Duke Shin

You'll have to forgive Melvin Oliphant (better known as Traxx) if he sounds a bit defensive when talking about his band, the Dirty Criminals. Perhaps best known for his uncompromising DJ sets and manic presence in the booth, he's easily the most visible of the group. He exclaims, "When I say `my band,' a lot of people laugh, thinking it's just me!" Alongside fellow artists Daryl Cura (Deecoy, the Sun God) and Jamal Moss (Hieroglyphic Being), the Dirty Criminals pick up their retro-futuristic mission where they left off: 2004's electro-fried, acid-laced gem "Organized Confusion" (which landed the band in URB magazine's "Next 100" for 2004).

Reminiscing about the spirit of Medusa's (the legendary long-defunct all-ages club), Traxx speaks about his influences at rapid-fire pace, firing off short bursts and emotional sentence fragments. "You had skinheads, [bands like] the Circle Jerks, industrial to disco and house, Nitzer Ebb, Skinny Puppy... creating the bridge." The group's effort to recreate that bridge of new-school jack and old-school EBM resulted in the aforementioned "Organized Confusion," which set itself apart by an organic attitude toward music. Their new record "Collision Between Us and the Damned" follows suit with live programming, no sampling and an impressive array of original hardware--including not one, but two Roland 303s.

Despite the ever-increasing circle of co-conspirators, the identity of the Dirty Criminals is still firmly in the hand of Traxx, who lets some of his alter egos out of the asylum to wreak vocal havoc on the album. It can hardly be a coincidence that his aliases are all characters from the Sinister Six, the dirty criminals in Spiderman comics. "The Green Goblin is for concept projects, and Mysterio is darker... more moody," he explains.

With a clear production concept, increasing visibility and Traxx's twisted vocals (remember DJ Hell's "Let No Man Jack?"), how do the Dirty Criminals come off live? "Like `Gladiator' with Gang of Four in underwear!" Chuckling a little at the absurdity of his own description, Traxx turns serious when he drops another hint. "I've been taking guitar lessons." So are these Dirty Criminals actually villains or heroes? The answer depends on what side of the law you stand.

The record-release party at Dark Wave Disco features The Dirty Criminals playing live and DJ sets by Matt Nee and residents Trancid, Greg Corner and Mark Gertz at Sonotheque, 1444 West Chicago, (312)226-7600, on May 18 at 9pm. $8 cover.

(2006-05-16)

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