Disquiet

The Ropeadope record label has long been a home for plugged-in roots music, from Kid Koala’s scraggly rock outfit Bullfrog, to the avant-groove of Medeski Martin & Wood, to the funky turntablism of DJ Logic, just to name a few. It’s now launched a download-only sublabel, ropeadope.com/digital, and among the initial seven releases is San, a playful collection by Japanese marvel DJ Klock (born Ryo Kato), perhaps best known for his experimental work under the name Turntabrush and his collaborations with DJ Krush. Two San tracks are available for free download, both bouncing with wind-up-toy wonder: “Theme,” which opens with drum-corps funk before adding low-key horn (MP3), and “Dakota,” which has a melodious, cartoon pump-organ appeal (MP3). They’re even less marked by hip-hop than his previous work. More info at ropeadope.com/djklock.

By Marc Weidenbaum