Legendary turntablist drops beats on P-Town

Swollen Members
Clan of the Cave Mack
Sleep
DJ Wicked
Crystal Ballroom
October 11.
503-255-5555, ext. 8811
Do you like hip-hop? I mean, do you really like hip-hop? Well, if you’re answer is yes, then Mike Schwartz, aka Mix Master Mike, aka the Serial Wax Killer, needs no introduction.

If you’ve been living in a cave, then let us clue you in. Not only has he been resident DJ for the Beastie Boys since 1997, but he so dominated the DMC Turntablist Championship in the early ’90s that he was asked to refrain from competing. He’s also a founding member, along with his old pal DJ Q-Bert, of the legendary SF cutting crew the Invisibl Skratch Picklz.

This legendary artist has toured the world with his wheels of steel, and he pulls into P-Town tonight to rock the Crystal Ballroom in support of his second solo full-length release, Spin Psycle (Moonshine Records).

Spin Psycle is everything one would expect from one of leaders of the turntable renaissance, as the Mixmaster continues to prove that DJs aren’t reserved for Wedding receptions and junior high dances. This mix is packed with top-notch cutting and scratching, and music from virtually every genre is dropped into the pastiche. The beats roll along relentlessly, the highs and lows playing off of each other perfectly and damning even the squarest of white boys to give in to the groove and dance.

Spin Psycle features appearances by BS2000, Gang Starr, Rawkotiks, Large Professeur and the Beastie Boys and clocks in at 63 minutes, plenty time to keep the heads bumpin’ joyously.