Album Review - RikksRevues.com Anonymous Twist - Through the Looking Glass op [soul.on.rice records/urbnet records] as reviewed by Rikk Matheson What does life hold for DJ Apollo when he decides he wants to make a true hip hop record? Well, Owen Chaim (AKA: DJ Appollo, AKA: Anonymous Twist) decided to take total control. Usually when a killer spinner has some fresh vibes to share they should have thrown the mix in the can when they try to produce their own beats and rhymes. Such is not the case by any means for the turntable maestro Anonymous Twist. Reading the liner notes and finding out this rap fan since elementary school had produced his own CD and acted as his own MC, I was a bit skeptical of what was to come from it. I was impressed, obviously Anonymous Twist has taken all the classes those who went to school before him laid in their wake. What you end up with is a true hip hop CD with all the trimmings. AT as a DJ spins and scratches with the best of them, as a rhymin' MC, this guy has it goin' on. As a writer and producer, I doubt if this Toronto native could have ever found anyone else who could have produced his vision better than himself, this stuff is dope! Technical and DJ prowess are evident through the tracks, blending his own style over and through the throwback back beats. Sometimes lighthearted, sometimes simply a Turntable track with minimal rhyming, and at times a mixture of rhymes and Turntables combine to make this CD a memorable and welcomed addition to any true hip hop collection. Spending time with a four track, college courses, and all the time writing and laying down tracks, it is odd today to here of a DJ/MC who waits until the tender age of 28 to actually lay down their first credible recordings. All right, now was it worth like a 28 year wait for this CD ? Well, not if you were staying in a closet waiting for the holy grail of hip hop, that's not what this is. Stating that, I will say that this is an incredibly well crafted mix. The writing is good, but at the same time you can feel that Anonymous Twist doesn't take himself too seriously. All this said, Through The Looking Glass is a solid mix of 13 true tracks that are a good addition. Bravo! ( 5 Stars out of 6)