Biography
Cut Chemist, the American DJ and producer born Lucas MacFadden, ranks among the planet’s most capable solo turntablists and also belongs to two distinguished ensembles: the underground rap stalwarts Jurassic 5 and the Los Angeles Latin funk outfit Ozomatli. His productions surfaced on the foundational turntablist collections Return of the DJ, Vol. 1 and Deep Concentration. MacFadden first built a reputation with the L.A. rap crew Unity Committee, reaching wax for the first time on the B-side of the group’s 1993 single “Unified Rebelution.” That track, “Lesson 4: The Radio,” both honored and extended Double D and Steinski’s landmark hip-hop collage “Lessons 1-3,” weaving in references to Indeep, Bob James, Spoonie Gee, and Dan Ackroyd. Shortly after the single appeared, Unity Committee joined forces with Rebels of Rhythm to create Jurassic 5. Cut Chemist remained deeply involved with the new group, supplying “Lesson 6” to its self-titled EP while producing the entire release. He simultaneously pursued remixes for DJ Shadow and Liquid Liquid, plus outside projects that included scratching for Less Than Jake and appearances alongside Ozomatli.
Midway through 1997 he captured his first officially issued CD, Live at the Future Primitive Sound Session, alongside Shortkut of Invisibl Skratch Piklz. Two years later he linked up with DJ Shadow for a run of shows in San Francisco; the rehearsal for one of those dates was documented live as Brainfreeze, which quickly became a sought-after and elusive album. The duo revisited that approach in 2001 with the studio follow-up Product Placement, again built around two long tracks shared between the two DJs. Cut Chemist exited Jurassic 5 in 2004 and released Litmus Test, a remixed survey of his prior work. Warner Bros. Records then issued his first proper studio album, The Audience’s Listening, in 2006; the set showcased contributions from Hymnal, Edan, Mr. Lif, and Thes One. The following year another collaboration with DJ Shadow arrived: The Hard Sell, recorded live at the Hollywood Bowl and again comprising two extended pieces, one from each DJ. A tighter edit, The Hard Sell (Encore), surfaced in 2008. In 2010 he delivered the mix album Sound of the Police, spotlighting Ethiopian and Afro-Brazilian recordings. He reemerged in 2017 with the singles “Work My Mind,” featuring Chali 2na and Hymnal, and “Madman.” Both cuts were included on the 2018 full-length Die Cut, which also contained work with Biz Markie, Deantoni Parks, and Dntel.
Midway through 1997 he captured his first officially issued CD, Live at the Future Primitive Sound Session, alongside Shortkut of Invisibl Skratch Piklz. Two years later he linked up with DJ Shadow for a run of shows in San Francisco; the rehearsal for one of those dates was documented live as Brainfreeze, which quickly became a sought-after and elusive album. The duo revisited that approach in 2001 with the studio follow-up Product Placement, again built around two long tracks shared between the two DJs. Cut Chemist exited Jurassic 5 in 2004 and released Litmus Test, a remixed survey of his prior work. Warner Bros. Records then issued his first proper studio album, The Audience’s Listening, in 2006; the set showcased contributions from Hymnal, Edan, Mr. Lif, and Thes One. The following year another collaboration with DJ Shadow arrived: The Hard Sell, recorded live at the Hollywood Bowl and again comprising two extended pieces, one from each DJ. A tighter edit, The Hard Sell (Encore), surfaced in 2008. In 2010 he delivered the mix album Sound of the Police, spotlighting Ethiopian and Afro-Brazilian recordings. He reemerged in 2017 with the singles “Work My Mind,” featuring Chali 2na and Hymnal, and “Madman.” Both cuts were included on the 2018 full-length Die Cut, which also contained work with Biz Markie, Deantoni Parks, and Dntel.
Albums
Singles
