Many Styles
Label: Fat Beats/Razor & Tie
Media: CD
Format: Album
WorkNameSort: Many Styles
Although the novelty of turntablism has worn off a bit, the movement — though still resolutely underground Ðhas maintained its artistry and grown creatively in ways that rap as a genre only wishes it has. This three-strong group of San Francisco vinyl cut-ups — Vinroc, Apollo and Shortkut — combine the frenetic collagism of deck antics with a strong sense of rap purism. What emerges is an avant-garde party. “Many Styles” weaves in and out of old school and underground mindsets, featuring guest shots from a strong clutch of compadres like Mystic, Black Thought, Roc Raida, Talib Kweli, Zion I and the almighty (and underappreciated) Planet Asia. Unfortunately, though the Triple Threat DJ’s are a formidable presence in a live environment, they chose for “Many Styles” to yield much of the sound to in-studio production, rather than on-the-fly mixing. Certainly, the album is drenched in live scratching, and the overall vibe — especially on hot cuts like the Mystic-featuring “On and On” — comes off like a block party. If Triple Threat would have actually cut the record live (a difficult feat, I’m sure), the effect would have been that much more intense.
This article appears in Feb 26 – Mar 4, 2003.