Dj Spooky - Peace in Zaire

Another DJ Spooky classic that starts out sampling Doin' Time/Summertime. This is off of the Riddem Warfare double LP. This album feels to me like the expression of his intersecting knowledge, experimentation and external happenings in the world of music at that point in time. In this album he includes elements of drum & bass, hip hop, jazz, electronica, rock, trip hop, emceeing, vintage sampling, dub and ambient (it also features all stars Karsh Kale, Kool Keith, Thurston Moore, Killah Priest and KutMasta Kurt). Not just includes them but blends genres and often confuses and surprises the listener by doing so. Many reviews back then just dismissed this album as trying to be too avante garde or said it wasn't cohesive enough. Many simply, and vainly, pointed out the tracks they liked and the tracks they could have done without. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I just think the album should be applauded for playing with so many different genres at a time when it was risky for a DJ to step outside of one genre on an album and I can guarantee this album has held up a hell of a lot better over time than most of the albums those same critics were giving "good" reviews to at the time. I personally feel like the album is the sound of Spooky's mind boiling over with experience and information. If it is indeed that, then it is the perfect soundtrack whether it sounds "nice" to you or not.

Update: There is a remix album of this album called "Subliminal Minded" that is well worth checking out as well. Here is a review of that album, which is actually the album that showed up in my car recently and sparked me to blog bout what I thought was Riddem Warfare. The disc itself has no information on it.