DJ KRUSH

Feb 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Ken Micallef

Japanese-born Hideaki Ishii, aka DJ Krush, is one of the few Pacific Rim artists to make it big in the United Kingdom and the United States, having recorded for Mo'Wax, A&M, Ninja Tune, Instinct and Columbia. Krush's hard-knocks hip-hop has found favor with everyone from underground hardcore merchants to sound pioneers such as Bill Laswell. His output has been considerable, beginning with 1994's Strictly Turntablized (Mo'Wax), followed by Krush (Shadow, 1995), Meiso (Mo'Wax, 1996), Milight (A&M, 1997), Ki-Oku (Instinct, 1998), Holonic (Mo'Wax, 1998), Kakusei (Columbia, 1999), Code 4109 (Tristar, 2000) and last year's Zen (Red Ink).

Zen found Krush collaborating with The Roots' ?uestlove, Zap Mama and vocalist N'dea Davenport (formerly of the Brand New Heavies) in a set of ruptured beats and brooding productions. Krush's sonic spew is typically a blend of mysterious, smoky hip-hop joined to abstract and experimental elements. His latest, Shinso: The Message at the Depth (Red Ink/Sony, 2002), continues Krush's cut-up festival, and the mood is even more experimental. Co-conspirators include Anti-Pop Consortium, Anticon, Sly & Robbie, and D-Madness & Masoto Nakamura.

“Shinso means layers of depth,” Krush explains. “With Zen, the concept was about the things that human beings leave to this world, like pollution or artificial things, which they don't clean up. Shinso is about the 9/11 tragedy. It had a big impact personally. In Japan, there is much information overload; there is too much on TV. You are receiving information, but it is just one-way information. How you interpret it is up to you. With this 9/11 tragedy, we had all this news on TV, and you had to wonder if it was all the truth. Can you believe everything that the media says? I had to wonder if I could believe it. It is important to rely on not only one-way information, but to look at different things and different dimensions to see what is true.”

Krush's studio gear comprises six turntables, including models from Vestax and Technics; an Akai S1100 sampler; E-mu SP-1200 and Casio RZ-1 drum machines; a Mac G4 running Steinberg Cubase; and various compressors and synthesizers, though he prefers sampling synths to playing them himself. “If I play a synth, it is so obvious, and then it takes time to modify that sound to what I like,” he says. “I use an old modular Roland synth. It is all patch cords and knobs.”

And sampling is undoubtedly on his mind as he shops. “Whenever I buy records, I always know if it will be sampled or part of my DJ set,” Krush says. “I haven't chosen any new records today; I can get those in Tokyo. I know the staff at the shops very well. They hold what they think I might like. I go there and buy a lot that they hold for me.” Although Krush didn't pick up any new releases, he did find the following gems of yore:

THE ELECTROSONIKS

Electronic Music (Philips)

This has lots of old electric synthesizer sounds. With this kind of record, there is a lot of movement throughout, a lot of ups and downs. I can actually focus on the little parts. There is a lot of interesting stuff to discover on these old electronic records. For example, if you sample an old jazz or funk record, it is obvious — people know it, and there is no originality there. It doesn't come across as creative stuff. Whereas with these records, when you sample it, people don't recognize what it is or where it's from. This kind of record has a lot of color. I like a lot of color tones in my music. I didn't choose it based on the cover; I looked at the year. That time for the synthesizer is old, as well. That is what I am looking for. I have many synths at home, and I can't buy any more. That is why I choose to buy records rather than buy the instrument itself.

IGUANA

Iguana (Lion)

I like this cover; that is why I picked it up. It was in the beat section, too, which is another good thing. I used to have a pet iguana for five years, but it died. This is a bit rock. On each track, I have to start at the end and listen back. I really like the introductions and the middle of each track. There are some good bits, the instrumental parts. This one I can sample, but it is too strange for a DJ set. It would be too different of a direction. I could use the bass lines as a sample. But if I sample it as it is, someone will recognize where it came from. I will treat it and use it here and there. I would never concentrate on one big sample from a record. This is in between the lines; I don't want to get sued. This is borderline, but you never know. I will clear it if I have to. I like the cover!

KNIGHTS OF THE TURNTABLES

Techno Scratch (JDC/Proud Sons of Funkadelic Productions)

Sounds very old. [Laughs.] I began DJing in '82, and I was influenced by a movie called Wild Style. I reckon this is from the same period as that. There is no rapping on this; it is scratching only. I feel close to this album — it is like what I do. I will use this for my DJ set, then mix it with newer sounds and make it more now. If I were to spin a set of old classic stuff, then I would use it as it is. But with what I am doing these days, I wouldn't just use it as it is. I would twist it and use it with newer stuff. Plus, the kids who just started to scratch probably don't know this kind of sound. So I would show it to the kids, like what it was like back then.

SOUND ODYSSEY

A Sound Odyssey, direct-to-disc special limited edition custom recorded exclusively for Radio Shack (Realistic/Tandy TC)

Red vinyl. That color makes it very hard for live sets; it is hard to see the space between the grooves. It has the “The Way We Were,” “Shaft,” “Theme From 2001” and “Star Wars” themes. This will be good for the breaks. It's not the original tracks. But even if it is the same song, depending on the band that covered it, you get different sorts of sounds. I find that fascinating. The sound quality is really good with the direct-to-disc. This would be good to sample. I always worry about clearing a sample, no matter what it is. If I don't clear it, I worry about it — it is not healthy. But I would use this for the solos, for the breaks. There is a lot of sampling CDs these days. I wouldn't use this record for its melody lines, but for the intros of the songs.

TOBY ARNOLD & ASSOCIATES

The Production Master! (Production Master Electronic Music Disc No. 73)

Very cheap sound. Very minimal sound. The synthesizers are one single tone. [Krush listens and then goes crazy with the pitch control, moving it up and down very quickly, and then leaves it in the up position. Loud buzzing sounds like mad bees resonate from the headphones.] I can use this, too. This one is more analog, where A Sound Odyssey is more digital. This has more live instruments, not synthesizer sounds only. I am using the Vestax turntable, which lets me reverse records at will, and the pitch control is double that of the Technics. That is why I was working the pitch control, to see what I could change. If I put the pitch control down, I can treat even the high-frequency sounds like they are bass sounds. I can take the top sound, use it with pitch control and play around with it. I love this. There are a lot of sounds to use and treat. The Japanese electronic records from this same period are broader. American records have more focus, more detail. But Japanese records are more diverse in comparison. This would work for my live sets.

My favorites today are the Toby Arnold and the Electrosoniks records. These others have songs, and there is no room to fool around with any of it. But the first two are more experimental. They prompt me to come up with ideas. They can help me to create something.

Sound Library; 214 Avenue A, New York, NY 10009; tel. (212) 598-9302; e-mail thesoundlibrary@mac.com; Web www.soundlibraryrecords.com (site launching soon)

For additional information about DJ Krush, visit www.mmjp.or.jp/sus/krush.

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