Search - Cut Chemist :: Rare Equations

Why Hasn't anyone Reviewed this incredible mix album yet???

fetish_2000 | U.K. | 04/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Cut Chemist maybe be largely known for his work with Golden age Hip-Hop collective "Jurassic 5", but those that have probed a bit further to know more about the unassuming looking man, will be fully aware that he is not only one of the most gifted 'Turntablists' of his generation, but also incredibly knowledgable, when it comes to music that touches upon: Hip-Hop, Funk, Rare Groove, Soul, Funky & instrumental breaks & Beats, with such a deep understanding (and Record Collection) that few some better poised to put together a mix album featuring such material, and it's probably not a massive understatement to say that, such is the exceptionally high quality of his studio albums, that you can pretty much buy anything with his name on it, and it'll be another impeccably turned out effort.



Unsurprisingly, This (relatively) rare Double Cd mix is almost purely focused on delivering a deftly selected, sequenced and (of course) mixed Cd, that largely ignores Hip-Hop completely, and is more in tune with the funky breaks and obscure funk of his "DJ Shadow" Collaborated sublime "Brainfreeze" mix album, and so works more as a compilation of segued-together cuts rather than a stand-alone work itself, and as such remains an amazing display of spontaneous music-making, but with this solo effort Cut Chemist is free to concentrate on his love of Rare Groove, obscure funk & instrumental breaks, and as seems to be the case with Shadow/Cut Chemist mix albums, that seem to surface, is that there is nothing in the way of a tracklisting to identify particular favourtie tracks, with Cut Chemist choosing to largely mix funk rarities...(although choice cuts from James Brown occasionally surface, and there is a truly fantastic instrumental cover version of "Dusty Springfield's - Son of a Preacher man"), but, on the whole, the material here is more than likely extremely rare and generally forgotten 45s that will be unfamiliar to all but the most ardent beat-diggers.



Something to also being in mind is that the tempo for this mix is far more downtempo than what you might be expecting. There's very little in the way of furious Exuberant breaks here, instead the mood is far more subtle, focusing on remarkably good-natured rhythms & complex beats, rather than over the top theatrical Funk. Cut Chemist rarely scratches, or brings any DJ tricks to the table on this mix, it's almost purely designed for a listener experience and there is no-showboating here, just impeccably mixed tracks that aren't here to show trainspotting oneupsmanship, but rather show that mix albums needn't be a case of B-Boy skills. Cut Chemist instead places less emphasis on obscure novelties for a more cohesive and better-sequenced listening experience, and that's without relying on Hip-Hop tracks to pad out the mix (although on occasion Cut Chemist does trick the listener into think that a Hip-Hop track is about to be introduced, by using sampled dialogue, from several Hip-Hop artists), even managing to end the second disk with several minutes of live recording from U.K. Hip-Hop DJ 'Tim Westwood's' Radio Show.



Although almost certainly one of Cut Chemists lesser known albums, and yet it is arguably one of his finest..(I have: "Brianfreeze", "Product Placement", "Live and the Variety Arts Center, the Litmus Test, Live at the Future Primitive Soundsession"), although I won't say that one album is necessary 'Better' than another album (the very different dynamics of the different albums is hard to judge against each other), I will say that this is probably the one that I stick on most frequently, as it's possibly the more accessible of his albums, and is more suited to a broader audience, as opposed to some of the more niche appeal of something like 'Product Placement' (I'm not saying it's better, just equally worthwhile & different). And Cut Chemists unquestionable, peerless ability & uncanny knack for finding old tracks that appeal to anyone bear witness on a (Double) album that is truly stunning on every level (mixing, Track Selection, sequencing, pacing....hell, it even has a (small) sense of humour). And is such a thigh-slappingly brilliant album, that if you like Cut Chemist (even a passing interest) or especially like those Funk/Rare groove compilations that bypass mainstream tracks for undiscovered gems (the "BBE" Barely Breaking Label, for instance), this is without a doubt a absolute must buy (Even if you have to pay a little more for it than you usually do for your albums to get this), and truly is considered essential to anyone with a eclectic record collection."

Poor sound quality

sykrep042 | 12/08/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's true, that this one is really a good CD, but its quality is quite poor. Sounds like an old tape without treble. So be careful."