Sixtoo

by Charles Spano
Sixtoo, aka Robert Squire, came out of the mid-90s underground hip hop movement, sharing stages with the likes of Buck 65, Sage Francis and members of the Anticon crew. His hip hop output is collected on the albums Psyche Intangible, Psyche Continuum and Songs I Hate and Other People Moments. But it was before leaving Halifax in 2000 that he made one of the most important moves of his career - from the mic to the sampler. Duration was the recorded result of this logistical shift. Squire then relocated to Montreal and signed with Vertical Form Records. The label put out Antagonist Survival Kit a dark album which showcased both sides of his skill: on the mic for half the record, on the sampler for the other. In 2003, Sixtoo signed to Ninja Tune, and employed a completely new style for Chewing On Glass & Other Miracle Cures. Using live musicians for sample sources, a massive confluence of styles and mammoth drum breaks, Sixtoo brought new life to the cut-up genre. Musicians including Can's Damo Suzuki, Norsola and Thierry from Godspeed You Black Emperor and Eric Craven from the Hanged Up can all be heard in the sinister mix of what is essentially a psych rock/jazz record made by a longtime hip hop producer.