Steinski

Steve Stein may be a name you know all too well but more likely it’s one that draws a big, fat blank. Since the early ’80s, Stein (or Steinski) has remained almost a complete unknown on account of the obscure — and highly illegal — nature of his recordings, which drop more uncleared samples than the RIAA could shake a stick at. However, to beat obsessives, the producer’s work has become a goldmine of inspiration, influencing everyone from DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist to Girl Talk and the Avalanches. Now, Illegal Art’s double-disc retrospective, What Does It All Mean?, reveals how this old white Jewish dude became a little-known icon in the world of hip-hop, sampling, and cut and paste. Featuring multiple obscuro twelve-inches, street tapes and collages, along with the exquisite hour-long mash-up Nothing to Fear, the collection drops a killer array of perfectly timed samples, old-school beats and some of the most inventive arrangements ever laid to tape. The modern-day art of sampling owes Steinski big time, and What Does It All Mean? is testament of that.