Search - DJ Kentaro :: On the Wheels of Solid Steel (W/Dvd)

Another Solid Steel winner

eightpointagenda | Chicago, IL | 03/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This one sort of caught me off guard. My interest in both Ninja Tune and turntablism were on the wain before I picked this up, which makes it even more funny that this album renewed my interest in both. It created a new interest, the Solid Steel mix series. As far as I can tell, Solid Steel mixes are generally meant to be more than just the average mix CD. Amon Tobin showed off his Final Scratch blending skills in a live in enviroment. DJ Food, Herbaliser and Hexstatic proved how many genres can be shown off in a single mix. And my personal favorite, Mr. Scruff dug through crates of his old favorites and forgotten classics to prove how deep his musical knowledge runs. DJ Kentaro, 2003's highest scoring DMC champ, shows what can be done with Ninja Tune classics and some turntablist genious.



Kentaro starts things off right with scratchtastic intro piece. It certainly gives you an idea of how dexterious he is (which you can also watch on the accompanying DVD). From there he goes through almost a Coldcut 70 Minutes... style of pacing. Starting off in jungle/jazz n' bass territory, moving through hip hop and breaks before almost returning back again. Like Coldcut, the flow feels very natural despite minimal blending and more cuting. Another thing to point out is Kentaro puts a strong emphasis on tracks verses technique. Where could have easily been scratching for over 50 minutes, Kentaro lets the lush, diverse catalog of Ninja Tune greats breathe, only showing off when the time feels right. I think what's absolutely the most fascinating is how well his technique is integrated with the music he's spinning. More often than not, unless you know the tracks really well, his special touches actually feel more like they are part of the song. His cuts, scratches, blends, beat juggling all feels so natural that when you go back and listen to some of the original tracks, they may feel lacking that special something that Kentaro added in this mix. That, ultimately is what makes Kentaro better than your average (if not even some of the top tier) turntablists.



The only real complaint that I have with his mix is its just too short. At 55 minutes, shocking as it might sound, the fun is over way too soon. Thankfully, Ninja Tune also issued this with a short DVD portfolio of extra showcases and goodies. With a video of his intro cut, a small (but powerful) segment from the Tokyo Solid Steel tour, and a video of what he can do just using two of the same records, the DVD gives you a great idea of what he's capable of outside of this mix. Much like the album, this DVD is over way too fast and makes you check his website for live dates in your area.



I have to admit, this one of the most suprising releases of last year. I had minimal expectations of this but I got more out of it then I expected. I really hope that as a recording artist he work the same magic that he showed off here. If not, he still created one hell of a mix. Hopefully we'll hear more from him soon."

Qbert watch out

Stephen Finkin | Ny | 03/31/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"undoubtably DJ QBERT is the best but hes not the only asian with speed on the fader. Kentaro can juggle like he worked for a circus the best ive ever heard. some drum n bass so if ur down get down"