Deep Concentration, Vol. 3 CD

This is the third in Om Records' series of turntablist albums. DEEP CONCENTRATION and DEEPER CONCENTRATION, although heavily focused on turntablists, also featured some MC work, but on DEEP CONCENTRATION 3, the spotlight is firmly on the DJ.

This compilation succeeds in assembling about the widest swath of turntablist tracks one could hope for. All are quality material, from People Under The Stairs' spacey head nodder "Afternoon Connection," through Musaic's dubbed-out downtempo work on "Babylon Rhythm Exorcism," to "Act Up," two-time Disco Mix Club (the Palm d'Or of DJs) world champion DJ Craze's cut-up madness, verging on drum-and-bass. There are both East and West Coast acts; serious underground hip-hop and more light-hearted "look Ma!" show-off beat-juggling and scratching. Clever samples abound, and when the DJs aren't being serious, they're being funny--lightning-fast hands allow a DJ to piece together witty phrases from dusty old records (see the Plagiawrists' "Wristy Business"). Just listen, and consider that what they're doing involves only two turntables, records, a mixer, and their hands. You'll wonder how they do it, too.

House. 15 New & Exclusive Tracks From Ming & Fs, Radar, DJ Revolution, DJ Sole, Plagawrists, Planet Asia, DJ Infamous, Danny Breaks, T-Rock & Faust.The Wire (6/00, p.58) - "...Tries to broaden turntablism's fairly monochromatic palette with honest to goodness songs from Om artists like Ming & FS and People Under The Stairs..."
Mixmag (7/00, p.164) - 3 out of 5 - "...In terms of showcasing what digging inthe crates can produce, the talent here is second to none..."
CMJ (5/8/00, p.31) - "...Delves deep into the head-twisting sounds and head-bopping beats of some of America's premier turntablists and underground hip-hop junkies....revisiting old-school vibes with a new-school flair."
Rap Pages (6/00, p.47) - "...The perfect companion for interstellar travel, in that it attempts to boldly go where few albums have gone before..."