Search - DJ Food :: Kaleidoscope

DJ Food has become an identity that grows independently of its individual members. Originally it was an alias for Coldcut's Jonathon More and Matt Black, who were responsible for the first three volumes of Jazz Brakes in the early '90s. They joined forces with (the man known as) Strictly Kev and Patrick Carpenter for two more Jazz Brakes releases and 1995's A Recipe for Disaster, while at live DJ gigs, DJ Food was just Kev and Carpenter. Now those two have taken over the group name wholly and--unlike classic-rock bands past their heyday who hit the county-fair touring circuit with no original members--Kaleidoscope is DJ Food's most mature (in a good way) release to date. "Jazz" is a reference point throughout this release, from the downtempo, Zawinulesque electric-piano chords on the opening track to Chicago radio personality Ken Nordine's rather too ironic evocation of an aging beatnik. When they drop the self-consciousness and let the music speak for itself, the CD changes from merely clever to quite beautiful, and the second half sounds like the soundtrack to an intriguing imaginary film. --Bob Bannister