Anti-Theft Device
Mix Master Mike is a world-champion turntable battler, and it shows on his debut recording. The first half is full of furious high-energy scratching, complete with cartoon imagery and bratty jokes; it's an old-school hip-hop party that takes place in the Beastie Boys' 'hood. It's entirely appropriate that Mike, one of San Francisco's famed Invisibl Skratch Piklz, contributes to three tracks on the Beasties'Hello Nastyand replaces DJ Hurricane in their live show; they share a manic energy. But the second half ofAnti-Theft Deviceoffers some smoother, contemplative tracks--it's on par with the dense introspection of DJ Shadow'sEndtroducing...but with more flow and less virtuoso scratching. It shows that the triple M is only beginning to work out all his ideas.--Martin Johnson