Brain Damage meets Big Youth - "2020 I Pray Thee"
From the album 'Beyond the Blue'

- - - 
Opening this Big Youth album – the first since more than a decade – here is one of his most powerful hymns, « I Pray Thee », unexpectedly revisited by Brain Damage. A padded atmosphere, with languorous jazz melodies, emphasizes the thundering incantations of the legendary Jamaican master. This being a perfect introduction to the unprecedented musical breakout concocted by both artists that, while in the middle of the pandemic, refuse to slump and know no bounds to the vitality of their art.

- - -

... a story in History

… or how to condense in a sound bite, the incredible and terrible journey, experienced by Martin Nathan and his longtime friend Samuel Clayton Jr, both gone to Jamaica in March 2020, for a collaboration with the legendary Big Youth. The context of a first and unprecedented world lockdown has only left them very little time to record the takes with the famous DJ, before they both contracted the virus. Martin Nathan was lucky enough to be able to get back to France, although had to remain confined and to take care of himself alone in his studio during five weeks upon his return. Samuel Clayton Jr, however, did not come back, struck down by the disease in Kingston.

The iron determination of the producer, supported by his label Jarring Effects and the Jamaican producer Stephen Stewart, did nonetheless bring the project to completion.

For his part, one thing is certain, Big Youth is in great shape! He brilliantly signs his return with that album, made up almost exclusively of new pieces, the first in many years! In the very words of the numerous prominent musicians and singers who witnessed the takes at Anchor studios in Kingston, he has lost none of his verve: « …you still get it, man! ». Sparkling and inexhaustible, distilling an amazing variety of vocal styles, that he created himself, he recalls at once “the old days”, the golden age of Jamaican reggae in the 1960 & 70’s, performs his version somewhat conspiracist, of the sanitary crisis, evokes his faith and tells about love … while perfectly merging into each universe offered by Brain Damage.

As if we are delighted to hear the elder’s shape and inventiveness, Martin Nathan is definitely not outdone and overhauls his style once again for the occasion. Always more musical, his compositions integrate diverse influences, hitherto untapped by him, like jazz, blues, ska, rock-steady … enhanced by the wonderful and smooth horn arrangements signed by Franck Boyron and his sidekicks, Baptiste Sarat and Fred Roudet. The whole, drawing on a production that left nothing to chance, surely is a new cornerstone of Brain Damage rich discography that keeps us wondering how far it will take us anew.

Samuel Clayton Jr, however, will be deeply missed. If one can hear him regularly and clearly as samples, throughout what will remain the last album he worked on, it is above all his mindset that Martin Nathan
strove to respect with that new musical and human adventure.

The emotion is audible, tangible.

- - - 

Credits : 

• Composed by Martin Nathan
• Written by Big Youth
• Trumpets by Fred Roudet
• Recorded by Samuel Clayton JR & Stephen Stewart at Anchor Studios in Kingston, Jamaica
• Mixed by Martin Nathan at Rumble Inn in Lyon, France
• Mastering by Kobe at Loaded Studio in St Etienne, France
• Artwork by Ben Hito
• Production: Jarring Effects Label

Beyond The Blue

2020 I Pray Thee

Titre extrait du nouvel album Ekphrön, à venir le 31 mars 2014.
Réalisation : Nicolas Thiry & Guillaume Caron. 

CD1D : http://cd1d.com/fr/album/ekphron
iTunes : https://itunes.apple.com/fr/artist/hi...
1D-Rhône Alpes : http://1d-rhonealpes.com/fr/album/ekp...

+ d'infos à venir sur :
http://www.jarringeffects.net/fr/
http://www.hightone.org/

EKPHRÖN
Amoureux des musiques indie des années 60 à aujourd'hui, High Tone a toujours su digérer un panorama musicale varié autant que les éléments technologiques clés de chacune de ces décennies : guitare wah des 70's, synthès des 80's, turntablism et sampler des 90's et logiciels électro des années 2000. Parce que dépasser le cadre du style pour ne parler que de musique a toujours été leur seul credo.
Le groupe a souvent alterné la typologie de ses disques entre expérimentation et maturation. Les 1ers opus étaient spontanés, sans recherche de maîtrise particulière, magmatiques, quand Wave Digger ou Out Back étaient des albums de changements. Le présent album, s'inscrit dans la continuité du No border, le deuxième CD d'Out Back.
Le thème premier d'Ekphrön est le voyage. Au départ pensé comme celui, géographique, dont est empreint leur musique, le voyage est passé du macrocosme au microcosme, pour se focaliser sur l'expérience intérieure dont l'opus porte le nom. Que se passe-t-il lorsqu'on ferme les yeux ? Littéralement du grec hors d'esprit, le titre renvoie à la transe que peut procurer la musique, ce moment de perte des sens communs, le point de rupture, le décrochage de la réalité, l'oubli de soi.
Bien sûr le voyage « physique » est toujours présent en filigrane. Musiques anciennes, archaïques, traditionnelles, spirituelles, fusionnées avec l'urbain, le béton, l'électronique comme une tentative d'harmonisation du monde.
Les invités eux-mêmes -- exclusivement des amis - sont à l'image de ce cosmopolitisme. Vincent Segal, moitié de Bumcello, violoncelliste de renommée internationale - il joue régulièrement avec Blackalicious, entre autre - est le premier featuring instrumental du groupe ! On retrouve également le rappeur américain Oddateee avec lequel High Tone avait déjà collaboré sur Out Back et Fool, ainsi que Shanti D sur le single. Un titre déroutant pour qui n'aurait pas assimilé les quelques lignes écrites plus haut.
Mais il en va ainsi avec ce groupe : tour à tour surprenant ou confortant, il ne délivrera jamais aucun message noir sur blanc.

