Back in December Diagonal Recordings released a wicked 2LP debut from Death Comet Crew, though it was only about a week ago I finally got my hands on it. Been meaning to write about Ghost Among The Crew ever since, but in it’s wake we’ve been swallowed up by a few other releases from the NYC originated group, most recently this 12″ remix plate.
Originally a mid-’80s group, it was seeing Rammellzee (RIP) mentioned in the press release that first grabbed my attention, though closer inspection showed a full lineup of respected noisemakers. As well as the legendary writer and sought after rapper the act boasted Ike Yard members Stuart Argabright and Michael Diekmann, DJ High Priest and Black Rain’s Shinichi Shimokawa as members. Collecting unreleased material from 2003 onwards (when they reunited) Ghost Among The Crew is a bizarre melting pot of disco, hip-hop, jazz and nu-rave that is dedicated to and fortunately even featuring Rammellzee on a few cuts.
Digging backwards in the catalogue we soon got turned on to This Is Riphop, released on Troubleman in 2004 featuring some live performances. Slightly more removed from the sleazy-funk attitude on the debut LP, it’s an essential recommendation, especially for fans of the mighty Anti-Pop Consortium.
Looking forward, and a new plate just turned up ahead of schedule, two new cuts from Death Comet Crew with top-notch remixes from Gifted & Blessed, LV and Hieroglyphic Being. Released on the Citinite label, ‘Galacticoast Mosi’ and ‘Alpha Digital’ are regrettably absent of Rammellzee’s distinctive voice and style, but are still some of the best we’ve heard in the recently discovered catalogue. The title track keeps the industrial loft vibe going, battered basslines with busy synths going in and out, the production here is phenomenal. ‘Alpha Digital’ is your experimental washed out synth joint, closer to something you’d hear on a Torn Hawk record, but tidied up to play out as a slow nu-disco jam, despite it’s druggy destructiveness.
Across the 12″ it’s Hieroglyphic Being who steals the show, with his reinterpretation of ‘Alpha Digital’. Bringing his own twisted house style in to the already leftfield beats mix, delivering a nine-minute jam that’s not to be missed. Not to take anything away from Gifted & Blessed dirtying things up a bit with a chugging groove or LV’s functional club working, but the one Jamal Moss’ offering on this makes it buy-on-site.
Check out the press release below and the Hieroglyphic Being remix just underneath that.
via Citinite
Death Comet Crew returns into the middle of an African street taxi jam.
Shimmering traffic moves slowly ahead, shadows replacing shadows across the asphalt.
There is smoke in the sky and in the street.
Basslines pulse and weave through the jam.
[Waves of heat through crack in window seen through infrared heat-vision from overhead.]
Running down the left field of view, chrome flickers in slo-mo.
License numbers crawl.
A persistent scratching takes hold of the car’s horn, indicators on perpetual loop.
Through the haze, lightning… Galacticoast Mosi.
Up the well, the half dark space station hangs in lower orbit.
Hybridized chimes ricochet past the main hall’s shuttered shop fronts.
Ricochets turn to echoes, like misplaced dimensions.
7-4-3-1.
The call and response of radio comms.
Acrophonics re-interpreted by a hieroglyphic being.
Re-membered trajectories.
Re-entry.