Electronica: DJ Cam Revisited By

DJ Cam Revisited By is probably one of those albums I shouldn’t review, because I don’t know DJ Cam’s music making it hard to comment on these remixes by 13 others. Plus, if you’ve been reading Music Spectrum for any length of time, you know that Electronica, turntablists, Hip Hop, and dance tracks are not areas of expertise for me.

Yet, there’s just something irresistible about the album that starts with Kenny Dope’s remix of “Success,” followed immediately by the Thievery Corporation’s remix of the same song. These two track exemplify why this music draws me in—despite the fact that I tend to be more of a rock fan. Kenny Dope lends a vamping strut remix, but the Thievery Corporation funk it up with samples of percussion (trap set, congas, and more). While dance tracks can often sound monotonous to a rock ‘n’ roll ear, elements like the percussion samples in the Thievery Corporation’s remix can capture the attention of the non-trained ear. When that happens, it leads to a rock reviewer wanting to gush about DJ Cam—an artist that he doesn’t know that much about.

That’s the hook for me as I listen to the DJs mix the sounds: samples of those essential percussion fills. Those moments kick rock songs to each successive section, but here in the hands of DJ Cam and his remixers those moments form the foundation for entire songs. So now while I listen to a five minute rock song waiting for that moment when the drummer has that five section fill that propels the whole rhythm to the next level, now with a DJ you can celebrate that five section riff with an entire vibe. Listen to the handclapping rhythm of “Espionage” featuring Guru remixed by Bob Sinclair. Or on a third version of “Success” remixed by Attica Blues, the trap set’s 60’s jazz sounds are like the blueprint for how the other samples are put together.

Kid Loco remixes “He’s Gone” which features China on vocals. It’s a soulful song as the beats jam. The lyric could easily be adapted to point to the hope of Christ: “I’m searching for my guy/I’ve got to find him fast/Or this trip may be my last/I’ll be dead.” It’s a song of despair over losing a guy, wishing for death, and self-medicating through the street’s pharmacy. However, the lyric caught my attention for how powerfully it points to our search for God. Without Him, we will be dead—forever.

Thank you to DJ Cam and Recall Records for the review copy.