DJ /rupture – Special Gunpowder Very Friendly VF013CD (2004)
DJ /rupture (b. Jace Clayton) is good at what he does. While his acclaimed mix album Minesweeper Suite took a sweeping, big picture look at the possibilities in reorganizing and reconstructing music, Special Gunpowder is his first attempt at recording all the raw material himself. Now his beats hardly ever stay in one place long. The fluid sounds are ever changing, ever evolving interpretations of folk music from around the globe. Maybe that is necessary, as the opening overture recites: “Philadelphia is on fire, and watermelon is all that can cool it.” Direct associations are no longer enough for some climates. In its abstract and irrational state, Special Gunpowder completely avoids the labels “cultural piracy” and “intellectual colonialism” that go along with the appropriation and reuse of folk music. DJ /rupture adds new contexts. He expands the possibilities of individual components by bringing them together in a comprehensive way that allows each to contribute effectively in its own way. It may take some effort embrace this music in all its myriad nuances. Still, making the effort is recommended. The groove — elusive may it be — is there. If Special Gunpowder offers anything for listeners, it’s the opportunity to look beyond the prison of those few experiences and desires close to us. It’s a chance to see all the different parts come together for little while. Plus, it rocks with some sweet dance floor beats