Customer Reviews

The Message at the Depth

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are an electronica fan and have skeptical feelings towards the war in Iraq - or war in general, this is the album for you.

It sounds like the best-possible soundtrack to an ultra-apocalyptic video game.

When America went to war in Afghanistan, DJ Krush posted his feeling that the world is entering a dark period. This album, which hit the streets as America postured its way towards another war in Iraq, is his meditation on war and a world spun out of control.

Angelina Esarza evokes the atomic bombing of Japan, while Anticon call-out U.S. Defense Dept. Paul Wolfowitz by name followed with the line "what is it with all these men in their fifties, wanting to win the world over like there's no tomorrow."

As for the music, it too is dark with some spectacular beat-patterns. Krush has experimented with more mainstream hip-hop in the past. It seems that here he's concentrating on creating a work of art.

Krush's nonconformity is a refreshing thing, it has elevated his work above much of the electronica world

The soundtrack of a world filled with fear and despair is what "Message at the Depth" really is. Dj Krush comes back, this time with a concept album and an intimidating communique.
Very bombastic and certainly more effective than anything he's offered us before, Dj Krush elaborates on very complex and "big" beats without giving up on his mastery of blending ultra dark hip hop with other elements.
Particularly the first half of this album (without meaning that the rest lags) is nothing short of the most progressive music you've heard lately, especially if you're following the experimentations of the electronic scene and its protagonists.
A world that's increasingly becoming a huge clinic for paranoiacs, phobics and at the same time a place of dissidents whose voice and message gets lost in the alleys and pro-war fanatic screams deserves this soundscape.
While people look for the big names to deliver the goods (Massive Attack, for example)the goods happen to be here in this very album.
Easily one of the most important albums in a long time, great music, very creative "use" of vocalists, and stunning lyrics.
I think this is one that will be discovered slowly by many and appreciated for a long time. A gem.

1999's KI-OKU proved DJ Krush's musical sophistication had far more substance than the pack of acid jazz and chill out posers who were grabbing the cash and disappearing with the next flavor-of-the-month product.

"Message at the Depth" combines that musical inspiration with a burning message.

If you liked the jazz tinged tracks on KI-OKU, "The Lost Voices" (with Sly and Robbie doing a lot more than just getting name checked) and "But the World Moves On" satisfy the promise of that earlier work. "Trihedron" makes d'n'b sound as fresh as if it hadn't happened yet. The hard electronica elements on this CD give it a solid edge that holds up under repeat listens. Add articulate lyrics that aspire to inspire to something more than a party - "Alehevo(truthspeaking)" achieves that all too rare miracle of speaking hard truth without preaching - and you have a CD that holds up to repeat play like few recent releases are capable of.

Subtle, sophisticated, hard edged, powerful, and recommended.

DJ Shadow may get the press, but DJ Krush is creating a body of work that can outlast the fads.

DJ KRUSH rules out in this wonderful compilation. The beats sinks the listener in a special and dark atmosphere. If you like Dj Shadow you will enjoy Krush.

MORE EXPERIMENTAL AND ABSTRACT THAN PREVIOUS DJ KRUSH RELEASES. AT FIRST LISTEN I DIDN'T THINK THE CD WAS TOO FOCUSED AND WAS JUST A COLLECTION OF SONGS. BUT WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THE CD A FEW TIMES YOU START TO REALIZE THE THEME(S), WHICH I THINK HAVE TO DO WITH ANXIETY OVER THE STATE OF THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. IT IS ONLY FITTING THAT KRUSH CHOSE TO CONSTRUCT DARK AND MOODY BEATS FOR MOST OF THE CD. ONLY TOWARDS THE END DO YOU START TO HEAR REMNANTS OF HIS PAST MUSICAL OUTPUT STYLISTICALLY. HOWEVER THE THEME OF ANXIETY AND TRUTH REMAINS THROUGHOUT.
THE STANDOUT SONGS ARE SOCIAL/POLITICAL "SONG FOR JOHN WALKER" W/ANTICON, "ALEPHVO" W/ANGELINA ESPARZA, "TRIHEDRON" W/THE OPUS, AND "WHAT ABOUT TOMMOROW" W/ABIJAH.

