Arthur Russell can be a vexing subject for tribute, for all the many reasons he was peculiar and unique. Few other expressive cellists have proven to be especially good with disco, as he was, and the same applies even more the other way around. Add his capacity — from the 1970s until his death in 1992 — for expressive synth-pop, free-flowing folk and even airs of country music, and the makings of a truly inimitable character are born.
Russell lived his life in relative obscurity. After moving to New York in 1973, the native Iowan teamed with a who’s who of artists, including Allen Ginsberg, Philip Glass, and the Talking Heads, before he died from AIDS-related causes in 1992 at the age of 40. Russell, who was a trained cellist and composer with an expertise in Indian classical music, applied his skills to the thriving New York scene, crucially influencing the underground scene that connected disco with house and garage music. Though Russell lacks the notoriety of landscape-shifting titans like Bob Dylan and Nirvana, many artists consider his diverse catalog just as influential.
Russell’s understated influence, undeniable innovation, and untimely death, explain why Master Mix came about—and why it’s so damn good. His recordings are patently unique, but they’re not ubiquitous; whether imitating or reinventing, Master Mix’s cast didn’t have to fear the backlash commonly associated with performing well-known classics.
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