Mantronix - Music Madness

Mantronik was born Kurtis Khaleel in Jamaica, though his family soon moved to Canada and ended up in New York by the late 70s. Mantronik soon began DJing around the city and was working behind the decks at Manhattan’s Downtown Records when he met MC Tee (born Touré Embden). After the duo had assembled a demo tape, they gave it to William Socolov, president of Sleeping Bag Records. Their full-length became a big hit in the streets in 1985 and even crossed over to join the first wave of Hip Hop chartmakers. The second Mantronix LP, “Music Madness”,released in 1986, continued to keep the duo fresh in the clubs. The album includes the hit “We Control the Dice” and the title track “Music Madness” amoung others. All songs were edited by CHEP NUNEZ, except “Megamix” which was edited by OMAR SANTANA (one of the LATIN RASCALS). Both men are known as two OGs of the crazy edits, the edits were instrumental to this album’s impact, and influenced a generation of aspiring DJs and producers. Product Description

An album full of ideas, energy, colours, rhythms and more ideas

This album absolutely put everything else into the shade when it was released. It features an amazing collection of musical ideas and experiments. Oh, BTW, it IS a Hip Hop album!

Unlike many other Hip Hop releases from this time, indeed, unlike many albums of any Pop or Rock genre, which were released at this time, Mantronix exhibit an incredible level of creativity and daring. Yes, there is rapping, but it is the instrumental aspects of this album which astonished and delighted me. Kurtis Mantronik would do things like exchange the bass and snare drums - sampling a snare and then dropping the sound down an octave or two and making it serve as the bass drum and then sampling a bass drum and pushing its sound up an octave or two and have it coming in on the 2nd and 4th beats, replacing the expected snare sound.

This is just one of the many interesting and unique aspects of this album.

I remember reading a review of this album at the time, which suggested that this album presented the sound of the future raiding the music junk of the past.

To many modern listeners, "Music Madness" won't surprise, because many of the things started by Mantronix have since become ordinary parts of contemporary music. So this album needs to be listened to in perspective - it was progressive and iconclastic in its time.

Think of Stockhausen and Musique Concrète with a Hip Hop beat!

Wild stuff! February 27, 2007

A Worthy Addition

In all seriousness this particular disc is worth it.
It is a mighty short program and some of it misses the mark, but when it does hit its a clean, clear and strong shot.
'We Control The Dice' is in the same league as the best of Rakim lyric-wise and the beatsmusic is on point too.
Sometimes "Music Madness" does tend to lean toward house and techno but don't let that deter you.
If you can dig 'Hardcore HipHop' from their first release then you shouldn't have any problems with this.
My only complaint is that there aren't ANY extra (bonus) cuts and no info at all is included with the booklet.
This is a re-release in the strictest sense, get it while its still available.
March 30, 2006

KING OF THE BEATS 4 SHO

MANTRONIK WITH HELP OF HIS ROLANDS TR 808,909 HAD TO BE THE BEST PRODUCER OF THE 80's and 90's HANDS DOWN TRACK FOR TRACK FAV TRACKS,WE CONTROL THE DICE,LISTEN TO THE BASS OF GET STUPID FRESH PT II,WHO IS IT MANTRONIK AND MC TEE IS OR ARE THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME February 25, 2006

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