todd,
I'm obviously biased, but I think the album is a lot more subtle then
you would first expect. The drum and bass output has been pretty weak
lately, I think this would be a breath of fresh air for those looking
for quality
-mike
Todd Nickolas wrote:
>
> 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.
> >
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! Messenger.
> http://im.yahoo.com/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu May 18 2000 - 18:03:24 MET DST