Cut Chemist: The Audience Is Listening (Warner Brothers)

Jurassic 5’s DJ has gone it alone and has crafted a fun (if a tad disposable) major label debut record. Cut Chemist aka Lucas MacFadden makes up for the latest divergent effort (The Outsider) from oft-collaborator and fellow turntablist DJ Shadow by sticking to what he does best: Cutting the shit out of records with a smile on his face. “Motivational Speaker” sets the table with a sampledelic treat for the ears; when it gets going, it even throws in some strong pop tunes with crossover appeal.

“What’s the Altitude” featuring Hymnal is a slinky track that reminds me of D12s’ forgotten “Purple Pills” and seems primed for an oddball slot on FM radio with its loopy cowbell-laden sound. You might have already heard part of the album with “The Audience Is Listening (Theme Song)” being used in Apple’s ubiquitous iPod Nano ad campaign. Overall, Cut Chemist’s album is enjoyable, but further use of real vocals in the mix could make his next outing a classic. (www.cutchemist.com)

6 Blips out of 10

By Nick Hyman

11/2006