Wax Tailor - In The Mood For Life

French producer Wax Tailor releases his long awaited third album ‘In the Mood for Life’ through Wagram. Wax Tailor’s distinctive style is instantly recognisable but evolved writing and emphasis on string arrangements sees him embrace 60s pop and soundtracks to add to his palette of soul, funk and hip-hop.

His first album ‘Tales of the Forgotten Melodies’ drew comparisons to the likes of RJD2, Portishead and DJ Shadow, while his second ‘Hope & Sorrow’ (80,000 sold worldwide) landed him nominations at the prestigious Victoires de la Musiques and US Indie Awards. Wax Tailor is coming off a year which saw him tour relentlessly (over 200 concerts) and score the title track for the movie ‘Paris’ by Cedric Klapisch.

Having an “urban mood” in mind, Le Saoût headed across the Atlantic to produce ‘In the Mood for Life’ in New York as well as Paris. WT states “it's a long story about New York, just because that's the basis for a lot of things that have influenced me; about music, about cinema, about a lot of artists.”

A chance encounter in New York with artist and musician Sara Genn inspired Wax to write her the song ‘Dry Your Eyes’ with his friend Marina Quaisse, especially to match her voice. Other guest vocalists include Scandinavian hip-hop kings Speech Defect, Dionne Charles - one of the great voices of UK soul, singer-songwriter Charlie Winston, Mattic – the charismatic MC who has been there since the first album, the European collective ASM - who provided one of the highlights of the last album, Voice & Ali Harter – an incongruous meeting of the Louisiana MC and of one of folk music’s best kept secrets; and consistent muse Charlotte Savary.

Wax Tailor is the working pseudonym of French hip hop producer, Jean-Christophe Le Saoût. Born in 1975 in Vernon, Eure, Le Saoût has been involved in the French music scene from the early 90s. “I think when I began to work on this project it was 2002. That was the moment when I was quite bored about those separate things (jazz and hip hop) and wanted to have a blend of all the influences and the things that I really liked to mix. So that was the point when I was thinking about all my influences and thinking I want to make everything in it.”

Wax Tailor has performed around the world and shared the stage with a variety of acts including Air, Bonobo and De La Soul.

His music is beyond genres and defies categorization, it is a modern brand of pop music, designed with a rigor and an expertise that betrays the love this artist puts into his craft.

myspace.com/waxtailor | twitter.com/waxtailor

Gecko Turner - Gone Down South

Just as autumn arrives, Gecko Turner will be releasing his much anticipated album ‘Gone Down South’ just in time to brighten up those darkening days.

It’s been a long four years since his last release ‘Chandalismo Ilustrado’ and Gecko’s effortless style has once again delivered. Taking on board new sounds and experiences exposed to him, he’s crafted what many will feel his greatest release.

Recorded in California, Texas, London and Madrid with the help of Sunny Levine, Tim Gerron and Antonio Feola, ‘Gone Down South’ features a multitude of talent including trumpet maestro Irapoan Freire, the voice of Spanish soulman Gene García and the stunning piano of Cuban Javier "Caramelo" Masó.

Born close to the Spanish-Portuguese border, the bilingual Gecko Turner (real name Fernando Gabriel Echave Pelaez) began writing and singing in Spanish, Portuguese and English. After falling in love with the sounds of blues legends Muddy Waters and Jimmy Reed, and later Jazz hero Dizzy Gillespie a teenage Pelaez picked up a guitar and began to experiment.

Released on the Lovemonk Label, ‘Gone Down South’ starts with the soulful "Truly" leading onto the Afro-Cuban tune ‘Cuanta Suerte’ then the Velvet Underground-influenced ‘So Sweet’. ‘Tea Time’ is lazy funk lit up by the rhymes of rapper Isaya Thomas, while ‘Ámame, Mímame’, ‘You Can't Own Me’ and ‘Mbira, Mbira’ have taken more than a few sips from the old African well, the latter brilliantly mixing it up with rhythms coming from Extremadura-style flamenco. ‘Holly Hollywood’, ‘The Love Monk’ and ‘When I Woke Up’ do the funk, Gecko-style, while ‘Let's Stay Tonight’ is a ballad that sounds like a Motown excursion to Jamaica. The finishing touch comes in the form of a nice little blues ditty, title track, ‘Gone Down South’.

lovemonk.net | geckoturner.com

Nicolas Matar & Willi Graff - Cielo - Paradizo 2

More than just a name on a CD, ‘Cielo – Paradizo 2’ is the ultimate NYC club compilation. Hand-picked bona-fide gems, inspirational grooves and top notch production - a superbly blended mix of subtle summer beats and languid vibes.

Cielo has become a staple of the New York music scene. It has garnered awards from New York Magazine, Clubworld, Dancestar and Urb Magazine, including the coveted Best Club award. From its state-of-the-art space in downtown's ultra-chic Meatpacking District, Cielo provides a music program specializing in deeply soulful house music as well as various genres of electronic music. Cielo is a haven for mature individuals seeking intelligent nightlife with neither the hassles of large clubs nor the elitism of upscale lounges with too many VIP rooms. Once you are in Cielo, there are no more ropes, checkpoints, or rules. Security's goal is to compliment the experience, not to hinder it. Cielo has set a new level in New York nightlife by going back to basics: the best DJs on the planet, a strong door, impeccable service, stunning decor and lighting, and a sound system which will blow the most fastidious audiophile's socks off.

