As the Beastie Boys' official DJ, winner of numerous DJ competitions, and principal member of the Invisbl Skratch Piklz, Mix Master Mike's got a resume that commands respect, and that's even before you hear him on the tables. Eye of the Cyclops, Mike's fourth EP release, clocks in at a mere 22 minutes, a fact that had escaped me until just a few minutes ago.

For the past three weeks, I've had Eye of the Cyclops in exclusive rotation in our kitchen. I say "our" because I'm just staying here until I get a real job. Anyway, every time I go in there to make some cold cereal or scrape the skin off the tomato soup, I put this in the disc player. I originally thought the record was a full-length because every time it finished playing, someone else in the kitchen must've hit play again-- it's been on almost continuously. And so it's played, scratching its way into our hearts.

But it wasn't just the masterful scratching that won us over. It was how Mike managed to work all sorts of different musical elements into his groove. Transcending willy-nilly DJ cut-n-paste, Mike integrates divergent sounds and beats together, making it all sound easy-- a note here, a loop there, a sample here, wrap a beat around it, stretch the pitch, and you're all set.

Upon casual listen, Mike's acrobatics are less impressive than, say, Kid Koala's. But careful attention in a relaxed and reclined state demonstrates an exceptional level of subtlety. Mike's experience behind the decks shines through in the details-- a huge variety of ambient, electro, jazz and just plain weird notes permeate the record, helping it achieve a depth rarely witnessed, much less on a 22-minute EP. Highlights include "Cumm Get Summ," with its b-movie intro and unmistakable chorus, the Dr. Octagon Instrumentalyst-flavored "Gravity," and the driving beats of "Harsky and Starch." Eye of the Cyclops is so packed with no-shelflife beats and short-attention span samples that it gives the impression of a much longer album, and a good one at that. The kitchen approves, I approve, do what you must.

-James P. Wisdom