**MUSIC VIDEO: "WHY WAIT FOR SCIENCE" CLICK HERE**
*ALL THE MUSIC YOU HERE BEING CREATED BY MORSE CODE IS MADE THROUGH REAL-TIME MANIPULATIONS OF SAMPLES AND BEATS ON VINYL*
The desert landscape of Arizona has offered up some of the most unique DJ/Hip Hop talent over the last seven years. The next installment of this AZ Hip Hop story seems to have landed in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe, and directly in the hands of the turntable band: MORSE CODE. Turntable band? That’s right, with two DJ’s: Jimi the Mantis Claw and Pickster One; two emcees: Ru-Ski and Fraze. This group rocks turntable instrumentation in the same way traditional band members meld beats, harmonies, and melodies into an orchestrated piece. It might take a minute to contemplate, but these heads are able to share the standard positions of drummer, bass, and lead- changing positions as the music dictates.
Morse Code is a veritable army of producers, sound engineers, turntablists, emcees, beat-boxers, graphic artists, and singers- yet its membership includes just 4 people. This dedication to every aspect of Hip-Hop music and culture is reflected in the music Morse Code produces. The two emcees: Ru-Ski and Fraze weave self-reflective stories as if they were some philosophical journeymen begging the question: “Is there more to this game than that which can only be perceived by means of political and material gain?†This question is evident throughout The Code’s recordings. The mastery of the turntable as instrument by DJ’s: Jimi the Mantis Claw and Pickster One can only be fully understood with a first listen to their live performance. TURNSTYLES isn’t just the name of Morse Code’s first album- it’s a musical concept which has become the CODE DJ’s own brand of turntable Hip Hop. The music this turntable band creates might sound like samples and loops from programmed machines, but is in fact the DJ’s vigorously constructing new soundscapes with their turntables.Morse Codes music re-evaluates the concept of the role between emcee and DJ, and in this inception the two share the stage as equals, joining forces to further the strength of the bands overall message: Old School + New School = True school. Morse Code has redefined turntable music by adding samples, melodies, and rhythms from pre-existing vinyl into a new composition for the emcees to flow with in real-time, paving the way to reunite and recharge the original elements of DJ and emcee into one space and time together on stage. Each member of Morse Code brings a piece of their musical experience to the table, and it is this ability to co-op their talents that allows Morse Code to be as versatile as they are. Collectively, they create a highly evolved style of music essential for the progression of the turntable band art form.
Morse Code has made a name for themselves as an unbeatable live act playing for organizers such as: DMC's, Universatile Music, and Sound Factory, and have been spotted playing around the West coast with the likes of: Living Legends, Atmosphere, Z-Trip, Executioners, Linkin Park, Aesop Rock, Visionaries, and Q-bert. Complex improvisation is the cornerstone of Morse Code's style, and they have cohesively fused the improvised and orchestrated elements together to make a sound that will last with a message that is unmistakable. With a first listen to MORSE CODE it is evident that they are a great example of what pushing the relative boundaries of the Hip Hop genre can produce, and how a new sound can be formulated with potent rhymes and eager techniques.
-VCFILMS.COM“No matter how you look at this approach to the Hip-Hop game, one thing is abundantly clear: Morse Code intends to get noticed.†-Rime Magazine (December, 2003)