Track Listing

1. Turntable TV [Re-Vizion]
2. Word from Fresh Breath Mouthwash
3. Enter the Wave Twisters
4. Inner Space Dental Commander
5. Redworm
6. Cosmic Assassins
7. Destination: Quasar 16.33.45.78
8. Paranoia
9. Invasion of the Octopus People
10. Electric Eye Beam Abduction
11. Razorblade Alcohol Slide
12. Sneak Attack
13. Grandpa Wears Fat Laces, Movement 1: Quadraphonic Element Download
14. Grandpa Wears Fat Laces, Movement 2: 6 Fingered Fury
15. Grandpa Wears Fat Laces, Movement 3: Inside-Out Body Warp
16. Grandpa Wears Fat Laces, Turntable TV [Blueprint]
17. Grandpa Wears Fat Laces, Aphrodisiskratch

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #100840 in Music
• Released on: 1998-11-24
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

Amazon.co.uk Review
As the godfather of modern-day turntablism, Qbert has been long overdue for a solo release. Wave Twisters is the obvious brainchild of Qbert's long-term fascination with sound and its malleability: using stacks of eclectic vinyl as his fodder, Qbert creates an album of songs by turning scraps of found sound into everything from rhythm sections to melodic tracks to quirky pieces of dialogue. You don't need to understand the technical complexities of scratching to appreciate it; Wave Twisters is simply the future of the funk--sonic play transformed by an equal mix of aural insanity and genius and put all back together by the hands of a master. --Oliver Wang

From the Artist
Things to watch for on "Wave Twisters" the 1st skratch
Track 1. Turntable TV Revision: The intro to the TV show. Listen for the middle break where I skratch a double time drum beat. It was my goal to establish that it's possible to skratch beats that mimick very fast Jungle music drums.

Track 2. A Word From Fresh Breath Mouthwash: The commercial. This was strategically put here for the reason that a TV show has a sponsor. Nothing special to listen here for other than the skratched drums. I was just trying to be funny.

Track 3. Enter the Wave Twisters: Gnilres Dor (Rod Serling backwards) introduces the tv show. Listen for Yogafrog's turbo skratch in the background. How does he do it? He wouldn't let me see!

Track 4. Innerspace Dental Commander: Listen to the question and answer style chorus with the "aaahh" sounds copying each other. Also to guitarist Buckethead who shreds the guitar and bass solos with his own unique new style on those instruments. Buckethead now works with Dj Disk and Eddie Def of the Space Travellers in their new band called "Stew" with drummer Brain.

Track 5. Redworm: The first encounter with the enemy. Here I tried to compose different scenes for the movie. For one scene I wanted to portray the Redworm as a very powerful and scary creature like on the part where I'm skratching "I call you to surrender". I tried also later tried to make the listener go to warp speed.

Track 6. Cosmic Assassins: This was the dogfight spaceship scene. I wanted to have hard skratch sounds that attacked the listener. Listen to the break where Vinroc kuts over his juggle. Can you find the part where Vin flare's the cymbal of the beat he's juggling?

Track 7. Destination Quasar: The secret mission. Listen for continuous changing different styles of skratching over different changing beats. This is reminiscent of a crazy old school skratch mixtape with jusy updated techniques.

Track 8. Paranoia: I tried to have a "cruising in your space buggy" kinda style where the skratches made the background in this one.

Track 9. Invasion of the Octopus People: I wanted to throw this in the album because it's the first skratch song ever made (1995) where all the sounds used were skratched. also the incorporation of a wah wah pedal was used. Disk and Shortkut have solos in there as well.

Track 10. Electric Eyebeam Abduction: In this song the style for the solos i chose was the Hypnotic off beat Flying skratch kind.

Track 11. Razorblade Alchohol Slide: Here D-Styles displays his unmatchable skills in his 2 solos and in his production plus all skratch composition making this yet another gem for djs to study.

Track 12. Sneak Attack: Here I wanted to display different styles with the voices describing what style was to come next. I had no m.c. on the album so the skratches narrated themselves.

Track 13. G.W.F.L. (movement 1 of 3): I made a mistake in the credits. Shortkut did a little production (he skratched some beats and basslines) on this track and not on the next one like it says on the album. Listen for the tempo which is about 100 bpm and watch for the switch up in the next movement.

