Less Than 1,000 Spins is a Micro-Chop side project, Spotify and YouTube playlist, daily newsletter, and a place to find great songs with less than 1,000 spins. You can support the project by sharing the newsletter, the playlists, and/or music from the playlists with other people.
Veteran DJ/turntablist DJ Quest has a lengthy, storied career. He is a founding member of the Bullet Proof Scratch Hamsters/Space Travelerz, a pioneering turntablist group. Their 1993 release Hamster Breaks Volume 1 is widely credited as the first battle/DJ record. He is also a member of Live Human, a trio known for blending improvised jazz and turntablism.
In 2001 Quest released his debut album Questside (Untold Tales). The album features several jaw-dropping displays of Quest’s skills on the turntables while also showcasing a carefully trained ear and impressive composition skills.
His megamix track “Way Back-N-Da Mix” demonstrates deft blending and cutting as he runs through countless rap classics with the greatest of ease. Quest manages to cram so much into a short space without anything clashing or sounding forced. There’s much to dissect from a technical standpoint, but the mix also sounds great and makes for a fun listen.
The instrumental track “Interloop” is easy to overlook - it’s tucked away at track number 14 on a 17-song album. It is, however, one of the most beautiful moments on the record. Quest takes a soft, mellow, piano sample and makes magic with it.
In 2001 there were certainly beat tapes and instrumental hip-hop albums (Pete Rock’s all-time classic Petestrumentals came out that year) but there weren’t infinite choices in the genre as there are now. If you were a fan, your selection was much more limited. Then a junior in high school, I remember this moment in music vividly. I would hit the repeat button on my shitty cassette/CD boombox in my room and listen to “Interloop” many times in a row. I wanted to extend the experience as much as I could. Today I want to share that experience with you.
Listen to “Interloop” on any platform here. Make sure to check out Less Than 1,000 Spins on Spotify and YouTube. You can also check out Formerly On Less Than 1,000 Spins on Spotify and YouTube.
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