Keepintime: A Live Recording

Those that caught DJ Shadow on his last tour might remember an amazing short film that he played before his set, directed by friend and hip-hop photographer B+. The 13-minute documentary focused on legendary drummers Paul Humphrey, Earl Palmer and James Gadson, whose names might not sound familiar to many but who are responsible for the majority of the drums sampled in hip-hop's history. The short film, Talking Drums and Whispering Vinyl, introduced the drummers to the world of turntable manipulation and the results see the likes of Cut Chemist and the Beat Junkies having jam sessions with live drums to incredible results. The film was such a success that the combination of these session players and wax fondlers was too good to only experiment with once. Numerous shows in California began popping up with additional players such as Madlib and Nu-Mark joining in on the fun, and one of these occasions was documented for the meat of this DVD. The show at the El Ray Theatre makes up for those who didn't feel entirely satisfied by the short film, as the live recording clocks in at an hour and is a non-stop musical roller-coaster that produces some glorious and sloppy moments, but is hypnotising from start to finish. The beautifully packaged DVD comes with loads of extras, including a 40-minute audio interview with Humphrey, Palmer and Gadson, which will have you hanging off their every word as they recall stories from their days as session beat-providers. There are also essays and visual remixes, as well as director B+'s amazing photography and his "Midnight in a Perfect World" video, which he created for DJ Shadow. One of the most mouth-watering features is a long trailer for Brasilintime, a new documentary that seems to be far more ambitious than Keepintime, in which the entire crew fly to Sao Paulo, Brazil in order to compile enough breaks to make an entire record in just nine days. Just as you're trying to wrap your head around this DVD, they've already got you craving the next level. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, there's also a companion CD with remixes by DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist and King Britt. Plus: selected visual discography. (Mochilla, www.mochilla.com)