Various Strange Breaks & Mr. Thing

• Words: Max Herman
• Label: BBE

Champion turntablist and up-and-coming producer Mr. Thing keeps his scratching and beat-juggling skills at bay on this compilation of ’60s and ’70s breaks. Surely, it would have been nice if this U.K. native would have flipped these dusty tracks a bit, but as is, these songs are largely enjoyable. Classic funk (Blackbuster’s “Shack Up”) and tropical tunes (Original Tropicana Steel Band’s “Calypso Rock”) are just a few of the styles preferred by Mr. Thing. His most surprising selection, though, is the suspenseful soundtrack music heard on “Preludium Cis Moll.” Like many songs found here, this track has often been sampled, making this disc a virtual hip-hop blueprint that’s recommended for any crate digger.