Questolous

That turntablist DJ Quest is a traditionalist is revealed on the back cover of his album Questolous, showing a list of tracks, each with its BPM (beats per minute) carefully noted. The DJ's taste is revealed right away as the disc begins, when he borrows an introduction from Monty Python's Flying Circus. Bugs Bunny cartoons are sampled later, and Tom Jones' distinctive Welsh accent turns up (speaking, not singing) during "Party Up." Like jazz, scratching is best appreciated in a live context, when the listener can see the DJ working up a sweat as he works over his turntables, rather than simply listening to the results, which, on a CD, can be redone until perfect. Still, DJ Quest manages to create an aural universe of his own. It is notable that not all of those BPMs are fast; frequently, they dip below 100 and on a couple of occasions even under 70, as the sonic landscape becomes moody and complex. The inevitable contributions from guest rappers actually come as a distraction from DJ Quest's deeply layered tracks, in which almost anything, it seems, may bubble up at any moment.