Enter: Depression

Ever since I changed my major from Art to Wildlife Fish and Conservation Biology I knew I was gonna regret it. Thus I have gone back to Sac City Community College in order to save oh I don't know $1100 dollas on edumacation. I went on Sac City campus today and it is the reason why people drop out of college. For reals it's like high school with more cigarettes and all those people you thought you avoided when high school ended. Thankfully most of these people are so lazy in two weeks half of them will give up on school and the delicious cafeteria pizza will once again be mine. Anyway, this place wants me to go all Owen Wilson and it drove me to listen to some more depressing stuff as of late. Lot's of dirty dark scratching and blues stuff, you all thought I was gonna put up The Cure or Tool or some shit huh? As fucking awesome as The Cure is, you want some nasty, all cut your wrists to remind you that not only does your life suck, but so do alot of other peoples.
As bad as it sounds scratching is kinda how I got into dj'ing. Dude, the Piklz were on their way to destroying everyone else around, turntables were out selling guitars in japan, and for some reason in my sophmore year of high school that sound just caught me. It still does. But I for reals thought scratching was like, the future of music (whoops). It's obvious free-form and pattern heavy similarities to jazz and the connection to hip-hop blew my mind. And some artists who really do elevate the simple sounds to something more through ridiculous technique and gifted artistry could still make some noise in the musical arena today but I see nothing. I don't even know if people scratch for more than a bar or two anymore. D-styles is probably my utmost favorite, so technical and so perfect yet his style also sounds very funk based, sometimes he just makes me totally speechless and geeked out with some of his phrases. Scratching is the only music that will give me that feeling (some of you might not know this, most probably don't) when you're high or a few whiskeys deep and you're listening to, like Hendrix or something and he pulls off some lick that makes you laugh and geek out like a TOTAL stoner. You know that feeling, no? Anyway, a good phrase turned by a talented dj can do that to me, except I'm not the pot head I used to be. Later not only advanced scratching would tug at me but well mixed sets(J-rocc tapes), Radar drumming(and that shit he used to do with the pedal loops), and expensive weekends of record shopping in frisco(why do I need 18 different break records and doubles? because thats why), all pulled me into the hole of dj'ing. I still think scratching can be recognized and can save the world and all that shit but D-styles, Q, X-Ecutioners, and Beatjunkies or someone needs to come back something serious that shocks the world.


(I love how Kentaro can barely keep up, didn't you win a dmc homeboy and you thought you could sesh alongside D with baby skills? maybe this guy and others like him are the reason scratching is flacid right now)
Honestly is this a dead genre? Does it solely consist of live shows in like southern california record stores that go out of business a year later? Is there a reason I can't find any new shit on limewire? And new singles or albums? Don't bother. D came out with Phantazmagorea and it seriously blew my freaking mind (that and Rob Swift's Sound Event). Everything done off a record or scratching, every fucking sound. It scarred me. And when he does that stuff with the wah wah it's ridiculous, no one ever did that (Q did it first on Invasion of the Octopus People but not with such deftness or style). His beats are always like blood and dirt under fingernails yet still funky as hell.

John Wayne On Acid

Murder Faktory is based on D scratching sounds of people dying (fake I hope CREEPY!). I told you scratching is nasty son!

Murder Faktory

Oh and here's a Mr. Arrogant remix for any of you heads out there that might have the first two.

Mr. Arrogant remix

My dad listened to blues, he gave me a bunch of Lightning Hopkins and Robert Johnson records. Blues has a reputation for being a music of the broken heart, which is true but its more than just 'my woman left me and I had to eat my shoe' etc., it's full of death, mysticism, and bitter anger. John Lee Hooker has such a wide breadth of work it's ridiculous. When blues was rejuvenated by rock in the late 60's, John worked with everyone. He's got a great album with Canned Heat that's just him stompin' all day long. Bad Like Jesse James is the Hook at his most frightening, DO NOT sleep or come near this man's lady.
His voice scares the crap out of me.

I'm Bad Like Jesse James

Willow Tree is another performance at Cafe Au Go Go, this is a great song but John plays and acts like he could care less. Apparently he despised playing for hipster crowds in these settings, it's pretty easy to tell the way he thanks the crowd at the end. But still the song is dope.

She's Long, She's Tall (She Weeps Like A Willow Tree)

Maybe these songs will keep me from losing my shit and killing some dude playing hacky sac for a WHOLE SEMESTER! That is so freaking long...jesus.