ARTIST: Cut Chemist
TITLE: The Audience’s Listening
YEAR RELEASED: 2006
CHART ACTION: None
SINGLES: The Audience Is Listening Theme Song, The Garden, What’s the Altitude
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Nah
LINEUP: Cut Chemist with guests Hymnal, Edan, Mr. Lif, Thes One
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: DJ record full of samples and beats that holds together better than most, and has some innovative raps intermixed.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: Cut Chemist is a known DJ and mixer, and has spent time manning the turntables for groups like Ozomatli and the Jurassic 5. After leaving the Jurassic 5, he spent almost two years constructing this album.
It’s pretty successful for what it is, and it’s not really flashy or pandering to the masses. Tracks like “(My First) Big Break” will have you playing “What’s that sample from?” He makes it difficult by changing tempo and pitch of the samples (he did this especially with a Minutemen sample on that track).
DJ records aren’t for everyone, but this one is among the best of the bunch. It’s varied enough for repeated listenings.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: It took him a year to clear samples for this.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: A Japanese bonus track.
GRADE: B+: Clever and inventive DJ work.