DJ Yoda

No one could ever accuse DJ Yoda of lacking playfulness in his programming and mixing. He has emerged as one of the most well-known hip-hop DJ’s on the international scene because he blends the frat party with the underground well enough to satisfy both contingents on the dance floor.

His latest mix, the 39th installment of the Fabric Live series, is a perfect example of this dual nature. A quick scan of the track list may leave some scratching their heads as Violent Femmes, Bel Biv DeVoe, and Salt-N-Pepa make appearances. On a Fabric compilation? Remixes, sure, but not drastic ones. One would think a guy with so much clout and little artistic integrity could dig just a tad deeper in the crate.

But while you might not be jocking this to all of your geeky friends trying to perfect the most sublimely obscure Ministry/Smiths mash-up in Ableton, it is something that can easily be dropped in the system at almost any party and please a wide range of ears.

And that is where Yoda succeeds. Enough flair, enough familiarity to cast a wide net without spreading himself too thin. With Ice Cube, Jurassic 5, a little "Sexual Healing," and Gang Starr popping up within the first 10 tracks, the beginning plays it on the safer side. But Yoda gradually eases into a more underground groove when drops Bonde Do Role. From there, we get a sick Collie Buddz track, a Yoda collaboration with sometime Stanton Warriors frontman Sway, and a nasty little DJ Hype track ("Super Sharp Shooter").

You could you love to hate it, or hate to love it, but there’s no disputing that Fabric 39 will get a party moving without requiring people to think to hard. I believe the best word to describe it is something that often escapes a lot of DJ’s sets these days: fun.

—Chris Nelson
08.22.08

A DJ with both a twisted sense of humor and an equally twisted sense of funk is a rare find, and if you haven't already found Duncan Beiny (a.k.a. DJ Yoda), then let this be your introduction to a DJ who basically believes that everything is hip hop, if it's delivered with the proper attitude and in a sufficiently funky context. That explains the wildly catholic range of the live set he delivered for this series: a set that includes entries by Ice Cube ("Jackin' for Beats"), Run DMC ("It's Tricky"), Violent Femmes ("Blister in the Sun", on which turntable scratches double the intro's snare-drum accents), Adam F ("Circles") and even Minnie Riperton ("Lovin' You", which you didn't think could actually be made funky, did you?). His intention isn't ironic -- "If I love a song, I'll play it," he says. But there's a delicious element of whimsy to this set, one that imports elements of "Blister in the Sun" into the intro to Handsome Boy Modeling School's "Holy Calamity" and includes the Hot 8 Brass Band's instrumental version of "Sexual Healing" and winds up with a brilliant slice of vintage calypso courtesy of the legendary Lord Kitchener. Even the occasional misstep (like DJ Class's idiotic "Tear Da Club Up") works as a crooked thread in this richly varied musical tapestry. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide