There's always time for another J. Dilla tribute and I recently checked out Isbjerg's Danish Donuts. It's one of the more intriguing ones I've heard. He took the samples J. Dilla used on his classic Donuts and reimagined the entire album. It's a cool combination of remix, remake, and tribute (the album features several clips from Ma Dukes and others remembering Dilla).

At its best, the album puts fun spins on the tracks Dilla fans are familiar with. I like how Isbjerg flips the sample on "Hold On," which is his take on "My People." He also gives a quicker, more immediate vibe to "The Diff'rence" on "Diff'rence." "Piano Mash" uses more of the piano sample used in "Mash" and combines it with a faster beat and some surprisingly-not-so-out-of-place Stevie Wonder.

The worst this album does is make you long for the original tracks but given that this is a tribute, that's not really that bad.

I have to praise Isbjerg for even attempting something like this, let alone even completing it. TV/movie/comic fans often invest their time in doing fan fiction, which is creating their own take on the properties they love. This is the only time I've ever seen anyone create a "fan album" in the same vein.

You can listen to Danish Donuts over on Datpiff or just download it over at Kevinnottingham.com

I've included "Hold On" in the post.