RJD2: More than just a remix
Philly hip-hop/electro-pop artist RJD2 (real name Ramble John “RJ” Krohn) will be playing at the Norris Student Center in the Louis Room on May 8. The event is sponsored by One Voice and A&O Productions and proceeds from the event will go to UNICEF.
RJD2’s repertoire is hard to categorize. His earlier work on 2002’s Deadringer and 2004’s Since We Last Spoke reflects little departure from the work of most house DJs. The albums are largely comprised of instrumental tracks featuring soul samples and pleasingly ambient-layered beats. It’s phat. It’s straight forward. It’s fun to dance to. It will make for a great live show.
For those who are interested in music as an art-form, RJD2’s more innovative work found on 2007’s The Third Hand may be of more interest. While it received deplorable reviews from Pitchfork Media, it’s more complex (perhaps presumptuously so), and therefore is worth a listen for those who abhor funky, crunchy, grinding beats. While RJD2’s previous works are in large part lessons in mixing, tracks on The Third Hand delve into a significantly more nuanced production, involving vocalizations and additional instrumentation.
“The Horror,” from Dead Ringer, illustrates RJD2’s earlier, beat-heavy work, and is perhaps his most popular piece.
Taken from The Third Hand, “Work it Out” shows what happens when RJD2 does his own instrumentation in lieu of sample mixing. Its tendency towards choppy, crowded sound is representative of his later work.
RJD2 has also released several instrumental and mix albums. “Weatherpeople,” taken from In Rare Form, is a definitive example of RJD2’s house music, the kind likely to appear in his upcoming show.
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ASG write-in candidate gets an unintentional sex change Or you can return home.
reasonably decent article, and the show will no doubt be amazing. however his music is in no way “house” at all. you obviously have no idea what house music is and if your goal was to sound informed about the artist you shouldn’t have through the word around like a catch all genre, especially in its birthplace–the city of Chicago. Maybe look up something you don’t know but are going to talk about anyway?
wnurdj
April 22, 2009 at 12:25 am
As a fellow WNUR DJ (although a purveyor of rock) I would have to say that much of RJD2’s work exemplifies the term of “house” music, although, probably more specifically “hip house”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_house. Most of the elements of hip house can be found in “the horror” for example.
Frodo Baggins
April 22, 2009 at 1:06 am
Most popular = ghostwriter …. duh.
Durrr
April 22, 2009 at 7:28 am
“House music”? are you kidding? Dead Ringer doesn’t have a single house track on it, and I dont even think there’s a track close to 120bpm at all, let alone “dance music.”
very sloppy.
DJPaul
April 22, 2009 at 12:01 pm
WOW…
Frodo please don’t stray from the rock show.
RJ clearly focuses on instrumental hip-hop. First of all, the beats are break centered and have no four on the floor structure. Second, he started way to late (2000 first released remix) to be even considered “hip-house”–house and hip-hop parted ways way back in the late 80’s. Third, you obviously don’t know what old house tracks sound like, ’cause they are nothing like “the horror”. I’d suggest you go hear for yourself in the archives, but you probably don’t understand how a record works.
wnurdj
April 23, 2009 at 2:12 am
Funky, Crunchy, and Grinding…. Count me in
JD Eyebrows
May 29, 2009 at 8:35 am