Ruckazoid

8 of 10

Categories often run into trouble because they have to encapsulate the essence of a large population swath. Further damning is categorizing a body prematurely, before it has fully formed. Babu may have meant well by coining the term "turntablism" to legitimize the turntable as an instrument for musical performance, but in so doing he opened up a lazy way to draw parallels between a Beat Junkie routine and a Kid Koala composition. The "T" word became not a signal of success but a brass badge, a Best New Artist Grammy, a signature of masturbatory exercise that made an art seem more novel than innovative. With a word, it shoved the turntable back into pop's closet alongside the keytar and the saw.


Thankfully, deejays such as Ricci Rucker don't believe the hype and continue to move to their own beat. He has moved well beyond using the turntable as an instrument of sound and rhythm; he now also explores its history to arrange and produce. On Fuga, more than twenty musicians (on bass to brass, kalimba to tabla) assist him in playing within and improvising around a preset outline of samples, all of which were recorded, pressed to vinyl and rearranged, processed and scratched. The result is a "fifty-minute-long song" that emphasizes texture and rhythm.


Although the press release calls this a "jazz album," it is only in a superficial I-think-this-is-what-that-Albert-Ayler-guy-sounds-like manner. Instead, Fuga is an innovative experiment in the music-making process. It relies on spontaneity and meditation, both in terms of human performance (arrangement versus improvisation) and studio post-work (random recordings versus production). In many ways, it acknowledges the turntable's close relationship with hip-hop and with studio-heavy music, all while pushing the instrument into the fore of musical performance.

- PREFIX MAGAZINE

Last night I rolled out to what would become among the dopest nights I have EVER experienced. My boy Quy put me up on POLY (RUCKAZOID & REFLEKTOR) almost a year ago, but all I heard was a few mp3s and a 7” vinyl he had. That was enough for me to be a fan, but nothing like what I heard last night.

I don’t know the names of either DJs, but walking into Jimmy’s Lounge, the vibe was already dead on. The DJ was spinning great progressive 80s funk, some bongo beats, and more 80s funk. Crowd was solid and the place was vibin’. The place never stopped filling up as one DJ replaced the last. The second DJ, played even deeper, spacier 80s funk. Very reminiscent of Dam Funk! That’s all I can equate it to and for those who are up on Dam, that’s an honor!

By mid-set, half the place was gettin’ down! Yes, GETTIN’ DOWN! Unlike most places where only a few brave and usually embarrassing souls take the dance floor, this dance floor was filled funky brothas and sistas gettin’ on down properly. The grooves were perfectly spacey and out of this world. No one wanted the DJ to stop playing, BUT…

… When POLY started playing, I mean… the first kick drum sounded live as hell. It picked up right where the DJ left of. If anything, they SOMEHOW managed to take it up a notch almost instantly. NOW… It’s hard to depict a vibe, a sound, and a feeling like what was going on, but it was the sh*t! POLY plays everything live and analog. They were up there with at least 4 keyboards and whatever else, just bangin’ out one long string of galactic funk. The sound in the place was perfect. Full, clear, and bumpin’!

I’m gonna stop here because I’m not sure how to better describe all this. - Universoul Productions

8 of 10

Categories often run into trouble because they have to encapsulate the essence of a large population swath. Further damning is categorizing a body prematurely, before it has fully formed. Babu may have meant well by coining the term "turntablism" to legitimize the turntable as an instrument for musical performance, but in so doing he opened up a lazy way to draw parallels between a Beat Junkie routine and a Kid Koala composition. The "T" word became not a signal of success but a brass badge, a Best New Artist Grammy, a signature of masturbatory exercise that made an art seem more novel than innovative. With a word, it shoved the turntable back into pop's closet alongside the keytar and the saw.


