5 out of 5

Label: Warner

Producer: Cut Chemist

I’ve never not had fun listening to this album.  DJ focused albums are often not too satisfying to me, being too showy with the mix (DJ Spooky) or too subtle and repetitive with the tunes (DJ Shadow) to really catch my ear.  While I wouldn’t deny the talent behind the table, it’s one of those things where I feel like I’d have to be interested in the scene in order to understand why it’s good.

Cut Chemist’s ‘Audience’ is a crowd pleaser.  There’s no doubt.  Every track is a single, with a catchy chorus or unbelievably funky rhythm, or just an impressive combo of scratching and mixing.  But, unlike some other examples of the same, it doesn’t feel empty – it doesn’t feel like it’s designed to please the crowd, so much as being a happy accident when Cut was tooling these tunes for his own enjoyment.  This seems to be suggested by this being his only solo album despite having touched countless other works – and dig that title – like he wasn’t trying for this, he just looked up with a smile on his face and realized people were rapt with attention.

From the opening glee of ‘Motivational Speaker’ through the gorgeous ‘Garden,’ the head-bobbing ‘What’s the Attitude,’ the old school ‘Storm,’ and the genre bending weirdo ‘Spoon,’ Chemist turns in tricks that range all over the stylistic map and yet maintain an internal consistency that never breaks the flow of the album.  For every couple tracks of slick beats, you’ll get a breather to regroup while he shuffles through samples or tosses in a slower groove.  And the production is grimy when needed and clear when needed, whether done through analog or digital, the record sounds legit, borne of a lifetime of love for music.

More can be said?  I’m sure.  If I were more informed on ‘the elements’ or whatever else exists in hip-hop / DJ culture, maybe I’d have something to say.  But that’s perhaps the best part of the record – it’s not exclusionary.  It makes me feel like I’m listening to something that will stand the test of time without any hint of ‘you should’ve been there’ inside jokes.  The Audience’s Listening, something for everyone.