Cut Chemist

As well as being one of the ablest solo turntablists on the globe, American DJ and producer Cut Chemist (born Lucas MacFadden) is also a member of two highly rated crews: underground rap kings <a href="spotify:artist:6wFId9Jhuf9AKVzWboOj2B">Jurassic 5</a> and the Los Angeles Latin funk band <a href="spotify:artist:1An0HCtDktvCBDdFEu7HC0">Ozomatli</a>. His tracks have also appeared on two seminal turntablist compilations, Return of the DJ, Vol. 1 and Deep Concentration. MacFadden made an early name for himself with the L.A. rap group Unity Committee, and debuted on wax with the B-side of UC's 1993 single "Unified Rebelution." The track "Lesson 4: The Radio" was a tribute to and continuation of <a href="spotify:artist:4xkDuKUkDST3ESliFCdcDy">Double D</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0sTPuA1RQQ5nfqm3Ad7O7R">Steinski</a>'s seminal hip-hop collage masterpiece "Lessons 1-3," and included nods to <a href="spotify:artist:50xejJlMNloQ4PUB7lGP9h">Indeep</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6ryjbFyWBZho9KGXqKZdqQ">Bob James</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:33xY3kRRRiPLsDjnfE3Lpw">Spoonie Gee</a>, and Dan Ackroyd. Soon after the record's release, Unity Committee came together with another group, Rebels of Rhythm, to form <a href="spotify:artist:6wFId9Jhuf9AKVzWboOj2B">Jurassic 5</a>. Cut Chemist kept quite busy with the group, contributing "Lesson 6" to the group's eponymous EP and producing the entire record. He also delved into remixing (<a href="spotify:artist:5CE2IfdYZEQGIDsfiRm8SI">DJ Shadow</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4LIRWeEa6WgyAzH1mjYAPx">Liquid Liquid</a>) and outside work (scratching for <a href="spotify:artist:20oQv3LStCKCjI9oQ0JNha">Less Than Jake</a>; appearing with <a href="spotify:artist:1An0HCtDktvCBDdFEu7HC0">Ozomatli</a>).

In mid-1997 Cut Chemist recorded his first officially released CD, Live at the Future Primitive Sound Session, with <a href="spotify:artist:5j1S9wEIjni0R7URlHhbVr">Shortkut</a> of <a href="spotify:artist:74tKoyDq7xSvvgUXUU1FHG">Invisibl Skratch Piklz</a>. Two years later, he teamed up with <a href="spotify:artist:5CE2IfdYZEQGIDsfiRm8SI">DJ Shadow</a> and performed a series of events in San Francisco. Brainfreeze was a live recording of a rehearsal for one of those shows, and became a popular and hard-to-find album. In 2001 the duo followed up its previous success with Product Placement, a studio record that stylistically followed the pattern of Brainfreeze (two long tracks, two DJs). In 2004 Cut Chemist parted ways with <a href="spotify:artist:6wFId9Jhuf9AKVzWboOj2B">Jurassic 5</a> and issued Litmus Test, a remixed collection of his previous work. It was followed in 2006 by an album of his own productions, The Audience's Listening (<a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Warner+Bros.+Records%22">Warner Bros. Records</a>). His official debut studio effort, the set featured guests like Hymnal, <a href="spotify:artist:4LSixDzXl43EzlPU2EydWs">Edan</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6qbtuhThjXYnpldXCczlDd">Mr. Lif</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:6G69CndLxnRxLdy8MVLNmG">Thes One</a>. The next year, another collaboration with <a href="spotify:artist:5CE2IfdYZEQGIDsfiRm8SI">DJ Shadow</a> arrived. The Hard Sell was recorded live at the Hollywood Bowl and once again included two long tracks, one by each DJ. A more concise mix, The Hard Sell (Encore) arrived in 2008. In 2010 he released the mix album Sound of the Police, which featured Ethiopian and Afro-Brazilian recordings. He returned in 2017 with the singles "Work My Mind" (with <a href="spotify:artist:1ZJlXFkFDBsjSuYyjVcMkk">Chali 2na</a> and Hymnal) and "Madman." Both songs appeared on the 2018 full-length Die Cut, which also contained collaborations with <a href="spotify:artist:22282KfMxDo2PMjnBc82I4">Biz Markie</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1RLjVRaoIxtiVZiV6NNIBX">Deantoni Parks</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:1jf3CssdtSksxNa3uIpPzS">Dntel</a>. ~ John Bush, Rovi