Kakusei

Continuing his series of solo albums as collaborative efforts, DJ Krush touched down after a slight absence with Kakusei, another invigorating, moody, and powerful release. Steering away from the overall concept of Milight but working with another slew of musical partners, Krush once again lets his abilities at both musical creation and turntablism work together for great results. "Escapee," a track worked on with fellow beatmaster A.S.A., is almost stereotypically Krush, but it sounds so great, the crackle of vinyl and acoustic bass moan steering the course. Other musical collaborations abound, unsurprisingly: "Parallel Distortion" with DJ Sak features odd video game noises and a quirky synth bass rhythm echoing through the flow, while "Krushed Wall" has the Rhythm Troops having a blast with the usual Krush sound and tons of unexpected stops, scratches, and cuts. Some returnees from Milight surface, including members of Kemuri Productions, who appear on the quietly head-nodding "Inorganizm" and "No More," and Shawn J. Period, who on "The Dawn" works with Krush on a great series of orchestrations to flesh out the track. Plenty of strictly solo efforts crop up as well, including the abrasive electronics of "85 Loop" and the smooth-going "Final Home." Vocally, there's not as much going on this time around; aside from brief shout-outs here and there, it's strictly an instrumental affair. ~ Ned Raggett