A new Masterclass from the Mix Master Mike

“SURE TO PUT AN OHIO CLASS NUCLEAR SUB ON ALERT “

Ready Slayer One is a huge album, if not for the number of songs then by the sheer volume of convergent sounds and influences that make up its excellent tapestry, a journey that the Serial Wax Killer himself, Mix Master Mike takes us on. So strap in and get ready to fly across the face of an alien planet full of Scratching, sampling, Dubstep, Jungle, DnB, Old-school Hip-Hop and so much more.

Those who've heard of the Beastie Boys, Cypress Hill or Invsibl Skratch Piklz will no doubt be familiar with the Triple M Living legend, and for those who've dived deeper into the world of DJing and Turntabling, the name is uttered with even greater reverence still, not only as a consummate, top-level beatmaker but also for innovating the "Tweak Scratching" technique by manually setting the record platter into motion.

Scratching in itself plays a huge part of the album, being a centerpiece in some tracks more so than others, and it really brings a joyful tear to the eyes being reminded of its continuation by one of, if not *the* best to ever do it. Relatively speaking, I think It's such a lost artform nowadays, or at least it seems like it's missing from the face of the earth, being relegated mainly to the underground scene where it continues to thrive among connoisseurs, but we'd do well to remember that it once was *the dominant sound* of hip-hop, and with good reason.

“RETURNING TO HIS THRONE TO SOLIDIFY HIS POSITION AS THE NUMBER ONE HIGHLY REGARDED TURNTABLIST IN THE WORLD.” 

Of course, Ready Slayer one is far more than nostalgic scratching. There's a diverse and almost narrative beat-making and sampling going on throughout the album, bringing a lot of different "urban" and electronic sounds together for a really exciting ride that can go from aggressive and intense to chill and introspective in a second, all the while maintaining the seamless flow of a live set the likes of which only a true master can concoct when the party is at its dopest. All in all, it feels like this will be such a reference point for many other DJs and Turntablists in the way it so perfectly blends classical sounds into a very much modern soundscape -and let me reiterate this point more clearly: There might be a lot here that will remind you of the 80s and 90s, but this album doesn't bank its prowess on nostalgia, nor does it come off as "retro" at all- its an awesome and perfectly contemporary continuation of a lifetime's worth of killing it at the highest level.

But is any of this really a surprise? with over three decades in the game and a plethora of awards -including a Grammy- Mike's 7th studio album comes out strong as a reminder of why he's such a powerful musical force who’s more than capable of surprising audiences to this day.

So what's my favorite track of the lot you ask? It's hard to say for certain, but all signs point to POUND STREET WUHAN occupying my number 1 spot for the time being. There's something about the intensity of those brass stabs/samples that I just can't get enough of. A couple of other huge stand-outs that suit my taste just perfect were COBRA, HELL DRIVE SOUTH, EMRGNCY, and ZEUZ OF DRUMZ. So listen out extra hard for those and see if you agree with yours truly.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Samuel Aponte is Venezuelan-born, raised and based. 

I joined Rival Magazine after a few years of doing PR work for independent musicians of all stripes; understanding their struggles to be heard in a sea of constant  ADHD noise and paywalled access to platforms, I now bring a willingness to always appreciate and encourage the effort and creativity that artists put into their work. Can also find some of my writings on LADYGUNN and We Found New Music.