RJD2

Originally titled I Need More Money and Power and Less Shit From You People, the latest album from hip-hop instrumentalist, mixer and producer Ramble Jon Krohn (aka RJD2) is a smorgasbord of everything from Latin soul to Italian disco. And it’s worthy of allowing the Def Jukie to escape DJ Shadow’s … uh … shadow. Since We Last Spoke comes off as a sort of OK Computer for the turntablist aficionado, disregarding every preconceived notion of what a hip-hop DJ album should be. That’s right, kids, you won’t hear any popular scratch phrases like “fresh” and “aw, yeah” being manhandled on this record. In fact, RJD2 adds live instrumentation to the heaps of samples and actually sings on a few of the tracks, including the Rick Springfield-era pop-rock homage “Through the Walls” and the sleepy “Making Days Longer.” Departing from the ass-shaking funk and soul that made his debut effort and subsequent Soul Position releases forces to be reckoned with, RJD2 has traded in the guest MCs and scratching for retro synthesizers and bass lines conducive to heavy petting, a sort of soundtrack for robot porn — without the usual guilt that follows.