DJ Krush Shinsou: The Message At The Depth CD

In addition to his standing as one of the more alluring and accomplished DJs around (he is influenced equally by 20th century minimalism, jazz, hip-hop, and ambient music), DJ Krush is among independent hip-hop's most prolific and savvy collaborators. As a result, Krush's albums are a good place to hear the best artists in the genre, in a context distinguished by Krush's own fragmented, detail-packed beats and samples. SHINSOU: THE MESSAGE AT THE DEPTH has more of an edge than some of his other releases, foregrounding the artist's link to hip-hop and club music over his ambient leanings.

Vocal contributions from Antipop Consortium and Japanese rapper Inden are particularly notable; these artists match Krush's skills on the decks with their smart, idiosyncratic flows. Angelina Esparsa lends her smooth R&B voice to "Alepheva" with a hook that blends perfectly with Krush's churning mix. Krush also dips into a dub vibe on "The Lost Voices," with help from the infamous Sly & Robbie, and far Eastern flavors on the groovy "But the World Moves On." Fans of Krush's more minimal work may take issue with the stylistic bravery here, but SHINSOU is one of the DJ's boldest and most varied statements.

2003 DJ Krush album is edgier than his last record Zen, with harder and deeper beats. A concept record with Krush reacting to 9/11 and interpreting a post 9/11 world. Guests this time include Anti-Pop Consortium, Sly & Robbie, Anticon, Angelica Esparsa and more. Red Ink label/Sony.

Personnel: Doseone, High Priest, M. Sayyid (vocals); D-Madness (violin, percussion programming); Sly Dunbar (drums, programming); Sky Juice (percussion); Jel (drum programming).

Audio Mixers: Mike Malak; Earl Blaize; Toshihiko Miyoshi; Rudy Valentino.

Recording information: Anchor Recording Studios, Kingston, Jamaica; Anticon's 59th St. Chemist Studio; Boca Music, IL; HAL Studio; Living Room Studio, Austin, TX; The Bridge Studios, Conshohcken, PA; The Deadcloud Studio, Oakland, CA; The Sack, Brooklyn, NY; Unique Recording Studios, NY.

Editor: The Opus.

Personnel includes: DJ Krush, Opus, Inden, Anti-Pop Consortium, Sly & Robbie, Anticon, Angelina Espara, D-Madness, Masato Nakamura, Abijah.



This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.The Wire (3/03, p.72) - "...Krush's Prog moment and it feels like the perfect career summation: meaty but not brutal, heavy but not heavy-handed..."