SIP DJ Screw

Jon Abbey · November-20th-2005, 11:40 PM

he died five years ago this week, 11/16/00, a real loss. he invented a new style of music, "chopped and screwed", and still most people have never heard of him, although his legacy is only getting stronger. Screw In Peace, baby.

http://www.murderdog.com/archives/djscrew/djscrew.html

"Q:I wonder what your next step will be?

A: Like I said in 1990, I'm gonna screw the world up. It's screwed up, but it ain't finished."

Jon Abbey · November-21st-2005, 03:54 PM

http://rap.about.com/od/djsturntablists/p/djscrew.htm

chuckyd4 · November-21st-2005, 05:43 PM

Good stuff (though an interesting board to put the notice on). I've been listening to a lot of Houston shit lately - it's interesting, because most nobody had heard of "chopped and screwed" until at best two years ago. Well, it depends what kind of places you hang out. But with Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Chamillionaire and the rest of the Swishahouse crew getting so much press these days, he's finally starting to get some attention. It's not always my favorite (what is, really?) but at least it's something totally different and interesting that's taking music in a new direction.

Jon Abbey · November-21st-2005, 06:09 PM

well, IHM doesn't need my input on this, and I've been really into this stuff lately, glad to hear someone else here is also into it. what was really funny was the discussion I had this weekend where I tried to explain Mr. Screw's work to George Lewis.

chucky, do you know any of the S.L.A.B. (Slow Loud and Bangin') stuff? Guerilla Maab, Trae, that crew? also, if you haven't heard them, UGK is amazing, Ridin Dirty, Super Tight, Dirty Money, all well worth hearing, probably in that order.

I can't get enough of the Houston sound lately myself, although admittedly I haven't been listening for long. we'll see how long this fascination lasts, but it's pretty intense right now. the Jason Lescalleet/Tim Barnes project I'm releasing next spring will likely have some kind of chopped/screwed second disc, we'll see.

Jon Abbey · November-21st-2005, 08:40 PM

chuckyd4 · November-21st-2005, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

I can't get enough of the Houston sound lately myself, although admittedly I haven't been listening for long. we'll see how long this fascination lasts, but it's pretty intense right now. the Jason Lescalleet/Tim Barnes project I'm releasing next spring will likely have some kind of chopped/screwed second disc, we'll see.

That would be an Erstwhile thing? Granted, I'm far from an expert on your label's stuff, but that gave me the giggles thinking of Too Beautiful to Burn in chopped + screwed. I'll admit I'm not familiar with either of the names you mention (I'm a JC square, I know).

Keep the interviews/etc. coming... good late night reading.

Jon Abbey · November-21st-2005, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckyd4

That would be an Erstwhile thing? Granted, I'm far from an expert on your label's stuff, but that gave me the giggles thinking of Too Beautiful to Burn in chopped + screwed. I'll admit I'm not familiar with either of the names you mention (I'm a JC square, I know).

yes, one of the next pair of Erst releases as of now. I'm not sure what chopping/screwing really means as applied to non-vocal abstract music, but Jason told me tonight he was thinking about chopping/screwing the entire Erst catalog for that second disc.

Quote:

Keep the interviews/etc. coming... good late night reading.

you got it!

http://houstonsoreal.blogspot.com/20...-dj-screw.html

Jon Abbey · November-21st-2005, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chuckyd4

I'll admit I'm not familiar with either of the names you mention

it's a really good fit, actually. Jason works with lots of cheap tape decks, and slows and speeds stuff up all the time, plus he's a genius at postproduction. Tim has an incredibly varied resume, from playing with Wilco (second drummer) and Sonic Youth (there's a SYR disc coming up that's SY and him, a sextet) to the most delicate abstract work, and lately he's been doing more and more studio production. he spent much of the last few months producing the new Rogers Sisters record for Too Pure, and his fulltime job is sound design for major ad campaigns.

anyway, it was my idea, but they're both pumped about it, I'm psyched to hear what they come up with!

Jon Abbey · November-22nd-2005, 02:50 AM

you could probably make a reasonable argument that chopped/screwed is a cousin "genre" to dub, using hip-hop and sizzurp (a cough syrup/codeine mixture) instead of reggae and ganja.

http://www.mtv.com/bands/h/hip_hop_w...opped_screwed/

Jon Abbey · November-22nd-2005, 11:10 AM

here are some links to check out some of this stuff for free, via MP3s:

http://houstonsoreal.blogspot.com/20...ribute-on.html (the top link here is a 2 hour radio tribute show to Screw, broadcast earlier this week. I've heard the first third of it so far, not amazing, but worth checking out for someone who's curious)

http://www.djeleven.com/downloads.html (links 2 through 5 here are a reasonably good comp of recent mainstream Houston hip-hop, all indebted to Screw to one degree or another)

Jon Abbey · November-23rd-2005, 02:08 AM

http://www.villagevoice.com/music/02...,33946,22.html

Jon Abbey · November-24th-2005, 12:29 AM

http://governmentnames.blogspot.com/...th-rapper.html

lukaz · November-24th-2005, 11:12 AM

I just remebered a 15 minutes TV feature on DJ Screw, Houston sound and ''chopped & screwed''. I can't remember was it on VH1, MTV or VIVA here in Europe but it was done in a sense that this aesthetic is becoming kinnda hip in hiphop circles. Anyway Jon didn't I- Sound mixed some of Erst catalogue for a Wire compilation? I think i have it at home but don't remeber how it sounded. Must find that amongs the pile of cds- what i want to know is how are yr feeling bout I-Sound thing. And if i remember correctly there was at times before ''Open'' was out written on Erst site that John Wall will do a mix of it. Probably he will work on it for next couple of decades

I just got his new one and it sounds damn good to me after first listen

Jon Abbey · November-24th-2005, 11:31 AM

yep, I-Sound did what he called a "reconstruction" for one of the Wire Tappers, a 5 minute track consisting only of samples from the first 12 Erst releases. I haven't heard it in a while. also, Patrick Pulsinger did a kind of similar thing for Wrapped Islands, for another Wire Tapper.

and John Wall did complete a piece for open in the end, but he wasn't happy with it (even though it was pretty good), so eventually we got sick of arguing with him and went ahead without it.

