Home Read Classic Album Review: DJ Spooky | Riddim Warfare

Classic Album Review: DJ Spooky | Riddim Warfare

The D.C. turntable king is more painter than musician on this surreal outing.

This came out in 1998 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):

 


Folks who think DJs aren’t musicians should spin this ambitious 72-minute outing from D.C. turntable king Spooky (aka That Subliminal Kid).

Actually, Spooky (real name: Paul Miller) is more of a painter than a musician. His palette? Any and all kinds of sonic sources — from video games and conversations to hyper house breakbeats and Thurston Moore guitar work. All of which are intelligently and deliberately layered into aural artworks that are often surreal, sometimes abstract, but inevitably funky.