Review Summary: A successful return to form for Japanese instrumental hip hop producer DJ Krush
After his 2017 trip into the land of rap, Japanese beat maestro DJ Krush returns to his more well-known style of beat and sample heavy instrumental hip hop with his latest effort,
Cosmic Yard. A welcome return to form, since the album is one of his best and consistent in fifteen years.
For most fans of instrumental hip hop, DJ Krush’s history is no unknown tale. The Tokyo based musician joined the jakuza, before dropping out after receiving an envelope containing the severed finger of a friend. He decided to leave the underworld and express himself through his music. His debut
Krush (1994) and, later that year, the excellent follow up
Strictly Turntablized (1994) both feature a blend of hip hop with jazz and original Japanese influences and expertly crafted beats. These albums mark the beginning of a prolific decade for Krush, releasing an album every other year between 1994 and 2004. However, after 2004’s
Jaku his Krush moniker disappeared from view for 11 years, surfacing again with 2015’s somewhat disappointing
Butterfly Effect.
Cosmic Yard features less rapping and a heavier focus on hip hop than his last two records. Tracks are spacious, with a brooding and dark atmosphere and sharp and beautifully produced beats. In the interludes Krush most strongly sounds like his earliest work. In the other tracks, flutes, strings, processed vocals and Japanese instruments spice up the spare compositions. An example would be
Divine Protection with the acoustic guitar playing of Yukihiro Atsumi, or the lazy saxophone and double bass of
Emission Nebula.
A notable collaboration on this album would be the inclusion of trumpet player and composer Toshinori Kondo, with whom DJ Krush released
Ki-Oku (1996) to critical acclaim. He features on both
Law Of Harmony and album closer
Sporadic Meteor, creating the illusion you’re floating through the cosmos and are utterly alone, but at peace.
With
Cosmic Yard, DJ Krush has further cemented his position as an icon of instrumental hip hop. He has delivered an album to get lost in almost 25 years into his career. The anxiety can sometimes be overburdening, but the contrast with all those samples and acoustic instruments ultimately make for a rewarding listen.
