REVIEW
MUSIC REVIEW // EL-P - WEAREALLGOINGTOBURN-
> KJHK's weekly guide to sonic consumption. INHELLMEGAMIXXX3
(GOLD DUST)
El-P is the extremely well respected co-founder, CEO, and owner of Definitive Jux records who recently released a solo instrumental mixtape off of Gold Dust records. "Wearealgoing..." is simply a masters class in production that spans a wide range of styles including crunchy dubstep to spacey trance. This album showcases it all.
El-P is possibly one of the most credible and experienced producers around after working with and producing records for names like Aesop Rock, Murs, Del the Funkee
Homosapien, Atmosphere, Beck, Rage Against the Machine, and even The Mars Volta.
Even with all of the variety, the album doesn't have any disappointing songs mixed in to kill the vibe. The album can be listened to without wanting to skip any tracks or put a kink in your flow when dancing along.
One of the sickest songs is "Honda Redux," which includes a hard-hitting bass line and lots of laser-esque sounds to get your head shaking.
"Drunk With A Loaded Pistol," freaks you out at the beginning with its minor chords and creepy howling sounds, but builds into a legitimate winner by the very end.
However, don't ignore the other tracks because all listeners, both experienced and inexperienced in electronic music, will be able to hear something they never have before.
ZACK MARSH
MOVIE REVIEW // MACHETE
> Hollywood hits, indie flicks and everything in between
Machete is the rarest of cinematic beasts — a film that defies logic and common decency to that rarified point where trash becomes treasure. Robert Rodriguez's latest ultraviolet opus is everything we've come to expect from the journeyman director. But the real find here is veteran character actor Danny Trejo, whose Machete character represents his first starring role after nearly three decades in the film business.
Blink and you'll miss the razor-thin plot, which follows the trail of carnage laid out by a vengeful federale known only as
Machete. After his wife and daughter are killed by notorious drug lord Torrez (Steven Seagal), our hero is forced over the border into Texas, where he works as a common day laborer before being approached by a slick-talking stranger named Mr. Booth (Jeff Fahey).
Booth offers Machete a fortune to assassinate Senator McLaughlin (Robert De Niro), an anti-immigrant hardliner who funds a murderous group of border patrolmen led by professional sadist Lt. Stillman (Don Johnson from "Miami Vice"). When the job is revealed to be a double-cross, Machete escapes and vows to hunt down the men who left him for dead. Although "Machete" fails as an abject political satire, it benefits mightily from the talent of its eclectic supporting cast.
At the end of the day, "Machete" belongs to Danny Trejo. The real life ex-con and former drug addict turned gangland rehabilitator doesn't need any make-up or prosthetics to embody the role of the pockmarked avenger. So take note, Hollywood. This is what a real action hero looks like.
LANDON MCDONALD
09
16
10
Howard Ting/KANSANpus. Jones helped
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jones said. As an architecture student you her second option, a 139-seat expansion.
SEE DESIGN ON PAGE 3A
INDEX
Classifieds...4B
Crossword...4A
Cryptoquips...4A
Opinion...5A
Sports...10A
Sudoku...4A
late june.
To view photos of student architecture projects visit kansan.com/photogalleries
Chris Neal/KANSAN
Tiffany Lau, a senior from Wichita, jumps over a wall as she trains for the Next Level Games competition this Saturday. Lau is one of a few KU students competing in the competition that consists of an obstade course, a strong man prompter and a prowler challenge.
FITNESS
Students to compete in 'Strongman' games
BY GARTH SEARS gsears@kansan.com
"It's like, 'Oh, I just pushed a truck or I flipped this tire,' Farley
That's why he'll be at Watson Park on Saturday, participating in the 2nd Annual Next Level Games, which include the "Strongman Challenge," the "Prowler Challenge" and an obstacle course. The competition will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Need a tow truck? For Skyler Farley, a junior from Lawrence, pulling a truck with his bare hands just a big deal.
The "Strongman Challenge" involves pulling a truck, flipping a 450-pound tractor tire end-overend and a "farmer's walk" of hauling heavy items through a course.
Farley said he participated in an internship at the University of South Florida during the summer, where he worked out with a group of people training for "strong man" events. Now he incorporates it into his regular workouts, and said it helped him with normal weightlifting.
"Your time can be completely screwed up if you keep putting your hands in the wrong spot," he said.
With the technical complexity of simply flipping a tractor tire, it isn't surprising that there are "strong man" classes offered locally.
said. "Everything seems easier after that."
Chris Dellasega, a second-year graduate student from Pittsburg, is a strength coach for Next Level Fitness — the company hosting the competition — and has instructed a "strongman" group. He'll be helping run the event Saturday.
While he said the truck pull didn't require much attention to mechanics or timing — "it's pure effort" — the tire flip does.
He said that it could be difficult to train for a "strongman" event because many weightlifting techniques pinpoint one thing, while tire flips and truck pulls use multiple muscle groups in different ways.
To put it differently, flipping a tire is a three-dimensional effort, compared with bench pressing
Although the "Strongman Challenge" is the most unusual part of the Next Level Games, the two other stages are designed to give the competition some balance.
The "Prowler Challenge" requires competitors to push a weighted sled, similar to what a football team uses for practice, and an obstacle course that focuses on agility.
something up and down.
"One of the best ways of getting good at flipping a tractor tire is to flip a tractor tire," he said.
"We're not just looking for big, bulky people or bodybuilders who aren't functional," said Laura Richards, who co-owns Next Level Fitness with her husband.
Dellasega suggests mimicking the event as closely as possible in training.
New coach will create stability
She said about 40 people had signed up so far this year, compared with about 50 last year.
A team of three University of Kansas track athletes will also be competing Saturday, despite not
JUDO | 6A
SFE STRONG ON PAGE 3A
The club appointed a coach who is familiar with the club and will help to move them in the right direction.
KU student to appear in court
A
CRIME | 3A
teen accused of rape begins legal process and will learn the date for his first hearing.