In celebration of Arrow Films' new 4K restoration of the seminal hip hop film Wild Style, Azorean-Canadian producer and DJ Jorun Bombay steps up with a specially commissioned megamix cut across two sides of a 7”. Featuring recently discovered unreleased material, cut up with sections of the remastered soundtrack, expert turntablism, and added live instrumentation, Jorun shines a new light on this pioneering piece of hip hop history.
Having released music since the mid-‘80s on labels such as Soundweight, Diggers With Gratitude, and JBOR Records, Jorun also produces and scores music for film and television in the USA. He’s been hosting his influential DJ podcast ‘Funkbox Reload’ for over a decade, regularly showcasing his DJ and remixing skills, which have landed him several key production jobs, including for the documentary ‘Mixtape’ directed by Omar Acosta on Paramount Plus.
It's through ‘Funkbox Reload’ that Arrow Films became aware of Jorun’s talents. They reached out and suggested Jorun put together a megamix, giving him access to the masters and unreleased material.
Given the opportunity to remix such an iconic slice of hip hop’s heritage, Jorun has treated the project with the care and respect it warranted. As he states, “Seeing Wild Style in the 1980s was a life changer simply for the fact that it introduced the world to an art form that most people outside of New York didn't know existed or could exist. This culture was called ‘hip hop’, and it was the first time a form of music was made out of everything surrounding it and turned into a collage. Wild Style was the first of its kind, probably in the history of American music.”
The film served as a gateway to hip hop culture and the elements it was made up of, be it rapping, DJing, breakdancing, or graffiti writing, and watching it, whether at the cinema, on rental VHS, or a bootleg copy from a friend, was a truly inspirational moment for many. One of the most important scenes for future DJs, as outlined by Jorun and DJs including the UK’s Mr Thing, is the kitchen scene and DJ routine featuring Grandmaster Flash. As Jorun mentions, “the scene with Grandmaster Flash in the kitchen was the epitome of what the culture stood for and where it was about to go from 1983 onward - home studios. It made the goal achievable thanks to that scene influencing so many kids at the time.”
More than a simple DJ megamix, Jorun hasn’t limited himself to the use of just two turntables. Instead, he has added live instrumentation, such as bass, Rhodes, and conga hits to the ‘basketball rap’, “to give it more of a blaxploitation ‘rumble in the street’ mood”, alongside using the unreleased material to masterful effect. “I don't like to be strictly tied to just turntablism. There are no rules when making music”, he reflects. Using the same ethos of freedom and individual musical expression of the time, Jorun has delivered a respectful, authentic, and inspired homage to the legacy of the film and its soundtrack.
Tracklist:
1.
Wild Style Megamix Part 1
2. Wild Style Megamix Part 2
