Root Down in the Shadow

Back in college, through a monthly compilation from CMJ NEW MUSIC MONTHLY , I first heard DeeJay Punk-Roc .  I'm not certain which track it was that caught my attention, but I had to get my hands on the 1998 album Chicken Eye .  Over ten years later, I still find the album fresh and unique.  The album is somewhat of a collection of tracks rather than a complete story or single composition, but it weaves themes of tweaks, scratches, excellent sampling and some horns.  In today's post, I'd like to review Chicken Eye for you, go over a few tracks from other releases and then lament his disappearance with you.  Chicken Eye. is across the board with slow rhythm numbers, to rap, to party songs.  'I hate Everybody' starts off the album.  I could totally picture this song coming out of the speakers, while watching a turntablist perform during a d.j. battle.  It's filled with tweaks & scratches, while sampling a girl saying "I hate everybody" presumably

Back in '96, I had a semester abroad in Bristol, England .  Bristol and it's surrounding area was booming with Big Beat and Trip Hop.  The "Bristol Sound" included  Portishead , named after the town across the way, Massive Attack, and Tricky.   Being young (19) and carefree at the time (I rarely had class, and even less was expected of me as a foreign student), made it extremely easy to see this scene in it's prime.  I was frequently being asked by a young french co-ed, named Julie to accompany her to the clubs to partake.  But, I was into this German girl named Annette , and I totally missed it.    ALL OF IT. The sounds, the scene, everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't even know what I missed until a few years later.  I did, however, start my journey into Big Beat, Trip Hop and Electronica, a year later.  I had been receiving CMJ New Music Monthly for a few years at this point, and during my junior year of college, I was getting exposed on a montly bas