Hot on the heels of last year's "Zen" triumph, Japanese turntablist extraordinaire DJ Krush (nee Hideaki Ishii) drops "Shinso: Message at the Depth." This dropped in Japan last September and finally, Americans are getting a domestic release.

Though Krush is often lauded for the creativity, vibe, and overall quality of his music, a whole album of solo hip-hop beats can be taxing. Thankfully, his collaborators are always first rate, whether they be rappers or jazz musicians. "Shinso" finds Krush upgrading his signature abstract jazzy hip-hop beats with an edgy jungle vibe. What's on it, you ask?

The opening track "Trihedron" is a brilliant three-piece instrumental that grabs your interest from the start. There's an avante-garde sounding "Song For John Walker (Lindh)" with some interesting lyrics. The Sly and Robbie collaboration ("The Lost Voices") is a match made in heaven--the whole thing simply gels. "But the World Moves On" harkens back to Krush's debut with some mad sax wailing that would make Pharoah Sanders blush. All in all, another quality album from Krush.

I own all of Dj krush's albums and I would agree that this is probably Krush's darkest and hardest hitting album so far. The beats he uses on this album unlike his others have a more organic jumpy feeling than his others. Is this a good thing? Well it all depends how you like your music. Like on his other cd's he has worked with a wide range of artist and singers. Also like his other cd's almost half the tracks have vocals. I myself have nothing agianst vocals on his cd's but at times here they seem to bog the beats down a little. It dosent detract from overall quality of cd thankfully. Here is a list of the songs and a brief review/overview of each.

1.Trihedron- A nice dark track with an eratic beat very nice.(no vocals)

2.Toki no tabiji- kinda odd, decent beat, cool japan rap vocals.(vocals)

3.Sanity requiem- Another dark eratic beat song,shows krushs skills as a dj.(no vocals)

4.Supreme team- Big beat rap song with a dark feeling, very loud.(vocals)

5.The blackhole- very long song clocks in at 9:20, lots of fast beats and it builds up near the end.(no vocals)

6.Song for john walker- Hmmm... very strange rap song kicken beat though.(vocals)

7.D'you hear that- Starts out really sweet but it ends after 0:59. I really wish he had kept it up.(no vocals)

8.Alepheva- Nice beats and flute/guitar but the vocals totaly ruin this song.(vocals)

9.The last voices- I love this track, classic dj krush, a lot brighter than the rest of the songs on the cd.(no vocals)

10.But the world moves on- A lot like the last voices. I love this track to.(no vocals)

11.What about tomorrow- The slowest track on the cd. It has a strong reggae feel.(vocals)

All in all a very strong album for Dj krush. It should also be noted that unlike his other cd's track 7 is the only short track on the album. Total album time 60:04.

Before buying this I did my homework to see how it rated against Krush's former work. There was an array of opinions but most seemed to agree that "Alethuo" was the defining peice. This is definitely the case. Although I enjoyed the mystic depth of tracks such as "Trihedron" and "Lost Voices", "Alethuo" (Truthspeaking) took it to the next level with the compliment of the words and voice of Ms. Esparza. The meaning of DJ Krush's title "The Message at Depth" is revealed.

I was at all not inpressed with the Message at the Depth. With 11 tracks in total, it's also one of the shortest Krush albums. Nothing really stands out. Its almost as if Krush tried to use Prefuse 73's formula but will little success. I did not feel it for the most part. There are hints of greatness throughout but not enough to save the album. This is not where you want to start your Krush collection. Go with Millight or Meiso.

Standout tracks: Blackhole, D'you Hear That (too short), The Lost Voices and But the World Moves On.

The remaining songs are average, with some being mediocre.

Dj Krush is great, anticon is great, but this album is just boring. Every song sounds pretty much the same, the vocal tracks by the members of anticon are drowned out and the song done with Angelina Esparza, is less than so-so. It sounds like Dj Krush was given 10 sounds and was told to make an album using only those 10 sounds and 1 tempo. Again, I would reccomend any other Dj Krush album, and suggest that you check out anticon if you haven't already because they are splendid, but this album was weak.