, I love the rhymes on Can Ox material. They definitely kind of sound lazy but there's so much shit going there. Like Aes, you kind of have to pay more attention than usual. The lyrics book that came with the new Aes Rock EP was actually quite helpful and led me to revisit his entire ouvre. The one Def Jux MC who I don't really love as much as I used to is Lif, especially because Ak just rips shit up on The Perceptionists stuff.

That track list is definitely going to cause me to cook up a Jukie mix of my own. Dang it.

Oh, and I'd definitely recommend tracking down the Murs releases. Both are really great. Forgot all about him.

frenchfilmblurred

13:16 / 31.07.05

A long shot but... does anyone here have a tracklisting for the El-P mixtape 'Wereallgonnaburninhell'? I just got it off the interweb, I don't think it had an official release, and I'd be really interested to know what some of the tracks are, particularly the one that he's sampled for Iron Galaxy.