DJ Empirical, resident mashup dj for the Quahogs Entertainment Group, requests that you not make fun of his bald head. Thank you, drive through.


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mp3 archive:
September 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003

december mp3 compilation

01. Maja Ratkje: Intro (4:20) What better place to begin than an intro? For many, though a capella recordings (and, by extension, experimental a capella recordings) have been around for decades, Björk's recent Medúlla has been the first exposure of such recordings to the masses. For those few who have expressed to me their amazement at that recording, I present Maja's Voice, or rather, her website, from which one can hear a version of this track. It's amazing, and just as foreign-sounding (to Americans), but much more varied in tone and feel than Björk's album (which I love, by the way).
02. DJ DQ: Where the Sidewalk Begins, Part 1 (4:59) DJ DQ is the main inspiration for me initially purchasing turntables, and is also responsible for providing me with an opportunity to play in front of an audience on a weekly basis for nearly a year. For that, I'll be eternally grateful. Oh, and by the way: he's incredible! This is the first section of his half hour dj-mix-cum-collage piece.
03. Enduser: Dizzee (3:46) Breakcore artists have been doing mashups for years, though the music part is always of their own creation. Here Cincinnati breakcore pioneer Enduser corrupts Dizzee Rascal in ways you might not have thought possible. Better than the original.
04. Burning Star Core: A Brighter Summer Day (15:57) C. Spencer Yeh has recorded and released what he refers to as "amateur organized sound" for over a decade. Instrumentation and personnel for Burning Star Core vary, from solo violin to a trio of varied instruments to solo microphone/effects. This piece is a huge drone, featuring recent Cincinnati Entertainment Award Winner (in the newly created “Experimental / Electronic” category) Spencer on effected violin and fellow nominee in that category Roesing Ape on electronics in the climax section. Cincinnati's finest.
05. People Like Us: Stifled Love (5:17) “Come on, DJ Empirical,” you may be saying, “We already know about People Like Us. What's the deal?” To that I say: listen again, for the first time. This track blew people away last Friday night at a rock club where I was spinning in-between acts.
06. Evolution Control Committee: Bred, White and Woo (3:26) Here's a bit of a relic from the ECC catalog. From the cassette-only release Buddha Bleach, this track predates TradeMark G.'s international notoriety as well as the ECC Labs' discovery of Thimbletronium. This cassette is long out of print, but a little birdie told me that mp3s from the original master have recently been created. Pester TradeMark to make them available!
07. Fudgie & Fufu: God Bless America, Especially Florida & Texas (Dissentcinnati Edit) (2:11) Smart. Another Cincinnati electronic act, this now-defunct electronica duo describes its genre as “stupidcore”, and it's quickly apparent why: silly, catchy beats, and mostly inane (and often scatological) lyrics. This particular gem, lampooning the Republicans in general and George Bush in particular, was the flagship track on the Dissentcinnati online mp3 compilation protesting the then impending attack on Iraq. The most important song you will ever hear in your life.
08. Kevin Moore: Intro / It Goes Something Like This (7:55) Kevin Moore, ex-Dream Theater (!) keyboardist and current mastermind behind the brilliant trip-hop act Chroma Key, created this track for Radio for Peace International in Costa Rica. A neatly sampled looping sax funk track provides the backing track for some very disturbing ultra-rightwing racist and religious samples from diverse media, including shortwave radio and evangelical programs. The very simple music highlights the absurdity of the text, creating a sometimes humorous, but mostly disturbing piece.
09. Mochipet: Yes vs. Nomeansno (4:29) Wow. Though it's over a year old, I first heard Mochipet's Combat merely a week ago. This track jumped out at me immediately and is the first thing I've heard in a very long time that just totally floored me, and required immediate repeat listenings. A true masterpiece.
10. Secret Cheifs 3: Jabalqa/Jabarsa (Blærg Remix) (6:24) Another thing those breakcore guys do so very well is the art of unauthorized remixing. These guerilla tracks appear everywhere, though they most commonly are remixes of pop songs. Here's a track that's of a less common sort: an already quite weird bit of world-electronica from Secret Chiefs 3, the side project of Mr. Bungle guitarist Trey Spruance, is mutated into breakcore by Toledo native Blærg. Yes.
11. Chuck Palahniuk: Choke, Part 01 (4:59) Though Chuck is an excellent writer, my recent penchant for audio books has revealed that his reading voice is uncomfortable and creepy.
12. Xentrix: Ghostbusters (2:40) I was once accused of being a dj who knows more about metal than metalheads, and though it's probably not true in general, I do like my metal. This track presents what is possibly the nadir of late-80s thrash, and is perhaps one of the worst covers in music history, complete with the “Bustin' makes me feel good” line. Lucky thing it's rare.
13. Pantera: Metal Magic (4:17) So, if you'd asked me how important Dimebag Darrell was to me early last week, I wouldn't have given him much thought. However, after his death (a mere two hours drive from me, I might add), I slowly began to realize the effect he'd had on me: I play a Dean guitar, his brand for years, that I initially test drove due to his endorsement at the time. I even EQ my guitar amp the way he did: scoop the mids. Who cares if that's where all the tone is? :) So yeah, here's the title track off of Pantera's little heard debut album, released in 1983, entitled Metal Magic. Not the best album ever, it does showcase the burgeoning talent of the 17-year old guitarist.
Bonus Track: The Black Fives: Live at Recycled Rainbow 9.0 (36:17) The Black Fives perform somewhat post-rock style songs using synth arrangements and heavy beats, with additional ambient additions. This recording includes spoken word readings from classic literature (Finnegans Wake, as well as de Sade's Justine) through a mic'd baby monitor, cut-up Bill Cosby drug propaganda, and an effected stethoscope microphone duct taped to a throat.