Personnel: Kent Hitchcock, Beto Villares (guitar).

Additional personnel: Edan, Hymnal, Mr. Lif, Thes One.

Audio Mixers: Kent Hitchcock; Cut Chemist.

Recording information: Sao Paulo, Brazil; Studio 54, Boston, MA; The Laundry Room; The Stable.

West Coast turntable whiz Cut Chemist has established himself as one of hip-hop's most esteemed mixmasters. Having cut and scratched on sides for underground rappers Jurassic 5, Chemist's nod to the classic mixtape approach of artists like Kid Capri and Steinski is evident on his own THE AUDIENCE IS LISTENING. Taking off from the classic turntablist trope of DJ-mix as journey, the album is an entertaining--if at times attention-deficit-addled--romp through hundreds of sound bites and stylistic cues.

Using samples, which are then scratched or beat juggled to create rhythms, Cut Chemist displays virtuoso turntable chops and a keen ear for confounding, yet humorous juxtapositions. While much of the album imagines a musical universe where the only instruments left are turntables, the track "The Garden" takes a more song-based approach. Combing a Brazilian percussion loop with lush orchestral strings, Astrud Gilberto's lilting vocals cap off this heady pop mash-up--a combination that will appeal to the lounge set and crate diggers alike.

Cut Chemist's first non-mix full-length CD has been long awaited by the legions of turntable nuts and hip-hop fans who think he's DJ Shadow's heir apparent, and while it's not the mind-blower that Brainfreeze or Live at Future Primitive Sound Session are, it is a well-crafted, highly enjoyable effort that overcomes the "all samples cleared" challenge all big-label turntablist albums must face. Chemist's diverse background -- having worked with or been a member of Ozomatli, Jurassic 5, Unity Committee, and Less Than Jake -- pays off on this incredibly diverse album that tempers scratch-heavy feats of skill -- the robot-obsessed "(My 1st) Big Break" and the crazy "Spat," which finds a Laurie Anderson sample exchanging pleasantries with Jamaicans and records from the '50s -- with more musical numbers that offer plenty of substance once the "wow" factor has played itself out. Best of the latter is the luscious, Astrud Gilberto-borrowing "Garden," which falls somewhere between Zero 7 and Bill Laswell's worldbeat mashing. Perfect for cool backpackers, "What's the Attitude," with rapper Hymnal, has that catchy hook you can sing, while "Storm," with Edan and Mr. Lif, gloriously rips through the speakers with William S. Burroughs, '80s electro, and underground lyrics kicking it in perfect harmony. Add "Spoon" and the closing "Theme," and you've got the tracks that warrant repeat listens for everybody, but the rest of the herky-jerky mayhem and clever, often humorous manipulation is more for the Chemist/DJ Shadow/Steinski devotee who will sit back and marvel at Chemist's skill. Necessary if you like that wikki-wikki-scratch; recommended if you enjoy impossible pop and hip-hop from the fringe. ~ David Jeffries