Jon Abbey · December-11th-2005, 02:18 AM

so I've read that Screw did maybe 500 records in the 17 (I think) years before he died, not counting the numerous bootlegs. below are the best I've heard so far (I've heard maybe 5 percent as of now, probably less, but I've been specifically focusing on the more touted ones):

Hard Times
Endonesia
As The World Turns Slow
3 'N The Mornin' (Part 2)
June 27th
Weed and Hennessy
Southside Riders

official Screw stuff has never been well distributed, I don't think. the official store is here:

http://www.screweduprecords.com

but I've never dealt with them directly, and have been told they're a bit shady from people who have. I'm sharing all of the above on SLSK for people who are interested, though, user name erstrecs.

brain · December-11th-2005, 12:57 PM

Thanks for bringing this up and the links. I've been investigating and listening. Is there less mainstream stuff than the djeleven tracks/links? I just moved back to the Houston area, and all I've been hearing about is the Houston sound. Who are some people I should check out? Thanks!

Jon Abbey · December-11th-2005, 01:06 PM

for current stuff, you could check the recent Chamillionaire (Sound of Revenge), Paul Wall (People's Champ), and Bun B (Trill), all major label releases that will be easy to find. a little more underground, I really like S.L.A.B.-The Anthem, which should also be easy to find, as well as Trae and Z-Ro, all of whom are in the same clique.

for older stuff, check out UGK-Super Tight, Ridin Dirty and Dirty Money, Bun B's duo with Pimp C. amazing how well this holds up ten years later...

brain · December-11th-2005, 01:20 PM

Thanks for the tips! I will definitely check them out. We have a pretty great Hip Hop show on KTRU, Rice University Radio, Tuesdays at 10pm but I don't get a chance to hear it very often due to poor reception being too far away. They have the playlists online though-I should check that out, too. I used to DJ the jazz and improvised music show on Sundays at KTRU. There's lots of folks here that love the Erstwhile releases. I remember playing several different things from the stacks.

Jon Abbey · December-14th-2005, 01:27 AM

for those who need the BBC's imprimatur...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/tx/docume..._screwed.shtml

chuckyd4 · December-14th-2005, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

the recent Chamillionaire (Sound of Revenge)

BIG thumbs up. Had this on my iPod for awhile now and it gets a spin at least three or four times a week.

bluenoter · December-14th-2005, 11:44 AM

I just had my first exposure to some of the artists and albums mentioned in this thread, via the obviously superficial route of soundclips.

The music is so melodic, Jon! I was struck by the influence of German bands, just as in other Texas (and Mexican) music.

The "screwed" sound is highly reminiscent of an effect that I heard heaps of back in the day, when it was

Jon Abbey · December-14th-2005, 11:45 AM

German bands? what German bands?

the BBC show linked above is a good way to check out some stuff also.

bluenoter · December-14th-2005, 11:49 AM

Not German rock bands; more like German oom-pah-pah bands--but I don't know if that's quite right either. I don't know any names!

Don't know if I'll have any luck playing the BBC segment with my dialup, but I might try. Thanks.

Jon Abbey · December-14th-2005, 11:49 AM

and I disagree that the sound is "psychedelic", per se, as that's a term typically associated with the effects of hallucinogens, specifically acid, and this is music more closely connected to the effects of codeine as found in "sizzurp".

bluenoter · December-14th-2005, 12:00 PM

Hey, we did downers too!

I'm speaking less literally, about the freaky slowed-down effect (and additional effects) itself.

bluenoter · December-14th-2005, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluenoter

IIRC, the album that made me perk up was 3 'N The Mornin' (Part 2).

Aw, shoot--that wasn't the one. I listened to samples of albums by several of the bands. The album I really liked indeed had notably melodic backing instrumentation and vocals.

Jon Abbey · December-15th-2005, 03:09 PM

http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/2...30/music3.html

this article uses the word "psychedelic" also to describe Screw's work, still not sure I agree, although I'm also not interested in talking about it anymore.

Jon Abbey · December-15th-2005, 03:12 PM

here's a very good article from when Screw was still alive, looks like he was only 29 when he died:

http://www.houstonpress.com/issues/1.../feature2.html

Jon Abbey · December-15th-2005, 06:18 PM

not directly Screw-related (except that the hook of Bun B's single is from a Screw track from 1995), but here's Sasha Frere-Jones on the recent Bun B full-length and Houston hip-hop in general:

http://www.newyorker.com/critics/mus...1114crmu_music

Jon Abbey · December-31st-2005, 12:29 AM

up.

so, I'm obviously still only a small fraction of the way through this guy's output, I've read he did 500 records before he died at 29, pretty amazing. I think the double CD reissue series (they were all originally cassettes) is around 120 or 130 so far, I've heard maybe 30 thus far.

anyway, my reigning fave track is the version of UGK's One Day that starts off Endonesia. the original is a great track also, from 1995's Ridin' Dirty (the track that I personally played for myself on Sunday in memoriam of Derek Bailey), but the Screw version is stretched out from 5 to 15 minutes, and is quite inspired.