Thankfully, deejays such as Ricci Rucker don't believe the hype and continue to move to their own beat. He has moved well beyond using the turntable as an instrument of sound and rhythm; he now also explores its history to arrange and produce. On Fuga, more than twenty musicians (on bass to brass, kalimba to tabla) assist him in playing within and improvising around a preset outline of samples, all of which were recorded, pressed to vinyl and rearranged, processed and scratched. The result is a "fifty-minute-long song" that emphasizes texture and rhythm.


Although the press release calls this a "jazz album," it is only in a superficial I-think-this-is-what-that-Albert-Ayler-guy-sounds-like manner. Instead, Fuga is an innovative experiment in the music-making process. It relies on spontaneity and meditation, both in terms of human performance (arrangement versus improvisation) and studio post-work (random recordings versus production). In many ways, it acknowledges the turntable's close relationship with hip-hop and with studio-heavy music, all while pushing the instrument into the fore of musical performance.

- PREFIX MAGAZINE

Part of the next generation after The Invisibl Skratch Piklz (Dj Qbert, Mixmaster Mike) Ricci is making serious power moves, starting with the jawdropping 'Scetchbook' album with Mike Boo that dropped in 2002. Since then he's toured with D-Styles and recently he's also been heard backing up none other than Ghostface Killah (Wu Tang Clan) for some proper futuristic hip hop. All this info will pass you by when 'Fuga' busts forth from your speakers.

What first hits you is the feeling that this masterwork was inspired by the jazz masterpieces of the late sixties and early seventies, when the commercialism ground bop forms into dust leaving the independent spirits like Black Jazz, Starta East and artists like Max Roach and Pharaoh Sanders to fuel the artform. Ricci feels strongly that this music of ours has also for too long been disrespected by the masses, time must change.

Musically at times this album reminds me also of Tortoise's epic 'TNT', this may be a surprise to most but I'm sure you'll hear the similarities in structure soon enough. Apparently Ricci gave some idea sketches to a group of jazz/improv musicians who jammed away supplying Ricci with a wealth of material. Now this is where this project gets scary hype - Ricci then private pressed up a number of vinyl's of this music and composed 'Fuga' from these tools.

This album is insanely heavy one moment and spiritually uplifting the next - just like the finest forward thinking jazz. The lines between sampled music and live playing are blurring beyond recognition here. If all this seems a little overwhelming then fear not |: just grip on for dear life and dive into the wondrous sounds of 'Fuga'. Another album of the year contender for me personally from what is fast becoming one of the best new labels on the scene, Alpha Pup. Do not sleep! - Boomkat.com

Part of the next generation after The Invisibl Skratch Piklz (Dj Qbert, Mixmaster Mike) Ricci is making serious power moves, starting with the jawdropping 'Scetchbook' album with Mike Boo that dropped in 2002. Since then he's toured with D-Styles and recently he's also been heard backing up none other than Ghostface Killah (Wu Tang Clan) for some proper futuristic hip hop. All this info will pass you by when 'Fuga' busts forth from your speakers.

What first hits you is the feeling that this masterwork was inspired by the jazz masterpieces of the late sixties and early seventies, when the commercialism ground bop forms into dust leaving the independent spirits like Black Jazz, Starta East and artists like Max Roach and Pharaoh Sanders to fuel the artform. Ricci feels strongly that this music of ours has also for too long been disrespected by the masses, time must change.

Musically at times this album reminds me also of Tortoise's epic 'TNT', this may be a surprise to most but I'm sure you'll hear the similarities in structure soon enough. Apparently Ricci gave some idea sketches to a group of jazz/improv musicians who jammed away supplying Ricci with a wealth of material. Now this is where this project gets scary hype - Ricci then private pressed up a number of vinyl's of this music and composed 'Fuga' from these tools.

This album is insanely heavy one moment and spiritually uplifting the next - just like the finest forward thinking jazz. The lines between sampled music and live playing are blurring beyond recognition here. If all this seems a little overwhelming then fear not |: just grip on for dear life and dive into the wondrous sounds of 'Fuga'. Another album of the year contender for me personally from what is fast becoming one of the best new labels on the scene, Alpha Pup. Do not sleep! - Boomkat.com