Old School
Arthur here. Better later than never, right?
So let’s talk about Jamie Lidell. His new album, Multiply, has been out since July, and despite various attempts of those around me to get me to listen, I just never got hip to it. Not another young white guy trying to recreate the sounds of classic soul, I thought (fully aware, of course, of the irony of this viewpoint). Does the world really need another Remy Shand?
No, I don’t think so. But I think the world could use a couple more Jamie Lidells. Here’s the track that convinced me.
Jamie Lidell: When I Come Back Around
from Multiply(Warp 2005)
“When I Come Back Around” might be the funkiest thing I’ve heard in years. Maybe it’s just my latent Prince fanaticism talking - the keyboard solos sound like an outtake from Prince, and the production bears that same scent of “Composed, Produced, Arranged, and Performed By” that we’ve come to know and love. Except for one thing. Jamie Lidell is no Musicologist, talking shit about “programmers” forgoing instrumental study to play video games with their sequencers.
Jamie Lidell is a fucking electronic madman. Evan could probably tell you much more about his history with Warp Records, his background as an IDM type, in group with names like Super_Collider. Listen to some of his earlier work; you will find it…um…very different. But what does he bring to this album from that history?
He brings the NOISE. The little glitch hi-hats, the drums flying around your head. The breathing backwards boom synth blast off space noises. All intertwined with blazing keyboard solos.
This is some future shit. Funk for the 21st century.
And it is bad-ass.
evan :: Feb.04.2006 :: The Soul :: No Comments »