Jackmaster-DJ Kicks: Album Review

Scottish DJ Jackmaster, or Jack Revill, clings unapologetically to his DJ identity. He is not a producer, nor does he claim to be, but mixes genres and eras with a dexterous precision. For his episode of DJ Kicks, the acclaimed mix series from !K7 Records, he made a masterful tribute to his formative influences, the music of Berlin, Chicago, Detroit and Glasgow.

The record takes LNRDCROY and builds for a full eight minutes before launching into “MSNJ,” an exclusive from fellow Glasgow-native Denis Sulta. He slides through Sulta’s sultry vocal track into “Centre Of The World,” a tribal beat by New York-based Phil Moffa.

Throughout the next hour, he transitions from the obscure to the famous, from one side of the globe to another. He features two additional, current exclusives “Ode To Frankfurt,” by Alcatraz Harry, and “Yeah that Lush” by Tessera. He ignores the linear rules, rules of time and travels back to when it all began—to the “90s in Detroit and Chicago. He samples the classic “A Groove” by Mike Dunn, and “Convulsions,” by Detroit-based Overmow.

He finishes with an sample from the mysterious Pom Pom—the identity-less Berlin artist toiling in rare obscurity to create clunky, reverb-heavy techno. “I try not to be too purposely idiosyncratic when selecting music. It’s kind of contrived. I want to educate people but never compromise my vision. I just want to play good music and tell my own story.” The story he told pays homage to his roots in electronic, as well as his upbringing in Glasgow.

Revill started spinning as a teen and said he used music to escape tough times. More even than an ode to the masters of electronic, Jackmaster DJ’s album is a testament to Revill’s talent and craftsmanship. Revill lost his initial track picks for DJ Kicks and said he remade the mix four or five times before he was satisfied. While his picks certainly were unique, he pulled off transitions seamlessly, making for a diverse and surprising aural feast.

—Chloe Aiello

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