DJ
      SERIOUS
     
     
      Dim
      Sum
     
     
      Sound
      King
     
    
   
   
    
     
      DJ
      Serious
      is
      a
      member
      of
      the
     
     
      Canadian
      hip-hop
      _
      collective
     
     
      known
      as
      the
      Cryptik
      Souls
      Crew
     
     
      (who
      consequently
      were
      the
      focus
     
     
      of
      a
      Len
      single
      of
      the
      same
      name).
     
     
      In
      this
      album,
      DJ
      Serious
      has
     
     
      enlisted
      help
      from
      some
      of
      his
     
     
      friends,
      who
      happen
      to
      be
      some
      of
     
     
      Canada’s
      hottest
      MCs,
      including
     
     
      D-Sisive,
      Asicks,
      Nish
      Rawks,
      and
     
     
      Clas.
      The
      highlight
      of
      this
      album,
     
     
      without
      a
      doubt,
      are
      the
      three
      D-
     
     
      Sisive
      tracks.
      Just
      nineteen
      years
     
     
      old,
      D-Sisive
      is
      one
      of
      Canada’s
     
     
      up-and-coming
      rap
      stars,
      with
      a
     
     
      sense
      of
      humor
      equaled
      only
      by
      his
     
     
      considerable
      rhyming
      skills.
      This
      is
     
     
      a
      swell
      album
      for
      hip-hop
      fans
     
     
      looking
      for
      a
      break
      from
      all
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
      top-forty.
     
     
      -ROC
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Marp!
      GRAS.BB
     
     
      Supersmell
     
     
      Universal
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Every
      once
      in
      a
      while,
      an
      album
     
    
   
   
    
     
      sneaks
      into
      the
      Cadre
      offices
      that
      is
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      pleasant
      surprise.
      Supersmell
      is
     
     
      one
      of
      those
      albums.
      Mardis
     
     
      Gras.BB,
      which
      is
      either
      a
      German
     
     
      band
      or
      a
      band
      that
      is
      big
      in
     
     
      Germany,
      combine
      hip
      hop
      sam-
     
     
      ples
      and
      scratches
      with
      music
      from
     
     
      the
      American
      south.
      It
      is
      a
      treat
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      Ne
      ee
      RR
      a
      ce
     
    
   
   
    
     
      hear
      their
      version
      of
      “Baby
     
     
      Elephant
      Walk,”
      a
      song
     
     
      |
      prominently
      featured
      in
      the
     
     
      “Dancin’
      Homer”
      episode
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      have
      a
      lively
      and
      eclectic
     
     
      sound
      that
      may
      put
      you
      in
     
     
      the
      mood
      to
      jump
      around
     
     
      like
      a
      drunk
      monkey.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -JC
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      WALLFLOWERS
     
     
      Breach
     
     
      Interscope
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Wallflowers
      have
      returned
     
     
      from
      their
      four
      year
      studio
      hiatus
     
     
      with
      the
      follow
      up
      to
      their
      critically
     
     
      acclaimed
      Bringing
      Down
      _
      the
     
     
      Horse.
      Jakob
      Dylan
      (Bob’s
      son)
     
     
      has
      written
      all
      of
      the
      songs
      for
      the
     
     
      groups
      latest
      compilation.
      Much
     
     
      like
      their
      1996
      release,
      all
      of
      the
     
     
      songs
      are
      radio
      friendly
      such
      as
      the
     
     
      first
      single
      Sleepwalker.
      What
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
      album
      lacks
      though,
      is
      songs.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      There
      are
      only
      10
      tracks
      (plus
      a
     
     
      hidden
      track)
      and
      the
      CD
      is
      only
      42
     
     
      minutes
      long.
      But
      it
      is
      still
      a
      good
     
     
      pick
      up
      for
      the
      true
      Wallflower
      fan
     
     
      and
      for
      those
      who
      didn’t
      give
      them
     
     
      a
      chance
      before.
     
    

    
     
      -AG
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BLACK
      EYED
      PEAS
     
     
      Bridging
      The
      Gap
     
     
      Interscope
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Bridging
      the
      Gap
      adds
      another
      vic-
     
     
      tory
      for
      the
      Hip
      Hop
      side
      in
      the
      rap
     
     
      battle
      between
      the
      fake
      bling
      bling
     
     
      rappers
      and
      the
      true
      hip
      hop
      cats.
     
     
      Black
      Eyed
      Peas
      who
      first
      shone
     
     
      on
      the
      Bulworth
      soundtrack
      a
      cou-
     
     
      ple
      of
      years
      ago
      come
      through
      on
     
     
      their
      debut
      effort.
      The
      Peas
      are
     
     
      helped
      out
      by
      fellow
      hip
      hopers
     
     
      Wyclef,
      Mos
      Def
      and
      De
      La
      Soul
     
     
      as
      well
      as
      R&B’s
      Esthero,
      Marcy
     
     
      Gray
      and
      Les
      Nubians
      on
      this
     
    
   
   
    
     
      album
      which
      only
      haves
      a
      few
     
    
   
   
    
     
      weak
      joints.
     
