new DJ Spooky?

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So has anyone heard Optometry?

― Jordan, Friday, 19 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Every time I'm about to pick it up I start to feel smarmy by association and put it back. The couple of tracks I heard at a store the other night sounded really good though, thanks to the William Parker/Shipp crew. So did Spooky make a great record in spite of himself?

― Jordan, Friday, 19 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I quite like it. Good (solid) jazz performances, lots of textures. Why do you feel smarmy when you pick it up? Despite his pretentious liner notes and buzzword-happy interview presence, he's responsible for some truly great music. I think he's simply willing to try anything. That recent Shadow records mix he did - just excellent listening.

― Matt Riedl (veal), Friday, 19 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I guess I haven't heard anything that great from Spooky yet...it wasn't awful of course, but the pretentious liner notes/'dj for the indie crowd' image/jazz tokenism shtick makes me wary. The mix cd did look good though.

From little I heard of Optometry though it sounded like possibly the best of beat-oriented stuff that Shipp, Parker, and Guillermo Brown have been doing lately.

― Jordan, Friday, 19 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've heard it.

It's a rather interesting album, he has a great jazz band backing him, Matthew Shipp, William Parker, Joe Mcphee. As well as a couple of great guest musicians.

― Geoffrey Balasoglou, Friday, 19 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've heard it. sounds good, but I must ask: backing him on what? he's not really DOING anything except mixing the album

― M Matos, Friday, 19 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

oh, and Under the Covers is as boring and lousy and full of shit as you might fear

― M Matos, Friday, 19 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think he's credited with bass and kalimba, matos

so does this mean it sounds like that spring heel jack record in the same series, involvement-of-the-non-jazz-musicians-wise?

― Josh, Friday, 19 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

in fact DJ Spooky, played Double Bass and Turntables for Sun Ra's Arkestra, in 2001. (this is the arkestra minus Sun Ra and John Gilmore)

― Geoffrey Balasoglou, Saturday, 20 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

credit where credit's due: he triggered the quad ADATs for the Xenakis/Kraanerg ie orchestra block -> tape of manipulated orchestra block -> orchestra block -> etc. sequence for the 1997 recording on Asphodel/Sombient. (spooky label ?)

the reverse of "count basie orchestra on triangle" maybe and some vaguely useful sleevenotes

― george gosset, Saturday, 20 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It also says he wrote most of the pieces on the new one (I just got round to noticing!).

― Matt Riedl (veal), Monday, 22 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

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