DJ Alibi One Day
Ready for some Russian boom-bap? No, it’s not a new Vadim album, but the debut […]
Ready for some Russian boom-bap? No, it’s not a new Vadim album, but the debut of 21-year-old Mikhail “DJ Alibi” Galkin, a Moscow-born, Toronto-based musician who’s thoroughly self-schooled in dope beat production. Galkin’s instrumental tracks contain ample dusty-crate samples and thick MPC drum thumps, as well as his own live instrumentation and stylish arrangements. But Galkin saves some of his best beats for guest MCs Theo 3, Giant Panda, and Insight; the latter’s lyric-splattered “Let’s Ride” is viciously funky uptempo hip-hop. Contrast that with “Life at the Rex”‘s Grant Green-style cool-jazz guitar licks, or the sashaying “Samba International,” and you’ll realize Galkin’s music is indeed a fresh alibi.