DJ Krush

Jaku, the title of DJ Krush's latest release, translates as peace and calm in his native Japanese. Though the mostly instrumental record includes plenty of placid passages and soothing samples, it isn't the type of ambient fare that plays in chill-out rooms at raves. Aesop Rock and Mr. Lif appear for sharp cameos on robust hip-hop tracks, and potent percussion pulses throughout the album. Still, compared with the apocalyptic rumble of 2003's Messages of the Depth, Jaku's rhythms feel relatively nonthreatening. Over the course of eight albums, Krush has experimented with almost every imaginable pace and mood, which makes for some intensely eclectic sets.