I don't know....I listened to the 'Essence' 4 track
album sampler and it was pretty straightforward for A
Guy Called Gerald. Defintely nothing mindblowing or
innovative like I'd expect, especially compared with
the impact 'Black Secret Technology' held at the time
it came out (and still does). It's not that it's
badly written or poorly produced, just kind of quickly
forgettable (again unlike 'BST' which I still remember
exactly where I was when I first heard it and what my
immediate thoughts were). I'd like to hear the whole
album before giving a definite opinion, but I'm not
getting my hopes up.
Todd
--- Michael Yim <Mike@Studio-K7.com> wrote:
> Here's the press release on a guy called gerald,
> hopefully it would give
> you all an idea of what to expect
>
> Pioneering Drum & Bass Producer A GUY CALLED GERALD
> to Release Long
> Awaited Album "ESSENCE" on August 28th, 2000
>
> Since the 80's, Manchester, UK native now NYC
> resident A Guy Called
> Gerald, born Gerald Simpson, has proven to be among
> the most innovative
> modern music figures. His influence is
> international, and through his
> versatility he has spawned genres and generations of
> music culture.
> Since his early experimentation with techno and acid
> house into his
> groundbreaking contributions to drum & bass music,
> GCG's art and craft
> has perpetually evolved regardless of his individual
> successes in each
> of those genres.
>
> A Guy Called Gerald's long awaited album "Essence"
> will proudly be
> released through Studio K7 Records on August 28th,
> 2000 worldwide. This
> will be his first project since 1995's
> groundbreaking "Black Secret
> Technology." Featuring sleek and sexy production,
> "Essence" features
> the songwriting and vocals from guest artists such
> as David Simpson,
> Lady Miss Kier, Lamb's Louise Rhodes, and successful
> UK songwriter Wendy
> Page. Merging subtly ambitious elements of drum &
> bass and dub over
> immaculate melodies and tones, "Essence" hopes to
> vitalize the stale
> nature of drum & bass expanding the songwriting and
> composition
> potential of breakbeat music with sleek and soulful
> production.
>
> In the early 70's in Manchester, UK a young Gerald
> Simpson was found
> alongside his mother at church listening to the
> organist through which
> he found inspiration to pursue music. Gospel
> melodies evolved into an
> affinity for the Jackson 5, the soul turned into
> funk, and funk spawned
> hip hop. Music's steady mutations and newfound
> brilliance kept Gerald's
> interests keen, and no later could one find Gerald
> experimenting on an
> Amstrad twin cassette deck, stripping apart and
> re-orchestrating pieces
> of Herbie Hancock's "Rockit" into minimal, twisted
> forms. His early
> forays in production embodied the raw brilliance
> that would later
> reflect the ethic of his music.
>
> Gerald Simpson then a member of local band
> Scratchbeat Masters moved on
> teaming up with The Hit Squad, who later became the
> ubiquitous 808
> State. As an original member of the proto-techno
> legends, Gerald was
> responsible, but not credited until much later, for
> the production and
> composition of their groundbreaking first album
> "Newbuild" which
> featured the UK techno anthem "Pacific State".
> While "Pacific State"
> topped UK charts and 808 State's profile
> skyrocketed, Gerald pursued
> further music mobility working on his solo projects
> as A Guy Called
> Gerald. Finding a modern influence through Detroit
> techno and Chicago
> house, A Guy Called Gerald produced "Voodoo Ray"
> storming the UK and
> worldwide dance charts at the same time his 808
> State "Pacific State"
> track was still in the charts. With two tracks in
> the charts (only
> recognized for one), A Guy Called Gerald became an
> international star
> and "Voodoo Ray" became the anthem that many
> identify for launching UK's
> acid house movement.
>
> The success of "Voodoo Ray" landed Gerald a solo
> record deal with
> Sony/Columbia in 1990 quickly followed by the
> release of his first LP
> "Automanik". With success came tension. As
> Gerald's success as a pop
> artist grew, Gerald's need for artistic license
> expanded. His label
> could not keep up with Gerald's forward thinking
> music and never
> released his second album. Relegated back into the
> underground, Gerald
> found solace and further explored the emerging
> breakbeat influenced
> sounds. In 1993 Gerald, the master, released "28
> Gun Bad Boy", a
> pioneering album that harnessed the brutal dynamics
> of drum & bass. As
> jungle rose in popularity so did Gerald, once again.
>
> In 1995, A Guy Called Gerald released the classic
> "Black Secret
> Technology" LP becoming the leading pioneering of
> UK's urban sound.
> "Black Secret Technology" featured vocals from a
> then unknown Finley
> Quaye on "Finley's Rainbow" thus launching Finley's
> successful solo
> career. Gerald's forward thinking music led to
> invitations from other
> artists such as Tricky, The Stone Roses, Goldie, and
> most notably David
> Bowie on collaborations and remixes.
>
> Prominence has never inspired Gerald. Already a
> legend in each of his
> various forays, A Guy Called Gerald spent the
> greater part of the last
> six years producing his latest album (the last two
> years in NYC)
> "Essence," featuring vocal contributions from Lamb's
> Louise Rhodes, MC
> Krusta, singer/songwriter Wendy Page, and Lady Miss
> Kier. To be
> released on Studio K7 August 2000, the album
> "Essence" will also feature
> singles with remixes from Ian Simmonds, Funkstorung,
> Ashley Beedle, and
> others to be confirmed. Starting with cassette
> decks, Gerald, by
> choice, has taken the long but well journeyed
> direction towards musical
> calm.
>
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu May 18 2000 - 00:53:50 MET DST