It is perhaps his greatest accolade that from 1993-2001, Nicolas Matar was the resident DJ of the world-renowned Pacha in Ibiza. Nicolas credits those years during the golden era of House Music at Pacha as the inspiration for his eventual return to New York to build Cielo. In addition to being the co-owner/resident DJ, Nicolas handles all music programming and marketing at Cielo. Roger Sanchez, Francois K., Louie Vega, Tedd Patterson, Richie Hawtin, Deepdish, Danny Tenaglia, and Frankie Knuckles are just a few of the DJs who play alongside Nicolas at Cielo on a regular basis. With a musical family heritage dating back to Studio 54, Nicolas brings that musical DNA to the heart of this mix.

Willie Graff, a Pacha resident himself, has also come of age as a producer. Born to American parents on the island of Ibiza, he started developing a taste for music at a very early age. Willie was fortunate to experience the white island’s magic at the tender age of 13, when he began frequenting local nightclubs and listening to house music. A few months later, he became Pacha’s youngest resident DJ before relocating to New York a few years later to accept an invitation to be resident DJ of Cielo.

Collaborating together, the two shine in the mix on ‘Cielo – Paradizo 2’.

nervousnyc.com

Truth - Puppets

‘Plastic People’ is the latest release by Anane from her album ‘Ananesworld’ on Nervous, co produced with Louie Vega.

The classic early 1980s sound fuses guitars, base lines and a touch of harmonica with a halting vocal style and twisted beats. The single is taken from her new album ‘Ananesworld’ which sees a mixture of dance, reggae, rock, R&B soul, world and Caribbean influences.

The singer, songwriter, producer and DJ from Santiago, West Africa moved to New York where she met DJ/Producer Louie Vega and made a name for herself with her edgy remake of the 1970s classic ‘Let Me Love You’ by Bunny Mack. An integral member of the Elements of Life Collective she then went on to forge an international career that has included appearances at Japan’s infamous Blue Note Festival, Europe’s giant Montreux Jazz Festival, Finland’s Pori Jazz, and Britain’s Womad Festival.

‘Combining earthiness with glamour and roots-deep house music knowledge with pop wise diversity.’ Billboard Magazine

This soulful songstress tours Europe and USA later on this year where she will no doubt bring the dance floor to life with a theatrical performance and unmistakable presence. Dates include 15th May in Miami and 24th August in Mykonos, Greece.

myspace.com/ananevega

Neon Circus - Don’t Get Panicked

‘Don’t Get Panicked’ is the debut album by Neon Circus, released through Jacket Pocket Records. The album follows the band’s singles ‘Future Disco’ and ‘Digit-Izm’, which have been supported by BBC Introducing and XFM.

Taking inspiration from classic albums by LCD Soundsystem, Leftfield, Death in Vegas, The Stone Roses and DJ Shadow, the 14 tracks on ‘Don’t Get Panicked’ see the band pack together punk-funk basslines, future-disco drums, washes of ambient synthesisers, tight riffs and drawled rock ‘n’ roll vocals. Their style has evolved from an ethos of striving to create music that is powerful and original.

Mackinlay Smith and Dan Gooch formed Neon Circus in Leicester in 2008 after having played in many local bands. Striking off together, the duo bought what recording equipment they could afford and moved into a garage attic. Here they set up what would become their studio and music refuge, filled with the albums they loved. Able to write and record on their own terms, tracks began to emerge from long nights of creative excess; eventually growing to form ‘Don’t Get Panicked’. After meeting at a warehouse party in the back streets of Leicester, Dominic Kealey became the third member of the band, eager to add more passion to band’s ethos.

Live, they incorporate samplers, laptops, vocals and percussion resulting in a fluid show which has more in common with a DJ set than a traditional band gig. Having played several gigs in their home town alongside such DJs as BBC Radio 1’s Zane Lowe, Neon Circus play their debut London gig on 25th June at Slipped Disco’s UFO @ Big Chill House, London. A UK tour follows later this year.

myspace.com/neoncircusmusic

Gaudi - No Prisoners & launch party

Gaudi’s latest album ‘No Prisoners’ arrives during a very successful time for the London based producer and artist. He’s been nominated for a BBC World Music Award for his last album ‘Dub Qawwali’ (with legendary Sufi singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan), collaborated with French musical inventor Michel Moglia and his unique Fire Organ - performing to a crowd of 350,000 at The Coliseum, Rome - while still finding time for official collaborations with Horace Andy, Grandmaster Flash, Simple Minds and an official Bob Marley project.

In all his albums Gaudi has worked to create his own down-tempo style using elements of dub, electronica and world music. ‘No Prisoners’ takes a step in an upbeat direction with raw production, live bass, guitars, percussion, drums, keys and more meeting Gaudi’s signature analogue mastery of vintage synthesizers, tape echoes and spring reverb. The result gives ‘No Prisoners’ the warmth and authenticity that has become synonymous with Gaudi’s music, while being his most energetic release yet.

A highly respected line-up of guests adds international appeal to the album. Amongst them, California’s conscious political lyricist and founder of Spearhead Michael Franti lends his emotive tones to ‘There’s Enough’, Brooklyn based reggae artist Dr Israel (of Easy Star All Stars ‘Dub Side Of The Moon’ fame) features on ‘No Time’, multi-million selling Italian singer-songwriter Elisa gives a feminine edge to ‘Brainwashed Again’ and Jamaican Reggae vocalist Kenny Knots goes deep with ‘Strictly Goodness’. Other notable guests include pioneering down-tempo dub producer Dub Gabriel on ‘Barracudub’ and UK electro-breaks producers Dom Smart (aka Neurodriver) and Tom Real who feature on ‘No More Blood’ and ‘Bad Boy Bass’ respectively.

‘No Prisoners’, as the title suggests, is an album made without concessions, each track uncompromising in the delivery of its sonic payload.

Gaudi is throwing a launch party for the album at The Truman Brewery on Wednesday 28th July - Doors open 7.30pm.




gaudimusic.com | sixdegreesrecords.com | myspace.com/gaudimusic