Let my people flow

>> So-Called makes hip hop for the seder set

by MARK SLUTSKY

One of the more rollicking rituals of Jewish practice is the seder. Crucial to the observance of Passover, the holiday marking the end of the Israelites' captivity in Egypt, seders are essentially long feasts involving much wine, singing, storytelling, a treasure hunt for the coveted afikomen and a visit from Elijah, the inebriated phantom angel. Good times.

A less-known custom is the Passover album, hit holiday discs of yore most often made by well-known cantors. In that tradition, local musician, filmmaker and all-around polymath So-Called is set to release a Passover disc of his own, a still-in-progress work he refers to as a "hip hop seder album," The So-Called Seder. Composed entirely of samples--mostly from old Jewish records--The So-Called Seder is an amazing thing. It's Jewish music. It's hip hop. It's ridiculous. It's brilliant.

Before you get the wrong idea, So-Called's music isn't "just slapped-together Jewish sounds over hip hop beats." It's Jewish from the bottom up, with even the beats in klezmer time. The album roughly follows the traditional evening's course of events, its ritual singing and storytelling. Many of the songs are based on classic seder-rocking jams like "Mah Nishtanah" and "Dayenu," with So-Called's version of the latter transformed into a "pumpin' techno-dance party." Is it meant to be played at a seder? "Well, it's music inspired by the holiday," So-Called says, though he warns, "I don't think it's a substitute for learning the Mah Nishtanah properly."

In addition to samples culled from his record collection, So-Called also employs what he calls "documentary beats," from his recordings of live musicians. Elaine Hoffman-Watts, a 67-year-old drummer from Philadelphia appears on almost every track. Also featured is Kronos Quartet clarinetist David Kracauer, as are other snippets of a documentary nature: table chatter from a family seder and conversations with old men. It adds up to a fascinating, hilarious, multi-layered listening experience. Most of the tracks will eventually feature various MCs--for now, in its EP version, The So-Called Seder includes just the music, which stands on its own. So-Called expects the full-length LP, rappers and all, to be available next Passover; for the time being, the EP version is available for $10 from www.gorillacartoons.com.