Jurassic 5


(Copyright © 1999-2024 Piero Scaruffi | Terms of use )
Quality Control (2000), 6/10
Power in Numbers (2002), 6/10
Feedback (2006), 4/10
Cut Chemist: The Audience Is Listening (2006), 7/10
Cut Chemist: Sound Of The Police (2010), 6/10
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(Clicka qua per la versione Italiana)

Los Angeles' hip-hop group Jurassic 5, born from the fusion of the "Unity Committee" posse and the "Rebels of Rhythm" posse, featured turntablist Cut Chemist (Lucas MacFadden), DJ Nu-Mark and rappers Marc 7even, Chali 2na, Zaakir and Akil. They debuted with the single Unified Rebellion (1995) and the nine-song EP Jurassic 5 (1997), produced by Cut Chemist and containing two staples of their repertory: Jayou and Concrete Schoolyard. Their exuberant and amusing Quality Control (2000) resurrected old-school hip-hop of groups like A Tribe Called Quest: the three rappers taking turns at the mike and a barbershop-style choir that sings a simple refrain. Jurass Finish First is a good example of retro-rap that brings back the 1980s, but they can vary on that style from the frantic Monkey Bars to the somnolent Quality Control. Cut Chemist proves to be already a virtuoso of the turntable in Swing Set and The Influence.

Power in Numbers (2002) continued in that vein, but with more creative beats sculpted by Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark. The rapping is nothing to write home about, but the way a flute sample derails the jazzy If You Only Knew or a trombone sample adds an extra rhythm to the folksy High Fidelity is a little magic. There are moments of high-energy rapping (A Day At The Races and the festive and funky I Am Somebody) that redeem the generally mediocre vocals. A standout is What's Golden, with a catchy beat and effective organ and sax samples, but, by far, the highlight (and one of Cut Chemist's peaks) is the African-tinged instrumental jam Acetate Prophets that closes the album. Just like it's predecessor, the album is weakened by too much filler and the general derivative feeling.

Live at the Future Primitive Sound Session (1997) was a collaboration between Cut Chemist and Invisibl Skratch Piklz' Shortkut.

DJ Nu-Mark debuted solo with Hands On (2004).

Jurassic 5's wizard turntablist Lucas "Cut Chemist" MacFadden rediscovered the jovial childish art of audio collage on his first solo, The Audience Is Listening (Warner, 2006), one of the many albums inspired by DJ Shadow's Entroducing. It begins with the hilarious country-music skit of Motivational Speaker and continues with the hilarious tribal-African skit Big Break, that suddenly morphs into a breakneck-speed rockabilly. It criminally indulges in revisions/parodies of orchestral Latin music (The Garden) and piano jazz (Spat). It unleashes the space-age dance instrumental Metrorail Thru Space and rolls out the psychedelic blues jam 2266 Cambridge. It runs amok with the snappy hip-hop jam Storm and then turns intellectual with the deconstructed thriller film atmosphere Spoon. And the parade of impersonations culminates with the soulful and sprightly rhythm'n'blues shuffle A Peak In Time.

Recorded live with Cut Chemist on turntable, mixer and delay, Sound Of The Police (Stable Sound, 2010) was built up from sampling obscure exotic vinyl records, a virtuoso performance by one of the greatest turntablists around.

Cut Chemist was missing from Jurassic 5's anemic Feedback (2006) and the difference was obvious. The instrumental Canto de Ossanha was the only track to deliver intriguing form.

Cut Chemist resumed his solo career a decade later with The Audience's Following (2016) and Die Cut (2018).

(Copyright © 2003 Piero Scaruffi | Terms of use )
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