The Groove Seeker: Mophono’s Cut Form Crush

On a weekly basis, The Groove Seeker goes in search of killer grooves across rock, funk, hip hop, soul, electronic music, jazz, fusion, and more.

Mophono: Cut Form Crush 12″ (CB Records, 2/15/2011)

Mophono: “Be Human Part One”

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San Francisco-based DJ/producer Mophono is releasing his debut Cut Form Crunch on his own CB Records, featuring guest spots by Flying Lotus and MC Subverse.  Keeping good company, Mophono builds an instrumental soundscape inhabited by dusty glitch samples and old-school beats under the direction of dub-like bass lines.  It’s a heavy sound where Moog bleeps meet hard hip-hop beats, jazzy fills, heavy funk cuts, and fanatical synth hooks.

Advancing a style crafted by luminaries such DJ Shadow and DJ Krush, Mophono’s highly textured instrumental compositions encompass a wide range of dense atmospherics.  But whereas Krush stays inherently nocturnal making soundtracks for the midnight marauder, Mophono steps to a completely different vibe.  From dirty club stompers and wild synthetic experiments to classic break-out-the-cardboard B-boy tracks, Mophono keeps a variety that is disparate, noisy, and always funky.

DJ Shadow

Concert Photos: DJ Shadow @ Park West (Chicago, IL)

Legendary turntablist DJ Shadow and indie rapper Pigeon John performed recently at Park West in Chicago. Shadow, who is touring in support of two new singles from his unnamed upcoming album, deejayed from an open-faced orb whose surface acted as a screen for projections. And behind the pulsating command center, there were even more projections flashing upon a massive screen. Pigeon John is currently touring in support of his second album for Quannum Projects, Dragon Slayer.

Contributing photographer David Sampson captured these images at the show.

DJ Shadow

BPM Counter: 24 Hour Party People’s Weekly Picks

Mark Knight: Toolroom Knights 2xCD (Toolroom)(UK)

Probably one of the best mixes of the summer comes from one of the fastest rising stars in dance music — the Kent-based Mark Knight. The Toolroom Knights series has actually been pretty uneven up to this point and I’ve found myself more irritated by the obviousness of some of the programming like on the Gabriel & Dresden installment and the overkill bombast of others like Martin Ten Velden than the delight of the small smattering of actual Toolroom releases appearing in the series.