DJ Food
Encyclopedia
Originally produced by Coldcut
on the Ninja Tune
independent record label
, the DJ Food project started in 1990 on the premise of providing metaphorical "food for DJs
". DJ Food released the Jazz Brakes series, with Jazz Brakes Volume 3 being the most successful. The records consisted of collections of breaks
, loops
and samples
, that could be used for mixing
, remix
ing and producing
.
The later DJ Food albums have developed with shades of Latin
, dub
, techno, ambient
, and Jungle
.
The 1995 album, A Recipe For Disaster was a conscious move away from the Jazz Brakes volumes to form more of an identity as an artist, and a remix album of tracks from all 6 LPs, entitled Refried Food was released the following year. Their last release, Kaleidoscope, featured guest artists including Bundy K. Brown
(formerly of Tortoise
, Directions in Music, Pullman) and voiceover
artist and jazz poet
, Ken Nordine
.
and Jonathan More (aka Coldcut
) were responsible for starting Jazz Breaks series in the early '90s. Along the way they met Patrick Carpenter, who was listed on the liner notes simply by his initials. A loose collaborative team began to form including Paul Brook, Paul Rabiger, Strictly Kev and Issac Elliston.
Although keeping their hand in as DJs on the albums, Matt & Jon couldn't perform DJ sets twice in one night under both aliases of Coldcut & DJ Food, so they handed the mantle of live DJing over to PC and Strictly Kev. Later, PC became so busy with The Cinematic Orchestra
that he decided to quit, at least temporarily leaving DJ Food as a solo project. He then contributed three remixes to the The Shape of Things that Hum EP in 2009.
Refried Food was re-released in 2003 as a double CD
, with additional remixes.
Coldcut
Coldcut are an English dance music duo, comprising Matt Black and Jonathan More. Their signature style is electronic dance music, featuring cut up samples of hip hop, breaks, jazz, spoken word and various other types of music, as well as video and multimedia.-1980s:In 1986, computer programmer Matt...
on the Ninja Tune
Ninja Tune
Ninja Tune is a London-based independent record label started by DJs Matt Black and Jonathan More, better known as Coldcut and managed by Peter Quicke. The label has a strong leaning towards mostly Electronic Music...
independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
, the DJ Food project started in 1990 on the premise of providing metaphorical "food for DJs
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
". DJ Food released the Jazz Brakes series, with Jazz Brakes Volume 3 being the most successful. The records consisted of collections of breaks
Break (music)
In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece....
, loops
Music loop
In electroacoustic music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections of material can be repeated to create ostinato patterns...
and samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
, that could be used for mixing
Audio mixing (recorded music)
In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
, remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ing and producing
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
The later DJ Food albums have developed with shades of Latin
Latin American music
Latin American music, found within Central and South America, is a series of musical styles and genres that mixes influences from Spanish, African and indigenous sources, that has recently become very famous in the US.-Argentina:...
, dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
, techno, ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, and Jungle
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
.
The 1995 album, A Recipe For Disaster was a conscious move away from the Jazz Brakes volumes to form more of an identity as an artist, and a remix album of tracks from all 6 LPs, entitled Refried Food was released the following year. Their last release, Kaleidoscope, featured guest artists including Bundy K. Brown
Bundy K. Brown
Bundy K. Brown is an American musician and recording engineer. He is best known for being a founding member of Tortoise and his production, engineering and remixes in the Chicago Post Rock scene....
(formerly of Tortoise
Tortoise (band)
Tortoise is an American post-rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1990.-Music:Tortoise's almost entirely instrumental music defies easy categorization, and the group gained significant attention from their early career. The members have roots in Chicago's fertile music scene, playing in...
, Directions in Music, Pullman) and voiceover
VoiceOver
VoiceOver is a screen reader built into Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X, iOS and iPod operating systems. By using VoiceOver, the user can access their Macintosh or iOS device based on spoken descriptions and, in the case of the Mac, the keyboard. The feature is designed to increase accessibility for blind...
artist and jazz poet
Jazz poetry
Jazz poetry is poetry that "demonstrates jazz-like rhythm or the feel of improvisation". During the 1920s, several poets began to eschew the conventions of rhythm and style; among these were Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, and E. E. Cummings...
, Ken Nordine
Ken Nordine
Ken Nordine is an American voiceover and recording artist best known for his series of Word Jazz albums. His deep, resonant voice has also been featured in many commercial advertisements and movie trailers. One critic wrote that "you may not know Ken Nordine by name or face, but you'll almost...
.
Members
Matt BlackMatt Black
Matt Black is a British DJ and one half of music duo Coldcut .As a college student, he was a member of a band called The Jazz Insects, whose first single was played by John Peel in his radio show...
and Jonathan More (aka Coldcut
Coldcut
Coldcut are an English dance music duo, comprising Matt Black and Jonathan More. Their signature style is electronic dance music, featuring cut up samples of hip hop, breaks, jazz, spoken word and various other types of music, as well as video and multimedia.-1980s:In 1986, computer programmer Matt...
