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...according to our Business Lady on Thu 14 Oct, 2010.
OK, I'm not gonna make any claims to understanding anything about the mechanics of, or the artist's involved in Chicago's vibrant Juke scene, neither will I make any claims to understanding why a UK electro label Planet Mu would want to expose this music to a public and culture that probably doesn't really 'get' what the phenomena is all about. What I can tell you is that DJ Roc (along with DJ Nate and I'm sure many more) are forging a new territory in music that skillfully manipulates beat making devices and sampling technology to create something fresh for the kids to get down too...and when I say get down, I mean GET DOWN. We are talking some serious footwork here, like Step Up X 1000 (it's ON)! DJ Roc (Clarence Johnson) is good though. I can't really be arsed with the constant bombardment of cut up vocal takes (apart from maybe the Umpa Lumpa shit...dat's funny yo) but other than that I'm digging the flavours. This guy crams it all in with samples constantly invading the mix from all angles (let's hope Mike is equally prepared for the inevitable lawsuits that will be flying his way from all angles) monkeying with my already mashed up mind. As I said early, I won't try to pull this apart and evaluate it, I'd rather take it on face value and enjoy it for what it is which is a wild new form of music primarily produced to dance to and enjoy, simple as that. Check out the press release for artist background (he's obviously got a better grasp of Fruityloops than i have) and the tracklisting for laughs. Gun Smoke anyone?
* DJ Roc, known to his mother as Clarence Johnson, was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago better known as the low end.
* The crack in ‘Crack Capone’ refers to his style of production. Like an underground chemist, DJ Roc produces variant strains of Chicago Juke music, the ‘crack’ referring to the synapse snapping, potentially ankle cracking manipulation of rhythms and the sampling, hijacking and ultra-rhythmic micro-editing of black American pop’s dominant forms into a style that’s been developed and tested on the streets of Chicago.
* One of the most popular and respected DJ’s on the Chicago Juke scene, DJ Roc grew up listening to house music and was inspired to make people dance, especially in the up and coming footwork scene. In 2001 he started to produce Juke via an introduction to the production programme fruityloops by his friend DJ Darkchild. Around 2004 he became more confident with his track making and became very popular in his local area by throwing parties, playing his own tracks and
making personal tracks for people to footwork to. From this he co-formed a group of DJs and party promoters called ‘Bosses of the Circle’ and built up his fanbase, garnering interest from the likes of Chicago Juke legend DJ Slugo who helped him make his first mix cds. This first CD grew into 3 volumes of the 'Juke City' mix albums and got support from the various footwork cliques in the city and attention for his production nationally and internationally.
* Over the course of the album’s 20 tracks, DJ Roc shows off his brilliant high-speed sparse manipulations of rhythm, space and sound; as in the dancehall influenced tracks such as opener ‘One Blood’ or 'Kill Da Bitch' to tracks which mix a heavy techno influence like ‘Make Crack Like Dis‘ or mix it with Hip hop samples like ‘King Of The Circle. Then there
are tracks that mix smooth soul with double-speed like ‘I Can’t Control The Feeling’, to tracks which have more of a classic Juke feel like ‘ Get Buck Jones’ and ‘DJ Roc Symphony’. The album is full of brilliant production and original ideas.
- 2LP: A: ONE BLOOD, LET'S GET IT STARTED, THEY CAN'T FUCK WIT ME, PHANTOM CALL, KING OF THE CIRCLE B: I MAKE HER SAY, I CAN'T CONTROL THE FEELING, FUCK DAT, MAKE CRACK LIKE DIS, TAKE HIS ASS OUT C: DJ ROC SYMPHONY, LOST WITHOUT U, GIRL WEN U DANCE, BALL EM UP, I DON'T LIKE THE LOOK OF IT D: GET BUCK JONES, GUN SMOKE, KILL DA BITCH, SHOT DOWN, BREAK IT DOWN
- CD: 01 ONE BLOOD 02 LET'S GET IT STARTED 03 THEY CAN'T FUCK WIT ME 04 PHANTOM CALL 05 KING OF THE CIRCLE 06 I MAKE HER SAY 07 I CAN'T CONTROL THE FEELING 08 FUCK DAT 09 MAKE CRACK LIKE DIS 10 TAKE HIS ASS OUT 11 DJ ROC SYMPHONY 12 LOST WITHOUT U 13 GIRL WEN U DANCE 14 BALL EM UP 15 I DON'T LIKE THE LOOK OF IT 16 GET BUCK JONES 17 GUN SMOKE 18 KILL DA BITCH 19 SHOT DOWN 20 BREAK IT DOWN
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