Audio Research Records was founded in July 1997 with a total budget of 900 Canadian dollars. The goal was to provide an outlet for hip hop talent out of Montreal (one of the most slept-on cities in the universe) and elsewhere in Canada. The label owners are DMC, ITF and Vestax world champion DJ A-Trak, his brother Dave One, rap editor at Vice magazine, and former Rawkus art director Willo. With its series of critically acclaimed singles and battle records, Audio Research has crafted a unique aesthetic which combines hard-edged, true school beats, no-nonsense rhymes, turntablism and avant-garde artwork. As their first CD release, Rugged Radio Saturday is an introduction to what Audio Research has been up to for the last five years or so. It includes some of AR’s best selling singles as well as a bunch of new and unreleased tracks. Three time world DMC champion and friend of the Audio Research family, DJ Craze takes on turntable duties for the album and reminds you just how damn skilled he is, whether he’s creating battle routines or letting the songs breathe, as he does here, creating a seamless mix of cuts and blends.
