Club Scout

Ready for a little Swamp music? For those familiar with DJ Swamp only from his stint as a Beck backup boy, prepare to be impressed. The 1996 national DMC turntablist champion and self-styled “hip-hop equivalent of Rob Zombie” used money saved from touring with Beck to fund his solo disc, Never Is Now, released in 2001. The pioneer album introduced audiences to the Swamp beneath the surface, revealing a crocodile smile of sharp, pointy teeth in its jagged rhymes, tight production and diverse mixes. Sinking his chops into everything from techno to guitar rock, the DJ enhances his horror-movie/hip-hop sonics with computerized vocals, electro-bass breakdowns and clever samples, but insists that it’s “all about the creepy music and the phat beats.” Swamp is equally unpredictable and fearless live — spinning and scratching tracks while juggling records, playing shards of shattered vinyl, chewing on needles and setting his hand on fire. The last was accidental (like the times he’s been cut by destroyed LPs); fortunately, the injuries haven’t sunk his on-stage antics. Get Swamped this Tuesday, October 7, when the dangerous DJ opens for Fuel at the Gothic Theatre. Probably shouldn’t stand too close to the stage, though.