***Born in Trinidad and based in UK since 20 years, ANTHONY JOSEPH is one of the UK's most exciting and innovative voices, poet, novelist, musician and lecturer. “The idea for ‘Rubber Orchestras’ was inspired by some lines by the surrealist poet Ted Joans. A spark went off inside my head when I read them. I knew immediately that this poem summed up everything I wanted to do with my poetry—a kind of flexible meaning, a mutant style based on spontaneous language. Like rubber!.” Anthony has called on the talents of producer MALCOLM CATTO, drummer and lead singer with THE HELIOCENTRICS. The decisive presence of the producer isn’t the only new ingredient in the retro-futurist blend, which combines raw jazz and deep soul, black rock and Afrobeat, soca funk and free swing… This is no backward-looking revival or sterile fusion; this grand mix gives a new and modern perspective to all these musical styles. There are other guests on Rubber Orchestras, as the singer JASNETT LINDO but also JERRY DAMMERS, the legendary founder of THE SPECIALS took to the controls to arrange and enhance a visionary and revolutionary poem, the iconic suite called “Generations.”
2XLP $24.35
11/08/2011
***The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales, the nine-track special by classically trained pianist and rapper CHILLY GONZALEZ, is intertwined intelligently with the Gonzo’s clever raps and impressive solos where he grinds away on the piano. Most well-known as a producer and collaborating with such artists as Peach, Jamie Lidell and Feist, this time he‘s chosen to take hold of the spotlight. And here, he lays down the most entertaining, and at times, comical tracks that shine a light on the narrative stories etched in his notebook. The end result will leave you shaking with anticipation of what‘s to come. The record is being hailed as the world’s first all-orchestral rap album. Having an orchestral style is one of the most amazing draws of the album. When listening to it in its entirety, listeners can picture themselves at Carnegie Hall attending a delicate recital, which is pleasing to classical music enthusiasts; however, instead of a sharply dressed man with slick gelled hair, there is a man named Chilly. He is presumably dressed in the usual hip hop attire, possibly even with a gold chain to boot. The record is nevertheless rewarding and vastly different from other mainstream rap albums. Gonzales, aka JASON BECK, worked with his brother CHRISTOPHE BECK, who is a Hollywood film composer, for much of the arrangements. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl in an edition of 1,000 copies with insert.
LP $23.95
08/02/2011