DJ KRUSH Schallplatten & CDs

Review: By the time he released Kakusei in 1998, DJ Krush was already a veteran of trip-hop production, now enjoying the wider reach afforded on a major label after James Lavelle's Mo'Wax label initially brought him to upfront Western ears. Even if it was released on Sony, Kakusei found the Japanese beatsmith taking his sound deeper and further out. Just check the likes of 'Parallel Distortion', with its icy atmospherics and staggered rhythmic ripples punctuated by DJ Sak's cuts. Cutting up his source material with ever-increasing confidence and creating something positively murky in the process, Krush created a truly evergreen album in Kakusei and now it's being repressed on heavyweight vinyl and sounding phatter than ever before.

Review: Krush's eighth - and last - album Jaku is up there with Endtroducing and Donuts in terms of seminal, influential and forward-thinking beat longer players. 10 years since its release and it still sounds as timeless, unique and exciting as it did in 2004. The slick licks of a young Mr Lif on "Nosferatu", the post-apocalyptic tension of "Univearth" the sludgy, swampy cosmic hip-hop of the Aesop Rock-featured "Kill Switch" and the unashamed sax sex of "Slit Of Cloud"..... Do we need to go on? Limited edition, 180g transparent vinyl; even if you already have this in your collection this is a very, very appealing investment.

Review: Lost and Found is an instrumental hip-hop landmark that captures DJ Shadow and DJ Krush at the height of their powers. Originally a label-defining early release on Mo Wax, both sides of this split single set the blueprint for sample-heavy, cinematic beat-making that still resonates today. Shadow's layered textures and Krush's dusty groove sensibilities complement each other perfectly, both tracks blending eerie atmospheres with deep, off-kilter rhythm, bridging Tokyo and California in a haze of vinyl crackle and head-nod funk. Essential listening i not just for fans of Shadow or Krush, but for anyone curious about the roots of modern downtempo and trip-hop.