For Pete’s Sake

UK beat-wielder Coz Littler got his alias “Mr. Chop” from his tendency to be meticulous with his edits, but as a studio rat his obsession with all things analogue makes his world fulfill some of the deepest promises of hip-hop’s “unstuck in time” sonics. 2009’s For Pete’s Sake adds another reflection to that room of mirrors, a live band reproducing the famous beats of legendary producer Pete Rock in a way that rewires the originals’ soul-jazz influences into something more cosmic and psychedelic. The foggy noir version of “The World Is Yours,” the acid-western fuzzbomb take on “T.R.O.Y.,” and the King Tubby reverbed funeral strut “Shut Em Down” prove that mutation can be the best form of homage.