) were responsible for starting Jazz Breaks series in the early '90s. Along the way they met Patrick Carpenter, who was listed on the liner notes simply by his initials. A loose collaborative team began to form including Paul Brook, Paul Rabiger, Strictly Kev and Issac Elliston.
Although keeping their hand in as DJs on the albums, Matt & Jon couldn't perform DJ sets twice in one night under both aliases of Coldcut & DJ Food, so they handed the mantle of live DJing over to PC and Strictly Kev. Later, PC became so busy with The Cinematic Orchestra
The Cinematic Orchestra
The Cinematic Orchestra is a British jazz and electronic outfit, created in 1997 by Jason Swinscoe. The band is signed to Ninja Tune independent record label. In addition to Swinscoe, the band includes PC former DJ Food member on turntables, Luke Flowers , Tom Chant , Nick Ramm , Stuart McCallum ...
that he decided to quit, at least temporarily leaving DJ Food as a solo project. He then contributed three remixes to the The Shape of Things that Hum EP in 2009.
Album discography
- Jazz Brakes Vol. 1 (Oct 1990, Cat No. ZENCD 001)
- Jazz Brakes Vol. 2 (Sep 1991, Cat No. ZENCD 002)
- Jazz Brakes Vol. 3 (Jul 1992, Cat No. ZENCD 003)
- Jazz Brakes Vol. 4 (Jun 1993, Cat No. ZENCD 006)
- Jazz Brakes Vol. 5 (Oct 1994, Cat No. ZENCD 010)
- A Recipe For Disaster (Oct 1995, Cat No. ZENCD 020)
- Refried Food (remix album) (Jan 1996, ZENCD 021)
- Kaleidoscope (Apr 2000, Cat No. ZENCD 047)
- The Search Engine (Jan 2011)
Refried Food was re-released in 2003 as a double CD
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
, with additional remixes.
DJ Mix albums
- Blech II: Blechsdottir (1996, released on Rough TradeRough Trade RecordsRough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Cat No. RTD 126.3175.2)
-
- Mixed by PC and Strictly Kev
- Plastic Apple (Oct 1996, released on Aura Surround Sounds, Cat No. SUCD 005)
-
- Disc 1 consists of a 56 minute mix by DJ Food, discs 2 & 3 are by the artist MLO
- ColdKrushCuts (Feb 1997, Ninja TuneNinja TuneNinja Tune is a London-based independent record label started by DJs Matt Black and Jonathan More, better known as Coldcut and managed by Peter Quicke. The label has a strong leaning towards mostly Electronic Music...
, Cat No. ZENCD 026)
-
- A mix album collaboration between ColdcutColdcutColdcut are an English dance music duo, comprising Matt Black and Jonathan More. Their signature style is electronic dance music, featuring cut up samples of hip hop, breaks, jazz, spoken word and various other types of music, as well as video and multimedia.-1980s:In 1986, computer programmer Matt...
, DJ KrushDJ Krush, better known as DJ Krush, is a producer and DJ. He is known for his atmospheric instrumental production which incorporates sound elements from nature and extensive use of jazz and soul samples.-Biography:...
and DJ Food
- A mix album collaboration between Coldcut
- Solid Steel Presents DJ Food & DK: Now, Listen!Now, Listen!Now, Listen! was the first DJ mix album in the Solid Steel mix series. It was released in October 2001, mixed by DJ Food and Darren Knott.-Track listing:# "Solid Steel Theme" - DJ Food & DK# "Come Clean" - Jeru The Damaja...
(October 2001, Cat No. ZENCD055)
-
- Mix album for Ninja Tune's Solid SteelSolid SteelSolid Steel is the name of a series of DJ mix albums issued on Ninja Tune independent record label in the UK.Solid Steel also has a radio station webcast and related live concerts which further showcase the DJing talents of such artists....
mix series, with producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
DKDarren KnottDarren Knott, also known as DK, is a British disc jockey and record producer on the Ninja Tune independent record label.DK began working for Ninja Tune, performing remixes of Coldcut's track "Timber" ....
- Mix album for Ninja Tune's Solid Steel
- Solid Steel Presents DJ Food & DK: Now, Listen Again!Now, Listen Again!Now, Listen, Again! is the eighth DJ mix album in the Solid Steel mix series; It was released in 2007, mixed by DJ Food and Darren Knott who had also compiled the first album in the series.-Track listing:...
(March 2007, Cat No. ZENCD123)
Internet Only Releases
- The History of the Cut up: Raiding the 20th Century (Words and Music Expansion) link
External links
- DJ Food page at Ninja Tune website
- DJ Food website
- Pitchfork MediaPitchfork MediaPitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
review of Kaleidoscope link
Interviews
- Radio Feature, The Some Assembly Required Interview with DJ Food's Strictly Kev