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Osborne's "Osborne" is a celebration of all that is good in American house and
techno music: past, present and future. There are lots of stories about DJ and
producer Todd Osborn (no e, mind you). They are, unfortunately for your ego and
ours, all true.
Our lego-sculpting, electron microscope-owning, Japanese speaking über-producer
puts this joy of life and the art of making into his music. Todd fixes and flies planes,
has fabricated a video game kiosk out of hospital equipment, and is finishing his
hovercraft as we write this. We could call him house music's Macguyver, but that
would be obvious. I guess we just did.
The original title of this album was to be "Multitasking", an ode to both the various
styles on display, but also a nod to the man himself. Like a personal sketchbook of
Todd's musical history, the album evokes the sensation of an electronic yesteryear,
where dance music production was treated with a wide-eyed sense of discovery.
The singles "Ruling", "Outta Sight" and "Afrika" are strutting dance epics, but the
album also shows a side of Todd that is geared more for the homefront too ("There",
"5th Stage"). You know, the kind of music to listen to in your den while learning
Japanese.
Todd has been championed across the board from Gilles Peterson to Aphex Twin (he
records as Soundmurderer for his Rephlex label), from UR's Mad Mike to Warp's
Flying Lotus. Todd's roots run deep, and this album, written on his own music
software on a hand-built computer, is testament to a life of walking the walk. After all
this news, one must shake it off, after-all, this album is about enjoyment of life and
dancing. Like Todd, I suggest we all get (more) busy.
FUN FACTS ON OSBORNE
- licensed pilot
- airline mechanic
- owner of electron microscope (at one point)
- owner of a large amount of NPR shows
- owns and rides vintage dirtbikes
- working on hovercraft (for 2 1/2 years now, yikes)
- used to build bombs, missiles and nuclear weapons in the air force
- speaks/reads japanese
- he carries his studio in a lunchbox
- claims to make 14,301 styles of music
- only drinks louis xiii
- like to fix vintage synths and drum machines
- a sucker for criterion movies.
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