if dj krush couldnt stay true to his musical heart, hed be just as happy doing manual labor. "if i cant make the music i feel, i dont mind quitting," the tokyo-based producer explains through a translator as he sits on the streps of a west village church. "i would just go and do construction. i dont mind that type of job." one of the only foreign hip-hop djs respected on the u.s. scene, krush represents an uncompromising anti-commercialism thats as refreshing in a shortsighted, money-is-my-bitch music indsutry as his minimal, though provoking beats are to ears numbed by the repetitive rhythms of generica.
krushs second album, 1994s strictly turntablized, gave birth to the instrumental-patchwork musical form known as trip-hop (it was among mo waxs first full-lengths), and since then, rather than conform to the exceedingly indistinct styles of conventional hip-hop, he has delved further into the depths of sound and how it reacts with the mind. accordingly, his new album, kakusei (red ink/sony), is his most spare and his most intense. "i wanted to put this album out totally blank, with no title or song listing," krush says. "right now in tokyo, there's too much information -- you can get new records and magazines every day -- so a lot of it is lost. i wanted something blank so youd have to use your imagination."
whats surprising is that the man behind these profound beats isnt a recluse or a space cadet, but an animated and compelling (even in japanese) 37-year old father of two whose life was essentially saved by hip-hop. attired entirely in brown -- his canvas hat and coat vaguely conjure a world war ii japanese soldier -- with slightly graying hair sliding into bleached-orange tips, krush ne hideaki ishi) recalls how seeing the classic 1982 hip-hop film wild style when he was 18 inspired himto pursue a life outside the violent tokyo yakuza gang of which he was the youngest member. from djing for street breakdancers in early-80s tokyo to creaing his first original music with krush posse in 1987 to working with top american rappers on his five solo albums, dj krush has established himself as the premier producer in japan today -- entirely on his own terms.
nonetheless, he ceaselessly challenges himself -- and listeners -- as he does on kakusei. the titles meaning lays this plain. "it means work your brain, use your brain, wake your brain up," he explains. "dont trust or be overwhelmed by all the information, just use your own brain and think and just feel the music." words of wisdom in any language.
originally appeared in paper magazine.links
profile and discography @ allmusic.com