Buy 

High Tone - Ekphrön - Until The Last Drop(feat. Shanti-D)

Portal

Enjoy the roots vibes in this ya one, listen to the message in di musik seeen!!
BlessUp 

ONE LOVE

Roots&Culture Vol.1

Prolific French ELECTRO SWING DJ & producer THE SWING BOT drops a brand new EP packed with 4 fresh summer tracks. Out now: https://idol-io.ffm.to/itdontmeanabot

Following 2 full albums on FRESHLY SQUEEZED and a series of EPs and singles, the bot has carved out a unique niche for himself with his uncompromising sound that goes heavy on repetition and beats and has now perfectly placed him to take advantage of the AI revolution by seamlessly incorporating generative vocals into his existing process. Both timeless and contemporary at once.

It Don't Mean a Bot

Jump & Jive

Out now

The Swing Bot - Jump & Jive

This one’s special, a very personal project for me.
The lyrics are in Lakota, an Indigenous language of North America, and carry deep symbolic meaning.
In a world that is becoming increasingly digital, fast, and often disorienting and chaotic, this piece is a call to stay connected to what is real and to protect the good, and to move consciously.
This song is a way of reminding myself, and maybe you too, to stay grounded.

I hope this track resonates with you.
Thanks for listening!

Feel it. Don’t just hear it.🖤

This World (Makȟóčhe kiŋ lé)

I've been waiting for you to speak (Cover)

Strong Dubwise

Three years after "The skankin' cat", MAHOM comes back with a new album: "Fell in" ! A stoy about love, fears & cats...
Free download @ODGprd: www.odgprod.com

Many many thanks for your support !

Fell In

FREE DOWNLOAD

Land of souls

File Not Found comes out on Freshly Squeezed as The Swing Bot’s second official release. This masked mystery DJ was previously heard on international compilations such as the Electro-Swing Elite and Electro Speakeasy with remixes spanning from early 20th century stars Édith Piaf or Glenn Miller all the way to contemporary influencers Parov Stelar and others.
With a style that demonstrates his club-based musical heritage The Swing Bot combines the dark, relentless sounds of underground electronic music with a vintage jazz tradition, creating his own pulsating melange of French house and electro-swing. The Swing Bot, forever hidden behind his illuminated moustache mask, presents in File Not Found a different take on the shuffling rhythm of dancehall swing, using its ceaseless beat to transform a social dance into a trance-like state. 
The Swing Bot regularly takes his live show on the road. With a dazzling visual component, he travelled from Paris to Hamburg, Brussels, London and beyond, leaving behind a mesmerised audience and his particular French touch on the vintage remix scene.

File Not Found

Stream / Download

The Swing Bot - New Orleans Saloon (File Not Found EP 2018)

FRESHLY SQUEEZED - "world leaders in putting a modern dance music spin on vintage records" (Mixmag) - FOLLOW US. 

An independent label and "purveyor of future cult classics" (The Independent). From compilations like the WHITE MINK series - "Electro swings first landmark moment" to ELECTRO BLUES - from quirky artists like SWING REPUBLIC, KID KASINO, JFB, JEM STONE or SWINGROWERS to 'discoveries' like THE CORRESPONDENTS. Promoting sell-out UK shows by artists like CARAVAN PALACE or PAROV STELAR, the label has always led the way in fusing vintage influences with contemporary production. 

Click 'follow' for exclusive, 'limited edition' downloads, new and pre-releases, DJ mixes and more...

And now the new FRESHLY SQUEEZED weekly radio show syndicated world-wide on FM and digital features 2 hours of the very vintage and vintage-influenced sound, remixed, remastered or rewound. 

Archived at http://www.mixcloud.com/freshlysqueezedmusic

The Swing Bot - Jump & Jive

Freshly Squeezed (Record Label)