DJ Rap Albums (4)
What The Critics Say
Following her major-label crossover bid in 1999 (Learning Curve), DJ Rap wasn't especially active during the first half of the subsequent decade. The especially photogenic DJ/producer released a solid pair of mix albums (Brave New World, Touching Bass) and a compilation of her past production work (Propa Classics, Vol. 1), all of which kept her on the market now and then, but she wasn't spending much time in the studio. It took her a while to summon the initiative to do so, but when she finally did enter the lab, she returned with Bulletproof, a drum'n'bass mix boasting a half-dozen of her own productions as well as a couple remixes she'd done. The ten-track, hourlong mix plays well as a whole, with most tracks mixing well into one another as the vibe remains distinctly intense, dark, and clubby. DJ Rap's production style hasn't changed too much despite the passage of time. If anything has changed, it's probably her drift toward a more trance-like approach. Each track drifts on for a relatively long time and there's an abundance of zippy buildups and breakdowns every couple minutes, and too, some rave motifs pop up every now and then for good measure. Above all, it's nice to see that DJ Rap hadn't thrown in the towel like many fans feared. That's why while some may complain that she hasn't made much artistic progression over the years, probably more will simply appreciate her return to music-making. In a world dominated by male DJs and producers, her presence is an especially welcome one. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'Touching Bass'
Release Date 6/17/2003
Tracks 26
Label Surge Recordings
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What The Critics Say
The first release to really approximate a live DJ Rap set, Touching Bass is a double disc, separated into one disc of drum'n'bass and one of breaks. After the pop crossover of her first production album, it's clear Rap's in no danger of hitting the charts with this mix, a set of furious hardstep tracks that starts out with a tech edge (Danny C, Dillinja) and rapidly reaches the sort of tempos not heard outside of specialty rooms since the brief reign of hardcore and gabba during the mid-'90s. Two impossibly driving, minimalist productions by Sonic & Silver bookend the excellent Accidental Heroes track "Even When It Rains," just before Danny C makes the first of several more welcome appearances -- he remixes two DJ Rap tracks and co-produces a third, "The Riff." The breaks disc doesn't begin on a good note ("Out There" by DJ Rap and Konverter is weighed down by a weak vocal sample), but for the rest of the set Rap shows as sure a hand with the selection and mixing as she does with drum'n'bass. She grabs tracks from some of the best in the breaks business (Plump DJs, Dylan Rhymes, Phil Kieran, Rennie Pilgrem) and cleverly works in a few nods to her breakbeat past: the Moving Shadow classic "Helicopter Tune" by Deep Blue and "The Stammer" by Raw as F**k (including Aston Harvey, co-producer of her classic "Spiritual Aura"). ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Working together as a duo on Brave New World, DJ Rap and Kenny Ken piece together 13 hard-hitting drum'n'bass tracks filled with thick, modulating basslines and plenty of frantic percussion. Beginning with the whirlwind drums of G Squad's "Brave New World" and its accompanying nonstop siren loop, the two British DJs keep the tempo fast and the intensity level extreme as they move through tracks by some of the genre's best producers along with a handful of self-affiliated tracks. Tracks such as "Tru Playaz" (DJ Hype) and "Shark Attack" (Ray Keith) may feature the big-name producers that will attract most drum'n'bass heads to this album, but ultimately the songs by the less established Hybridz and G Squad stand out as the album's shining moments. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
'Learning Curve'
Release Date 10/12/1998
Tracks 12
Label Sony BMG Europe
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
For her major-label debut, DJ Rap chose a surprising angle, given her long history as an excellent drum'n'bass DJ and producer. Learning Curve is a crossover album so complete there's hardly any traces of drum'n'bass left. Instead, most of the album (especially the radically reconfigured American version) is full-fledged '90s dance-pop, closer to Garbage than Grooverider, with the production gloss and sneering vocals to match. What's even more surprising is that, taken for what it is, Learning Curve actually is a solid dance-pop album. Rap's vocals are better than expected, the production is inventive, and while the songs are still quite far from pop, they're much more than dance fodder. It's a radically different move compared to any other jungle artist's major-label debut, but still, it's surprisingly solid given its emphasis on pop. [The British version includes a few more drum'n'bass tracks, including "Beats Like This," "Audio Technica," and a remix of her classic "Spiritual Aura."] ~ John Bush, All Music Guide
