The timing couldn’t have been more perfect the first time I met ProF a.k.a Professor Fingers a.k.a. D.J. Vision outside the Opera House after a Kool Keith show. He was wearing a black nylon over his face and handing out stickers and flyers with his iNSiDEaMiND partner Steptone (Who also had his face covered). They had a turntable spinning and a pair of headphones. The flyer said “iNSiDEaMiND turntable musicians.” They were offering passers by the headphones to listen to. I thought I’d might as well give it a listen, especially since I am a big fan of turntable musicians like Kid Koala and D.J. Q-Bert. When I put the headphones on I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Silence. Some guy standing next to me who had already had the headphones on said to me “Now that’s what I call minimalism.”
When I asked them what was going on, they refused to speak to me, or anyone. I thought these guys were amazing street performers and left it at that.
Much, to my surprise, the following night, I saw these same two cats, standing outside Gypsy Co-Op, (now called The Dog’s Bollocks) after a Never Forgive Action Party, doing the same thing. Luckily, I was standing with Jesse Othake (of the cybercrib.com the hardest working Hip Hop promoter in Toronto) so I asked him, “Yo! what the fuck is up with these cats? Are they for real?”. Jesse said “yeah, they’re for real”. “Their flyer says Turntable musicians but there’s nothing coming out of the headphones.”
Rod Skimmins also happened to be standing there and he said, “They’re really turntable musicians.” So I grabbed one of their stickers (which read: insideamind.net) and placed it firmly on my forehead (I was drunk) and kept it there until I got home. I have been following and scratching records with these guys ever since. They are my mentors. They are also Time Travellers from the future but that’s another story.

On June 1st, ProF is releasing his debut E.P., Superorganism, on 5 & ¼ records, which reuses old 5 & ¼ inch computer floppies as C.D. Packaging in an effort to innovate and save our planet ( http://www.myspace.com/514records ) From what I’ve heard, so far, this E.P. is just a natural progression from what he has been doing with Steptone as iNSiDEaMiND. Trippy, Melancholic sounds and scratches manipulated with an MPC, mixer and FX machines laid out in what’s becoming ProF’s signature “off-time” style takes you to places in your mind. These aren’t just beats, they’re landscapes built with sounds. Definitely something to enjoy with a bottle of wine, a joint and your imagination.

Splattermonkey

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[audio:ProF – A Life Force.mp3,ProF – A Good Day to Play.mp3]