Track 14. (movement 2 of 3): Dj Flare busts his new Sonic Flare skratch right before the tempo switch to 145 bpm. This next tempo is the first time I experimented by immitating an electro song with skratching.

Track 15. (movement 3 of 3): Here the switch is to half speed of the aforementioned electro track plus it's in waltz time (3/4). This song contains the "secret message".

Track 16. Turntable TV Blueprint: This signals the end of the TV show and since I didn't want to repeat the new version bringing it to a full circle, I just used the old one.

Track 17.Aphrodisiskratch: Phonograph-Pornograph. In this song I wanted to have an atmosphere of relaxed calm soothing skratches that weren't complicated but had a more serene and classy understatement to them. Also of course was the fact that it has a girl's voice skratched moaning to orgasm by the end of the song.

Also be on the lookout for the completed animation to this movie soundtrack due out by the end of 1999.

Here's a list of songs completely made by Turntables and no sampler: Track #'s 1,2,3,5,7,9,11,and 13 through 17.

All others were skratched over beats made by Mix Master Mike.

Peace and blessings Laterz Qbert

Customer Reviews

Don't even read this review, just get the album
Okay, read it if you want. All I can say is that if you are even mildly interested in the idea of turntablism, buy this record now. There, now that is out of the way, I'll attempt to explain a little bit about why this album is such a blinder.

Q Bert has long been regarded as one of finest purveyors of turntable based music. Bert, along with his chums in the Invisible Skratch Piklz, which include Mixmaster Mike (who appeared on the Beastie Boys' "Hello Nasty" as well as on Q Bert's album itself), Yoga Frog and D Styles, have been wowing the crowds in and around the Los Angeles Bay Area for years now, and have also been responsible for some of the most successful DJ breaks records released, including the seminal "Demolition Pumpkin Squeeze Musik". But enough of that. Suffice to say that Q Bert and his ilk are highly regarded and for some very good reasons. Most of these reasons are amply demonstrated on "Wave Twisters".

You can tell from the records he uses to make his art, that Q Bert is a man with a broad outlook on music. He has obviously spent the vast majority of his waking hours sifting through and listening to many different recordings of many different musical styles. It has been time well spent. The wide spectrum of varied and different genres that are showcased on this album is quite impressive.

We have acid funk, as performed by the mysterious Buckethead (who enjoys a collaborative relationship with the master of funk, Bootsy Collins), splashes of jazz, ladles full of the phattest hip hop beats, which the man transforms into completely different monsters with the help of the crossfader and millions and millions of obscure samples, from sci fi sound effects to what is probably an old fifties toothpaste commercial (although it is hard to tell, as Q Bert, as with everything he uses, manages to put a completely different and altogether slightly more sinister spin on it).

As the record is a concept album about a tiny universe contained in the diamond of a turntable needle, inhabited by a race of aliens that can only communicate through the sounds of skratching, the tone of the recording is somewhat playful. You will find yourself laughing at the madness that Q Bert's twisted sense of reality has imbued in "Wave Twisters", as much as you'll find yourself marvelling at the immense skill that is demonstrated. "Aphrodisiskratch" is a good example. It invariably finds itself onto any compilation tape I am making at home. It makes even Jazz fans smile.....

All in all, after all my rambling, what you must realise is that "Wave Twisters" is packed full of variety and flavour....Buy it.

It can't be beat
THIS is hip-hop. Never mind your Puff-Daddy, Eminem, 50-pence or any of those other lazy rappers who think its creative to talk nonsense over comuter programmed beats and pro-tools melodies.

Q-bert et al have made something unique with Wave-Twisters. It may not be apparent from the CD, but this is the soundtrack to an under-exposed classic animated mini-movie of the same name. Wavetwisters the movie is really hard to get hold of (but it can be done!) and thats a shame cos I've never seen anything like it. Its a stunning mix of animation styles, all soundtracked (including the dialogue!) by Q-bert and the rest of the invizibl skratch piklz. A daft story that manages to include intergalactiv travel, good versus evil, the four elements of hip-hop, and dental hygiene. Make every effort to dind it!

Meanwhile, check out this audio. Its a masterclass in how to cut, paste, rip, scratch, mix, flare, juggle, everything you could wish to do with two turntables and some wax.