REVIEW: KIDKANEVIL – BASHO BASHO REMIXED REMIXED

Kidkanevil
Basho Basho Remixed Remixed
First Word

First Word’s new offering  is a set of remixes from Kidkanevil’s Basho Basho album by producers from all corners of the globe. It’s certainly a long way from being hip-hop but is a surely a healthy sign of growth and innovation in the beats scene.

With nods to the wobble and chug of dubstep, and the synthy futurism of Flying Lotus, it manages to forge a sombre identity all of its own.

Blue Daisy takes Minjo on a DJ Krush-meets-Rick Wakeman prog journey, with dream-sequence arpeggios and growling bass, while Eliphino’s remix of The Floating World marks a real maverick departure for the skilled Yorkshire beatsmith that verges on tech-house (in a good way!). Swedeart’s remix of Drunken Master is a highlight, sounding like Dilla soundtracking Logan’s Run.

Remix albums generally lack cohesion over their whole length, but Basho Basho Remixed Remixed holds together largely due to the choice of remixers from beatmaking’s underground avant-garde. Indeed, it says a lot when the weakest remix on the album comes from L.A.’s Daedalus, the best known producer in the package.

Words: Kieran Hadley

Filed under: DJ/Turntablism, dubstep, Electronic, Hip-hop, Reviews by D.K.