i’ve long been ignorant of the musical prowess of one W. Ellington Felton (but most commonly known as Wes Felton) for many years. the only work i had heard was 2008’s “Antithesis” LP with JLaine & T. Fox (which produced one of my fav acoustic joints ever, featuring frequent collaborater K’Alyn). but never did i bother to delve into his solo work. so basically over a single weekend i ripped through every release the man has put out there and online on his Bandcamp page, and i found myself liking pretty much EVERYTHING i heard. the new LP “Handle With Care” in particular. dude’s got a killer guest lineup of vocalists n musos, most notably bringin J-Soul outta hiding (known to…well, those who know, as “that guy who sang his balls off on Aquanote‘s album”).
the vibe is simply raw soul. and big-ups putting an acoustic cover of “I Don’t Want To Set The World On Fire” by The Inkblots as the 2nd track. no missteps, no bloated unmentionables, just 9 tracks of straight dope music.
appearing seemingly out of nowhere, Soulstice (a downtempo outfit comprising of brother/sister combo Gina Rene + Gabriel Rene (aka Aquanote), superstar DJ & producer Andy Caldwell & Mei Lwun) have re-emerged a decade after their one and only debut album “Illusions” (released in 2001). this is and can only be GOOD FREAKIN NEWS. being a self-confessed Gabe Rene nut (i adore most everything he’s ever had a hand in writing or producing), it’s great to see him, indeed the entire original band, back in the limelight as it were (that was a slight reference to the album title, i fear i’m becoming too clever and not realising puns until after i’ve written them). now instead of going straight for the blog search engines to look for a free copy, i sussed out the album’s SoundCloud page, which features the entire album available for a CD quality streaming preview, courtesy of OM Records. i’ve also linked up a few spots to purchase the album online underneath the album cover pic.
after a couple runs through, it’s another solid winner. their style remains consistent but also feels like it’s got a new coat or sheen to it. it’s classic Soulstice, but considering the caliber of artists we’re dealing with, was the quality of another album ever in question? …no, no it wasn’t (wow i just answered my own rhetorical question…i feel dirty somehow).
i know what you’re thinking: it’s annoying as fuck when you Google some music hoping for an mp3 link but instead you find YouTube vids, or even worse: a text-only list of albums the blogger owns (ugh). so i feel your pain. however, the word YouTube is in the title, so quit bitching. the media content itself isn’t in mp3 form, but i do provide thorough commentary for each track, & the selections are from my personal collection so you know it’s gonna be dope shit either way (well i know this anywhos).
—
Soulstice – Lovely (Gabriel René Mix)
the masterful Gabriel René, a man who has gone down as legendary for those who know even a skoche of his impressive catalog, completely sexes up this Soulstice classic. if his music has still somehow passed you by, me & a hoard of others emphatically recommend you track down his lone solo album (as Aquanote), called The Pearl. what you hear in this remix are the foundations for the Aquanote sound, so if u dig this, u will most definitely dig the rest.
Kennedy – Belize
for years this ethereal cosmic drum n’ bass gem languished on my PC in the form of a crappily-encoded mp3, but even despite the low quality of the recording it was clear this track KICKED.ASS. so recently i tracked down the album it was first released on and upped it in superior CD quality. haven’t heard much quite like it since. it’s very…evocative. in an ‘if emotions could be transmitted as sound waves’ sorta way.
D’Angelo – Spanish Joint (95 North Mix)
a bootleg remix by 95 North, there’s not a huge amount of differences cept it’s slightly sped up with some extra drums and there’s a few wicked pan flute solos here n there. not the greatest mix, sound-quality wise, but still highly enjoyable n worth gettin geeked over if ur a D fan/completest.
R. Kelly – The Big C, Such A Man Is He & Fight Scene
back in 1995/96, R. Kelly continued ruling supreme as a giant in mainstream music whilst still remaining cool. well here’s a little gem i’m not sure a lot of Kells fans even know exist. the only reason i know about it is cos my brother was such a big fan, he specially ordered the Down Low Movie vinyl & VHS tape from the States. the project itself was an expansion of the original Down Low (Nobody Has To Know) song (featuring Ron Isley as Mr. Biggs) from my personal favourite Kells album, his 3rd self-titled joint from ’95. in Down Low – The Movie, the full story is told in long-form music video/short film format, with Ron Isley as Mr. Biggs and Kells as his no. 2. of course, as per the storyline of the song, Kells & Biggs’ lady mess around and then get fucked up as a result (“don’t…FUCK with me”, is something he warns Kells’ character). along with the film, the story is also told in an audio-only format on the vinyl, a track that goes for around 20mins and is narrated by Kells. also included on the vinyl was the track i have posted before you right now, a trio of storytelling points punctuated by music. however, the highlight for me is (and always has been) R. Kelly getting his Camille on with Such A Man Is He. it’s awesome yet sad at the same time, cos we rarely see Kells so comfy to switch genders in song (and in terms of creative left-fieldness, the Trapped In The Closet saga is as close as he’s gotten, but that was mostly laughable than a genuine triumph). add to that The Big C., which depicts Kells as a crime lord in Chicago singing about “how to get the coppas off our backs” lol, and you got a pretty diverse yet entertaining Kells audio soup.
Kutiman – Bango Fields
them funky Israelis are at it again. y’all need to get up on Ophir Kutiman Kutiel, like, yesterday.
—
V.
a multi-faceted multimedia cornucopia of info, good taste & entertainment
