DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist present The Hard Sell

Jul 8, 2008

The Hard Sell was always going to be a fascinating proposition for fans of Shadow and Cut Chemist. Having re-energised a genre with the soulful, bouncy Brainfreeze set of 2000, they then proceeded to make a follow up, 2001's Product Placement, that lacked much of the verve and a great deal of the tunes of its predecessor.

The cover art to this third mix album shows a bloody war between old school jukeboxes and Ipods. Considering that this, as with all their mixes, contains only original 45s, it is apparent which side Shadow and Cut Chemist represent. Once the first sound leaves the speakers though, it is clear that this is going to be a little bit different...

Gone are the funny kung fu mash ups of Brainfreeze, to be replaced by an intro of menacing voices and foreboding background screams. The nerdish yet undoubtedly entertaining humour that characterise previous sets kicks in with the first track proper, an electro version of Rock Around the Clock complete with Stephen Hawking on vocals. This soon segues in to a soulful version of Eye of the Tiger. Funny it may be, but it also sounds remarkably low key, downbeat even. The first mix continues in this vein, before building up to a mix of classic breaks, containing obvious nods to two kings of the cut and paste ethic, Prince Paul and the sadly departed J Dilla. It's immaculately crafted, fully utilising the 8 turntables, 4 mixers and 2 guitar pedals at their disposal to deconstruct and distort famous loops, but often seems more concerned about construction than content.

The second mix, while markedly shorter, is a distillation of where Shadow in particular is at right now. Sparse, atmospheric beats recall his Private Press LP, before an excursion into the thuggery of the 'hyphy' moments of The Outsider. Then it all goes extremely weird; with the Foo Fighters announcing a psychedelic interlude as entertainingly bonkers as anything containing The Doors can ever be.

As the final track says its goodbyes, conflicting emotions emerge. The Hard Sell is undoubtedly impressive in scale and technique, and is always compelling listening. If it is listened to with no preconceptions, it is hugely enjoyable. But don't expect any involuntary head nodding or trips to soul shops, desperate to track down hitherto unheard of gems, because they aren't here.

Oliver W J Rock

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