El Stew
What began as an impromptu jam session among a group of serious musicians evolved into a revolutionary sound experiment. El Stew is more than a tasty dish –– it´s a scratched up, punk–rockbotic fusion of old school hip hop flavors and futuristic energy, all smoothly tempered with a moody electro vibe. This is freak–your–mind music: Mantronix meets Zeppelin, tripped–out tagger meets outer galactic hesher. An all–star cast of seasoned ingredients –– DJ Disk of the world champion DJ clan the Invisibl Skratch Piklz; Brain, the drummer for Primus; Buckethead, an ingenious, enigmatic guitarist; Eddie Def, the head scratch for the Space Travelers; and producer Extrakd –– El Stew is an organic brew of hardcore talents that unite in one eclectic plane.
Debuting this spring with the full–length album "El Stew", psychotic scratching, darkside samples, ambient curves and stretched guitar infusions come together in four extended tracks in the form of a 10". A twisted take on old school rules, "B–Boy Showcase" contains speeded–up hip hop rhythms, alien vocoder samples and anarchistic, metal–head injections. The sublimely melancholic "Vintage" dips into a warped drum ´n bass groove –– a track whose fattened beats are destined for the dancefloor.
MEET THE INGREDIENTS:
DJ "Phonosychograph" DiskAfter stumbling into a turntable at a wedding when he was eleven years old,Disk realized his destiny: "The turntables looked like a spaceship –– I had to learn to play it." An original member of the famed Rock Steady Crew and the Invisibl Skratch Picklz, Disk recently released his first full–length solo album, "Ancient Termites" (Bomb, 1998). Revered throughout the hip hop community for his innovative scratching and producing skills, Disk has appeared on numerous albums, including MCM & the Monsters´ "Convertible Turtle" (´96), the "Altered Beats" compilation (Axiom, 1996) and the "Transmutation Live" compilation (Axiom, 1997). In 1998 he toured with Primus as their official DJ.
BrainThe drummer for Primus, Brain´s unusual rhythmic interpretations have led to session drumming with Tom Waits, Chris Issak, George Clinton, Exodus and Testament. Currently working on Fullcone, a solo project produced by Extrakd, Brain recently released the solo album "I need Five Minutes Alone" on Avant, John Zorn´s label. Along with legendary producer Bill Laswell (Mick Jagger, Herbie Hancock, Iggy Pop, The Ramones), Brain and Buckethead form Praxis, a power trio that has recorded on Axiom Records. Brain has also composed advertisements for Disney and Sega and is featured in the Mortal Combat movie soundtrack.
BucketheadA brainiac guitarist who performs with a fried chicken bucket over hishead, Buckethead´s skills have led to collaborations with some of theworld´s most innovative musicians, including John Zorn, Pharaoh Sanders, Iggy Pop, Bootsy Collins and legendary producer, Bill Laswell. With over eight albums under his belt, Buckethead´s 1998 critically acclaimed solo album, Colma (Cyber Octave), led Guitar Player magazine to describe him as one of the "Top 10 trailblazers." In addition to other solo efforts, he is also the guitarist for Praxis, Giant Robot and Death Cube (all featuring Disk and Brain).
Eddie DefBefore there were Picklz, there were Hamsters –– the Scratch Hamsters, that is. A founding member of that legendary hip hop crew (which is now called the Space Travelers), Eddie Def is a meticulous scratcher and DJ "obsessed with making music that is without limits –– shit that goes all over the universe." A musician so ingenious that a professional mixing device was named for his group ––the Hamster Switch–– Eddie Def was highlighted in the Om Records´ Deep Concentration 1999 national tour.
ExtrakdAn accomplished drummer, bassist and DJ, Extrakd has performed withnumerous punk and hip hop groups, including "The Lost Tribe","T.H.T.S.L.E.E.", and "Jam Republic." The co–owner of Tyrell Studios in Oakland, California, Extrakd now devotes his attention to production; some recent projects include Buckethead´s "Colma", Disk´s "Ancient Termites", Godflesh´s "Songs of Love and Hate," and Brains´ solo Fullcone project.
