DJ Alibi

DJ Alibi styled One Day‘s sneak attack with a crate-digger’s sensibility. With an ability for crafting instrumentals as well as backing beats for MCs, the Moscow-born Alibi serves up crackling guitar bits, Middle Eastern vocal snippets, and brass over powerful drum breaks. He slinks around One Day‘s brawny percussion with an almost deceptive methodology. The tinkly piano on “Nina’s Song” is only part of the track’s elaborate workout, for a battering drum loop follows with Alibi’s sprinkling organ, vibraphone, and trumpet over the top before it’s done. Not unlike Cut Chemist’s frequent changeups, One Day‘s energy level soars for the psyche-funker “Let’s Ride,” with Boston MC Insight on mike duties. By the time “Life at the Res” begins to simmer in its brittle jazz guitar licks and calming choral backups, One Day feels like a month of Alibi’s tide swells — and that’s a good thing.