     
      -JMAMA
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      The
      Simpsons.
      They
     
    
   
   
    
     
      RADIOHEAD
     
     
      Kid
      A
     
     
      EMI
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Although
      lead
      singer
      Thom
     
     
      Yorke
      says
      the
      title
      of
      Radiohead's
     
     
      fine
      new
      album,
      Kid
      A,
      is
      derived
     
     
      from
      the
      notion
      of
      a
      prototype
      for
     
     
      the
      cloned
      man,
      it
      is
      still
      obviously
     
     
      influenced
      by
      the
      work
      of
      Carl
     
     
      Steadman
      specifically,
      and
      the
     
     
      Internet
      in
      general.
     
    

    
     
      Rolling
      Stone
      called
      Kid
      A
     
     
      a
      space-opera,
      others
      have
      called
      it
     
     
      a
      rock-opera;
      it
      is
      neither.
      Kid
      A
      is
     
     
      hypertext.
      All
      jumpy
      and
      tangen-
     
     
      tial.
      Any
      chord
      can
      lead
      to
      some
     
     
      strange
      sound,
      run,
      no
      doubt,
     
     
      through
      a
      computer
      to
      weird
      it
      up
     
     
      even
      more.
     
    

    
     
      Radiohead
      understand
      bet-
     
     
      ter
      than
      most
      that
      in
      the
      post-ironic
     
     
      haze
      of
      music
      in
      the
      year
      2000,
      the
     
     
      only
      way
      to
      make
      something
      truly
     
     
      memorable
      is
      to
      make
      it
      implode.
     
     
      Nothing
      can
      contain
      the
      seeker
      on
     
     
      the
      Internet
      except
      the
      limit
      of
      his
     
     
      own
      imagination
      and
      his
      faith
      in
     
     
      the
      reliability
      of
      the
      next
      hyperlink.
     
     
      Faith
      is
      key
      in
      cyberspace,
      just
      as
      a
     
     
      dose
      of
      faith
      is
      necessary
      for
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      thorough
      digestion
      (dissection)
      of
     
     
      Kid
      A.
     
    

    
     
      The
      album
      begins,
      at
      least
     
     
      in
      the
      first
      two
      tracks,
      absent
      any
     
     
      guitar.
      When
      asked
      whether
      he
     
     
      worried
      about
      alienating
      his
      old
     
     
      fans,
      Yorke
      replied
      smartly
      that
      he
     
     
      "had
      no
      choice"
      he
      was
      "sick
      of
     
     
      white
      boy
      complaining,”
      his
      own
     
     
      mostly.
      And
      Kid
      A
      is
      not
      a
      com-
     
     
      plaint
      at
      all.
      In
      fact,
      except
      for
     
     
      Yorke
      and
      the
      mostly
      brilliant
      use
     
     
      of
      a
      sampler,
      Kid
      A
      could
      pass
      for
     
     
      something
      other
      than
      the
      band
      that
     
     
      was
      Radiohead.
     
    

    
     
      The
      best
      Flash
      designer
      in
     
     
      the
      world,
      Joshua
      Davis,
      who
     
     
      makes
      a
      __—
      website
      called
     
     
      "PRAYSTATION",
      calls
      the
      art
      of
     
     
      manipulating
      shockwave
      movies
      in
     
     
      cyberspace
      the
      art
      of
      "creating
     
     
      complexity
      from
      simplicity"
      and
     
     
      Kid
      A
      lives
      by
      that
      dictum.
      It
      is
      like
     
     
      a
      car
      that
      starts
      and
      then
      possesses
     
     
      the
      driver,
      in
      the
      end
      leaving
      him
     
     
      quite
      unsure
      of
      what
      road
      he
      is
      on,
     
     
      or
      where
      is
      he
      is
      going.
     
    

    
     
      "The
      National
      Anthem"
      and
     
     
      its
      semi-indecipherable
      lyrics;
     
     
      "How
      To
      Disappear
      Completely"
     
     
      and
      its
      alluring
      haunt;
      "Idioteque"
     
     
      and
      its
      weird
      wonderful
      ramblings:
     
     
      the
      fact
      that
      there
      is
      a
      surprise
     
     
      behind
      the
      CD
      itself
      in
      the
      packag-
     
     
      ing,
      not
      the
      lyrics
      but
      a
      reasonable
     
     
      hand-drawn
      facsimile
      there
      of.
     
    

    
     
      Kid
      A
      is
      hypertext,
      and
     
     
      great
      hypertext
      at
      that.
      It
      is
      worthy
     
     
      of
      faith
      and
      effort,
      like
      Steadman's
     
     
      work,
      from
      whence
      the
      album
     
     
      draws
      its
      name,
      its
      motivation
      and
     
     
      its
      soul.
     
    

    
     
      -KJB