Meiso was issued in the United Kingdom on October 30, 1995 by the label Mo' Wax,[5] peaking at number 64 on the UK Albums Chart.[6] It was released in the United States on April 9, 1996 by Mo' Wax and FFRR Records.[7] The album produced the singles "Meiso" and "Only the Strong Survive", which reached numbers 52 and 71 respectively on the UK Singles Chart.[8]
Composition
Fact described Meiso as an album of sample-based trip hop music.[9]AllMusic critic Ned Raggett said that the music continued in the vein of DJ Krush's past work, incorporating "mid- to slow-tempo grooves and breaks" and exploring "everything from jazz and funk to experimental ambient production."[10] The album features guest performances from several American rappers: CL Smooth on "Only the Strong Survive", Roots members Black Thought and Malik B. on "Meiso", Deflon Sallahr on "Ground", and Guru and Big Shug on "Most Wanted Man".[11] "Make no mistake", Muzik's Will Ashon wrote of Meiso, "this is a hip hop album".[12]
Dan Glaister of The Guardian found Meiso more accessible than DJ Krush's previous releases, attributing this partly to the more prominent rapping on the album.[13] Glaister praised the record as an effective "blend of the upbeat with contemplative and downright mysterious instrumentals".[13] Writing for Trouser Press, Mark Kemp said that it pointed toward "further fascinating intercultural exploration of the space between foursquare hip-hop and floating ambient techno."[15] In 2015, Fact ranked Meiso at number 12 on its list of the best trip hop albums of all time.[9]
Track listing
All music is composed by DJ Krush, except where noted
