Those looking to tap the local hip-hop/electronica/mixologist vein should seek out Ravin vs. Flud, a dance oriented, remix-crazed team that rarely (if ever) appears live, but still puts out solid recordings like the recently released "Trust Me". Combining electronic beats with live vocals, guitars, sound effects, and samples (the Beastie Boys, Pantera), the trio (a third member, Split has yet to earn marquee billing) pumps out hard-edged dance music that zigs and zags impressively.
The Beasties are Ravin vs. Flud's favorite muses-reworked tracks like "Alive" and "Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun" anchor "Trust Me". But there are a few surprises: "F.O.I.L." remixes Kettle, a local rap-metal outfit that benefits froma bit of the grooviness. And the album ends with "Twenty Six", a slightly esoteric but mostly straightforward acoustic guitar lament.
Overall, "Trust Me" doesn't work quite right without a house party raging around it, the same way a hot dog doesn't taste right without a baseball game in front of it. At least with Ravin vs. Flud, you know what went into it, and house party or not, the end product is pretty interesting.

You'd be forgiven if you thought that Ravin Versus Flud was a Beastie Boys remix disc, but actually it's the product of a trio of Columbus DJs/Producers, Jason Burke and Jason Saunders as "Ravin" and "Flud" as well as Jon Colasurd, who goes by the name "Split".
Trust me begins with "Alive (Ravin Versus Flud Remix)", a certified remix of the New York brat-rappers track, replete with other Beastie samples thrown on top of the new percussion and other assorted noises, and the pair cover the Beastie Boys' "Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun" as well. Ravin Versus Flud also takes on locals Kettle with a remix of the groups "F.O.I.L." in addition to a slew of original songs.
The disc flows like a very solid mix tape, alternating between bombastic percussion, interesting samples (including heavy stuff from the likes of Pantera and Pitchshifter), some of their own analog instrumentation of the six-string variety, and average but not horrible rapping. The disc is more at home on a dance floor than anywhere else, which brings up the only really negative thing about this project: Ravin Versus Flud's ambivalence about taking its sound to the stage. Life doesn't happen in the studio, gentleman.