Music

This Album Changed My Life: Beastie Boys – Hello Nasty (1998)

Turntablist and sample artist Djackulate on the record that changed his musical outlook

Djackulate: plays the Workman’s Club, Dublin, as part of Spectrum Festival

Niall Byrne
Sat Mar 9 2019 - 05:00

Due to the nature of what I do, I see albums more as cooking ingredients rather than finished dishes. One album, however, that did alter the course of my life was Hello Nasty.

I will never forget how dumbfounded I was after seeing the video for 3 MC’s and 1 DJ. It was all one live take, no backing track or other instruments whatsoever – just scratched music and vocals. It was the first time I had seen anything like that and it blew my mind.

At that time I had a cheap set of turntables to DJ with, but after seeing this video, my motives changed. From that day on, I was obsessed with the turntable and learning to use it like an instrument.

The album featured a jam-packed 22 tracks, ranging from drum machine and sampler-based tracks to live instrumental reggae jams, skits and everything in between. This variety of musical content and ever-changing sonic palettes really appealed to my record-munching ears.

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Hello nasty: ‘This variety of musical content and ever-changing sonic palettes really appealed to my record-munching ears’

This album taught me that the turntable, used tastefully as part of a band or ensemble, can add so much and is a worthy musical instrument to study.

Not too long after, I was scratching in a prog rock/hip hop-band with my mates from school. I have been practising and playing the turntable as an instrument and collaborating with other musicians ever since.

Djackulate plays the Workman’s Club, Dublin, tomorrow, March 10th, as part of Spectrum Festival

Spectrum