Review: DJ DS 'Vibes'

On June 10th, Louisville turntablist DJ DS (aka DJ Divine Struggle, aka Derrick Smith) released a full length album of instrumentals titled Vibes. Despite being a mainstay in the Louisville electronic scene, and working with numerous Kr8vN8vs artists including Rmllw2llz and Ralph Blacc, Vibes is his first full length release.  From the first track, Late Night Expedition, the album flows effortlessly from track to track, mixing numerous sounds from the 90s electronic world including the mischievousness of Slick Rick, the noir trip hop of Portishead, and the auditory illusion of DJ Shadow, while creating a sound that is current and all his own; which crescendos on From The Shadows, the 1st single from Vibes.  Dedicated to the memory of his nana, Gladys Warnell, who also shares a writing credit, undoubtedly in the way that the people in our lives shape how we interpret the world, the instrumental album paints a story of family and personal history; as well as personal struggle. In speaking about the construction of the album, DS explained to 37FLOOD "I ran from music out of spite for how music affected my childhood but like all things we are destined for, it called me back in many ways." And we are glad it did.

DJ DS