.Fingerbangerz

VI.R.US

The turntablist sextet Fingerbangerz — Bay Area DJs Cutso, Replay, Golden Chyld, G-Wrex, Square One, and Ngobility — give you no immediate reason to fall in love with them. Okay, they’re cute, and they apparently hold some sort of turntablist world record, but you’ll react to that tidbit the same way you reacted when you heard that Twista holds the world record for fastest rapper: Whatev, dude.

None of that matters, however, because Fingerbangerz’ debut album, VI.R.US, is absolutely bananas. So bananas, in fact, that if you have eleven dollars in your pocket, you should run directly to Amoeba and buy this album. Seriously: Do not pass Go, do not collect two hundred dollars. You won’t be disappointed.

Veritably masterful wax-slingers are actually hard to come by, because scratching requires more dexterity than you think, even if Q Bert, Triple Threat, and Pam the Funkstress make it look easy. After you’ve heard a few hack efforts from DJs who muck it up, you’ll see why Fingerbangerz deserve their propers. Alternately hot and cool, VI.R.US successfully combines beats-for-your-sheets (“A Scorpio’s Tale,” “Cheap Cologne”) with hip-shakers, the best of those being “Rewind,” which features the verbal antics of Crown City Rockers’ own Raashan Ahmad. But mostly, this is a suitable alternative to DJ Shadow’s slothful instrumentals.

DJ albums can be pretty intimidating, especially if you’re a Luddite who can’t appreciate technical flourishes or novelty equipment. And that’s not to mention that you’ve begun to associate instrumental hip-hop with guys on laptops, either diddling in frooty loops or checking their e-mail, which is, like, art or something. But VI.R.US is so nerve-bending that even if you have no idea what Fingerbangerz are doing, you know it’s something wild.

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