DJ Jester the Filipino Fist

The Inside Story

In the seven years since San Antonian-turned-Austinite mixmaster Jester released debut disc River Walk Riots, the Recording Industry Association of America has, in no particular order, launched multiple lawsuits against the record-downloading public, watched its sales figures plummet from an all-time high in the 1980s, and become the victim of counterlawsuits and boycotts by an enraged, cash-strapped, and increasingly P2P-happy consumer populace. Tough tamales, guys. In the interim, ad hoc mash-uppers Girl Talk, Car Stereo (Wars), and their MacBooking legions have effectively neutered the bloated and corporatized behemoths of yore, leveling the funkability field and ushering in a new era of groove. Jester’s newest is an impeccably mixed 40 minutes of hi-pro flow that, true to form, ranges far and wide, kicking off with the Violent Femmes before a seamless transition into the Who’s “Eminence Front,” Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times,” and the Cure’s “Lullaby.” From there on out it’s a relatively chill peripatetic sojourn that mix-matches everyone from Yacht (“Psychic City”) to Lord Finesse (“Return of the Funky Man”) before finally spinning down via Beck (“High 5”), Backstreet Boys (“I Want It That Way”), and Prince’s “Purple Rain” guitar skronk.

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This article appears in January 22 • 2010.

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