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For more than 50 years, the independent film company Troma Studios has produced low-budget, underground horror movies like “The Toxic Avenger” that served as a playground for some of today’s biggest names in film. On Halloween, this legacy will be celebrated by Twin Cities musician, journalist and 89.3 The Current radio host Chaz Kangas on his new hip hop album. Featuring musicians from across the country and sounds pulled directly from Troma Studios’ most recognizable films, Kangas’ “The Troma Project: 50 Years of Reel Fan-Toxic Hip Hop” will be released on Halloween. “I’ve always had a love of the company,” Kangas said. “They were really sort of what made me a film obsessive.” The album creates a soundscape made up entirely of audio pulled from Troma films, a collaboration blessed by studio founder Lloyd Kaufman. “Knowing that it was Troma’s 50th anniversary and always being a fan of concept albums and projects, I pitched the idea to Lloyd, (to) sample some of the movies from Troma’s 50-year history to make entirely new songs,” Kangas said. Troma Studios is North America’s oldest independent film studio, opened in 1974 by Kaufman and Michael Herz. The studio cultivated a community with its cult classics “The Toxic Avenger” and its subsequent sequels, as well as “Tromeo and Juliet,” which was co-written by “Superman” director James Gunn. Kaufman blends comedy and commentary in his films, including the “Class of Nuke ‘Em High” trilogy and “Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD.” “It seems that whoever has worked for Troma, they all look back on it as a kind of film school or something,” Kaufman said. “I think we’ve infused a lot of young people with the notion of, ‘To thine own self be true.’ And that’s certainly true of Chaz Kangas.” Kangas, as a fan of the studio and Kaufman himself, met the director and studio founder at a fan convention in his teenage years and has remained in contact since. “It stands out quite well,” Kaufman said. “I was signing books in Minneapolis, and he and his parents showed up. And he was very articulate and full of dreams and full of energy. I saw he was unique immediately and, luckily, we kept in touch with each other, and it resulted in this album.” The 11-song album features musicians from across the country as well as local artists like hip hop artist Desdamona, who is featured on the album’s single, “Girls School Screamers,” a female-led slasher-inspired beat. Twin Cities MC Christopher Michael Jensen is also rapping on the album’s “Choices of a Different Path.” Having known Kangas for nearly a decade, Jensen said he was excited to get to work on such a concept-based album. “There’s definitely a quality about it that’s unique just because you can tell the samples in it are not typical fair for a hip hop type album,” Jensen said. “Every song has some kind of reference to Troma.” Another musician, Conner Sloat (also known as Bald Halfwit), described working on the album as a different creative avenue. “I’m really glad that the opportunity arose because I got to create really awesome music that was outside of what I’m used to,” Sloat said. Paying homage to the film and horror influences of Troma, the album’s cover was designed by Four Finger Distro founder and musician Jeep Ward, also known as DJ Halo. “It feels like a straight-up and down hip hop project, in the sense of hip hop specifically as an art form and production style that is sample-based and uses other people’s work to make something new,” Ward said. “I hope this project shows people that DIY is still alive and well, and if you really want to do something, you’ll do it.” The album will be released digitally Friday and distributed by Four Finger Distro, a record label that centers community-based musicians. Physical media, such as CDs and vinyl records, will also be available for purchase. “It’s been a labor of love and, you know, I’m super happy with the final project,” Kangas said.
