Digging For Fire Vol 4: BS 2000 - Simply Mortified
As much as I’d like to say what a celebrity did, wore or supported never had any effect on me it just wouldn’t be true. Growing up, the Beastie Boys were my epitome of what cool was. Not only did they introduced me to streetwear such as X-Large & Bape but their (now defunct) Grand Royal record imprint put out and introduced me to so much great music in the 90s like Bis, Atari Teenage Riot & even Liquid Liquid. So needless to say I awlays liked to keep wih whatever the Beastie Boys were involved in.
BS 2000 was a side project between Adrock & drummer Amery “AWOL” Smith (Suicidal Tendencies, Uncle Slam, Beastie Boys, Leftover Crack). Without sounding at all like the Beastie Boys it still was very Beasties-esque. The sound is catchy, buoyont and stripped down with most of the album being made on antiquated keyboards, samplers and drum machines. It’s equal parts New Wave, Hardcore, Lounge & Space Age Pop. Perhaps had you asked the Beastie Boys to make an Esquival album, this might be what it would have sounded like.
Despite Adrock’s presence and the Grand Royal stamp I’m sure it’s very lo-fi nature and bad cover art didn’t exactly help garner it a wide fan base. But then again, I don’t think BS 2000 was ever looking for mass appeal. This album was very obviously made solely to appease it’s musicians creative impulses. Unlike with most side project bands, it’s blatant self indulgence just really works and isn’t at all a detracting factor.
BS 2000 put out two albums both of which are out of print. Simply Mortified (their second album) came out on CD in 2000 while their first self titled release was only available as a vinyl from the Grand Royal website back in 1997 and is pretty hard to track down. I know because I’ve been looking for one for a while now.
I don’t know how or why it took so long, but listening back to Simply Mortified I was hit with how similar in sound BS 2000 was to Le Tigre/Julie Ruin. Adrock started dating Kathleen Hanna (now his wife I believe) in around ‘97 which is right around the time she began working on her Julie Ruin solo album (following Bikini Kill’s break up) and he was starting BS 2000. It’s interesting to realize now just how much the two were influencing one another’s musical direction.
May 24th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
First of all I just want to say Thank You Mikhail! I follow the Bloglin pretty often and usually don’t comment… But I felt compelled for this one!
I didn’t really think you or Greg were all that interested in the Beasties nor BS 2000 (AKA Adrock and AWOL!) I’m a pretty big Beastie Boys fan, probably as much as I am of Tim Burton (Enter Inside Joke here), Hahahahahaha!
I’m not going try and reiterate how great these guys are or what they’re all about… But I am honored you guys remembered this album, because I was really into it during a really weird time of my life.
Tunnbrödsrulle?!! Lets go… Ursäkta min svenska brytning…
May 25th, 2008 at 4:28 am
BS 2000 and le tigre played together in hawaii around 2000, pretty decent show. i remember everyone in BS 2000 at the time being named adam, am i just making this up or was that true?
May 25th, 2008 at 5:28 am
Ha Har! I own both albums on the vinyl. I saw a copy of the other record for 75 bucks at Bleecker Bobs. I think I paid under ten for both albums.
The first record doesn’t hold up against Simply Mortified which is pretty great all the way through.
You could also mention that BS 2000 was the blueprint for Le Tigre. Gossip folks told me that Ad Rock taught Kathleen Hanna how to use all the drum machines and stuff.
May 25th, 2008 at 5:29 am
Oop, you did mention the Le Tigre link. I should learn to read.
May 25th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
I can see that on Julie Ruin album because it more than anything sounds more similar to BS 2000, especially their earlier stuff. But the First Le Tigre album is way more lush and better executed and i think thats probably Johanna Fateman being there more than Adrock’s by that point.
May 25th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
It’s nice to see people are reading these since this is the 4th one I’ve done and only the first to get comments!