Zen

DJ Krush is a legend.. he incorporates so much emotion into his music. His sound and style are easily recognizable. His skill at combining old with new while adding color with traditional Japanese instruments is masterful. Listening to this album on vinyl is perfection. It’s a must have for your vinyl collection if you’re a fan of his, and if you are unfamiliar with his work it’s a great album to start with.

dj krush is as much of a visionary as many people say. in my opinion, krush is a true artist who has a strong vision that spans his releases. they all hold their own as powerful hip hop journeys through beats, haunting melodies, jazz loops, phat raps, impeccable cuts, thorough, thick mixes, and loving, bass-y beats. this new one is unlike anything i have heard from dj krush. i own all of his stuff and i can't say which is best but Zen seems to be the most diverse out of all of them. here, krush covers all the bases: pure trip hop, haunting jazz, r+b, rap, and krush's influence that pulses throughout. the dark, moody beats and the chilled out basslines mixed with sometimes spooky, sometimes upbeat vocals and other melodic elements.now that i've analyzed it, i'd like to put my stamp of approval on this work of art. the cd as a whole stands very well. it always impresses me when an artist can bridge smoothly between potentially different concepts. truly, another 5-star krush home run.

This is indeed a sick album and one to have in the car at home at work like american express it is the loveliest check out the cover for god sake- money.

We have just spotted the duck with the rabbit ears, via satelite, we believe he is going to Bulgaria. Crawl, thats all the news for now. Gotta go and shave my neck. This has been Zebra Neck, calling straight from the North Pole.

Only heard one song prior to purchase it was not the rap songs on this cd. My mistake just not what I listen to.

DJ Krush - Zen (2001)The 5-star rating might be a little generous, but it's meant to reflect how worthy of purchase I think this CD is overall. I favor the more subdued, relaxing tunes. Some justifiably consider this release to be a bit inconsistent, but I also appreciate its diversity. Whatever you want to label this music - downtempo, acid jazz, hip hop - I don't think it fits easily into any particular category.DJ Krush is especially effective at creating minimal soundscapes with subtle sophistication. Overall, this CD is laid-back and quite groove-worthy.A few highlights (some impressions):"Song 1" - very relaxing, kick-back hip-hop groove, very minimal with jazzy textures including a sweet trumpet."Zen Approach" - easy hip-hop funk beat with Black Thought from The Roots in full effect and shimmering background synths. Off the hook, baby!"Danger of Love" - I'm a big Zap Mama fan and Marie Daulne (who IS Zap Mama) sings exquisitely on this smooth, catchy track. She also contributes some amazingly acrobatic vocals in the background, one of her most notable gifts."Sonic Traveler" - Starts off with background noises from a train station combined with subtle African rhythms and instruments before it launches off with a hyperkinetic drum machine. Actually employs bouncing ping pong balls as musical instruments - a fascinating instrumental!"Vision of Art" - an ominous tone pervades over this spare track featuring an intense, ballsy rap performance."Day's End" - another very relaxing instrumental, similar to "Song 1" with a more "end-of-a-quiet-day" feel to it. Features more trumpet, a seductive acoustic guitar and that African instrument that I think is called a kora (?)."Candle Chant (a Tribute)" - an amazing song, absolutely mesmerizing. Features a bizarre (to my ears) rap in an Asian language (that I assume is Japanese) and a hypnotic, crystalline acoustic guitar."Paradise Bird Theory" - has a very mysterious, dark and sensuous trip-hop sound.Highly recommended, especially for chilling out.

This is one Krush's best albums. Though it's pretty difficult to say that when everyone of his albums has been a pretty solid release. He strikes a nice balance between the collaborations and the solos. Not all collabs are vocal. The inclusion of African drummer Tunde Anyanyemi on "Sonic Traveller" is a nice touch. Song1 is great classic Krush. Returning collaborator Black Thought(Meiso) does a great job as always and this time drummer Questlove gets a turn on his own track respectively. N'Dea Davenport guests. A great collabration with Marie Daulne of Zap Mama has her flexing her Pygmy power with vocal acrobatics on "Danger of Love". The eerie closer preludes 9/11 which eventually informed his following release. Though the album appears to be darkly textured, hope ultimately lies at the core. Conscious music for the turn of the century. Global Hip-Hop for One World!!!

First of all, let me say that I think Krush has a subtle sense of sonic possibilities that most folks just miss. If you expect "banging beats" or DJ Shadow, look elsewhere. For those of us on the low end, who also dig Bill Laswell, or DJ Food, or DJ Cheb i Sabbah or Imhotep or DJ Cam (at his best)... you know what I mean.DJ Krush brings a spectrum of sound with his distinct mark hanging above like a moonlit night. Black Thought does a nice track (better than the Hardware track on his solo). The Zap Mama track is wonderful! Likewise, I really love the N'Dea Davenport and Kukoo Da tracks. There are countless gems on here, although it's the complete journey that captures Krush's genius.Krush doesn't produce banging singles. He explores territory, and for those who have been following him, I highly suggest finding this LP as soon as you can... and putting it on repeat.I rate it 4 stars, only because it takes a Kind of Blue to get 5.

This is a must have album for any music enthusiast. The hip-hop beats meld perfectly with the ambient overtones. It definitely has elements that recall '90s era hip-hop, however, it is a work of art that stands on its own and cannot be classified as just another hip-hop album from that decade.Asian influences are clearly present in the ambient overlays (a tribute to DJ Krush's origins), creating a relaxing mood even though many of the songs are uptempo.This is one of those great albums that is under appreciated by most but can't be over estimated. A great "under the radar" album that is sure to please a crowd if played a party or in a DJ set.The opening track is one of the stand out tracks in the album. Definitely sets the tone for the rest of the album while creating a surrealistic feel as live applause is peppered in through the track.Zen Approach is THE defining track of the album featuring Black Thought.Danger Of Love is a chill vocal track. Nice groove but the melody/vocals seem a little boring to me personally. Vocalist calls to mind influences from Macy Gray.Sonic Traveler and Duck Chase are both great instrumental tracks however my preference leans more towards the more experimental Duck Chase track.Vision Of Art another vocal track with skilled rapping and a good back beat.Day's End - Instrumental track that perfectly describes by it's title and lacks nothing in providing what it promises.With Grace - marginal vocal track but still maintains great musical prowess with a strong back beat.Candle Chant - As usual the beat is solid and the vocals, although in Japanese, display clear rapping skill.Endless Railway -Good instrumental track with dark undertones and experimental elements.What'z Da Solution - Heavy hip-hop beat and lyrics with a message.Paradise Bird Theory - Very ambient track with some spoken female vocals. Asian influences are clearly present in the musical overtones.Final Home - Probably the most mainstream sounding track. A thick beat and fast scratching make this vocal track irresistibly catchy.

Another gem by the man himself

One of the best by Krush!

Smooth and chilled out vibes. Some great melodies. A couple of the vocalists are a bit dodgy.

Have you ever had the chance to watch Krush mix live on the decks and sequencers....if he comes to your town: GO!! It's totally worth it. However, until then you can take refuge in stacking up on his albums. I can call a bunch of 'em my own and there aren't really any weak ones among them. Same with this...mixmaster and producer DJ Krush is an icon that stands for groove, atmosphere, creativity and always with that little bit of Japanese flavor...