Aug 31, 2014

Sundaze 1435

Hello,  as the EU leaders put another dramatic spin on the Ukrainian civil war, a war they themselves are largely responsible for, but hey they are being replaced and in come another batch of nincompoops. I note that the Baltic states that like Ukraine were very pronazi in WO II are now screaming the loudest against Russia claiming they maybe next, strangely forgetting they are part of Nato unlike Ukraine. Ah yes then there's this nazi Dane the Nato secretary i believe he's been replaced the coming week as half of Cardiff is quarantined to protect the Nato scumbags from the people (at a cost of $80 million), as they discuss how to kill opposition to their nefarious actions.

Ishq means "love" in Persian and Hindi, it is also a word used by such past masters as Rumi to express love of the divine and the ecstatic love of the Sufi or lover of God and all God's creation. It's also the name of a band that will feature the coming weeks... ...N'Joy

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After various attempts in Cornwall, England, trying to make the most of a guitar-based sound, Mark Hillier decided that the U.K. festival scene was the new direction to turn. Inspired by Ozric Tentacles, Hawkwind, Steve Hillage, and others, Hillier moved into electronica and ambient music in 1991. Working under a number of aliases, including Indigo Egg and Cyandragonfly, Hillier has used various philosophies such as raja yoga, Buddhism, and Sufism to influence his music and his approach to it also.

Ishq are Matt Hillier and Jacqueline Kersley, they are based in St Ives Cornwall, UK and have been making music since about 1995 under various guises including Indigo egg, Ishvara, Elve, and a few other alter egos. Ishq music skirts between IDM electronica, deep ambience and even has some newage overtones. The emphasis seems to be on music as harmony.

Ishq's music has something of this overflowing and romatic spiritual quality and "'Beauty", it could be summed up as music of the heart (though also of the head).

Matt and Jacqueline also run Virtual (3), a limited edition CD label which releases their more experimental soundscape music and other studio works.

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INTERVIEW:
Matt Hillier & Ishq - Painting the Invisible Landscape

by Mike G, June 26 2014

For trippy ambient of the most subtle kind, ISHQ sets the bar very high. Composer-producer MATT HILLIER and vocalist JACQUELINE KERSLEY create psychedelic sounds of gentle awe and wonder, evoking both their Cornwall home and the invisible landscapes beyond. Ambient Music Guide talks to the duo about 15-plus years of lucid music making.

Matt Hillier and Jacqueline Kersley live amid idyllic English countryside near St Ives in Cornwall, home to some of the most beautiful landscapes in the British Isles. It's undeniable that the region is a deep well of inspiration for the duo, right down to the plethora of nature effects and field recordings that permeate Ishq albums. But for the listener, the magic of Ishq is that this sonic art is not limited by the landscapes that spawned it. The imagination is free to roam. And Hillier's hyper-real, three-dimensional sound design puts you right in the middle of it.

Still, much of the music that he composes could be seen as love letter to Cornwall. When did the magic of the region first strike him? "It was coming down here for holidays as a kid when I first got a taste for the West Country," he says. "Then in the late 80's I moved down for work and family reasons and eventually I fully fell in love with the place."

I ask how he would describe the place to someone who's never been there.

"It's a small fishing town surrounded by granite hills and with green fields going down to the sea, a mix of harsh and angry coastline and pretty sandy coves. In the summer it can be idyllic but in the winter the weather can turn it into something out of a horror film. As a town it's famous now for the second Tate gallery. But the area's had a strong art scene for years, largely based around painting and sculpture and it's also a very popular holiday destination."

Historically, St Ives' art scene has drawn a lot of unusual characters like Bryan Wynter and Sven Berlin who, in the 1940's and 50's, were famously involved in early experiments with mescaline. Their psychedelic experiences helped kickstart a new wave of abstract and figurative art and, according to Hillier, they were dishing out mescaline to sundry other now-famous artists in the area. "So that, along with an an underlying Pagan community and a landscape surrounding it that's very spacious, gives the place a certain image, even if it's only in my head. To me it feels like another land set apart from the UK a lot of the time."

For her part, Jacqueline Kersley says it's the Pagan and traditional Celtic character of the place that resonates. "I love the artistic energy of Cornwall, but it's also the feeling of it being slightly untouched. The traditional festivals and celebrations are still so strong down here. Cornwall also has a slight rebelliousness as a region and it stands outside the UK a little, like Wales and Scotland."

The psybient sound 

One thing that sets Ishq apart from a lot of UK and European ambient is a quality many people would baulk at, at least in theory: the new age element. It's always been part of the Ishq sound - nature themes, a meditative vibe, metaphysical ideas - but in Ishq's case it's been fashioned in such a way that's utterly central to the music without being cloying or cheesy. When you think of all the faux artists who've come up with exactly the opposite, that seems an almost miraculous achievement.

I mention the reappraisal and rediscovery that early independent new age music - mainly American - is undergoing at the moment, with the release of compilations such as I Am The Center (2013). "I wasn't aware of this, no" Hillier says. "I do remember the early new age stuff on cassettes and really it was not far off the early ambient stuff on Fax Records or Tangerine Dream. But then new age music went very retail and became quite one-dimensional."

Unsurprisingly, he struggles with definitions and ambient sub-genres. "Maybe I'm 'psychedelic new age'. My own thing is certainly leaning more towards psychedelic music of all kinds. I'm still writing music largely for psychonauts and the imagination and hippies. At the same time some of the releases are also quite meditative and can work on other levels, like Eno's idea of ambient. And I also like the idea of music as healing and transformative - I think most humans are in a process of healing and transformation anyway."

His creative relationship with Jacqueline Kersley has always been something of a mystery to fans. The pair have known each other for a long time; their sisters were good friends and they knew each other from school and social groups. In fact the duo that came be known as Ishq were already a couple before Hillier started making any music at all.

How did they come to be working together in the studio? "Jacqueline originally did some very spontaneous vocal takes when I wrote the Orchid album and the early material, so in that way she became the voice of Ishq. Her energy is very strong in some of the music. I'm the sole writer and producer in a practical sense, but it always felt right to give her half the credit as I am not sure some of the main Ishq works would have the same energy without her voice."

Kersley's voice appears in many different guises; you can expect almost anything except actual lyrics. Wispy solo bits, multi-tracked chorales, operatic figures; all colours for Hillier to paint with. After she records her vocal parts in the studio, what's it like coming back and hearing the finished results? "It's always a strange experience", she says. "Matt pushes the vocal takes a lot with reverb, reversing, delay and other effects and most of the takes I do are dry with no backing track. It's more like raw sample material for processing. I have no idea where or how they will be used most of the time."

Also inseparable from the music are Hillier's graphic designs and photography. The artwork found on Ishq albums - and the Ishq.org website - is trippy, exotic and textured, setting the scene beautifully for the music.

"For me, the art and music work hand in hand," agrees Hillier. "It just seemed to evolve that way. There are deeper elements to the designs, like the Virtual [his record label] glyphs and the use of symbols and hidden text. The intention is to create a more magical work or something that's not quite as obvious as most album releases. I suppose I'm always trying to create things which feel like their from another world or dimension."

Terence McKenna & the invisible landscape

The spirit of the late Terence McKenna (1946-2000) - philosopher, visionary, crazy guy and the most sampled voice in electronic psychedelia - circles in close orbit around planet Ishq. Perhaps thankfully, it's not in the form of yet more zany voice bytes about gnomes, dribbling basketballs and new ways to say hooray.

Like LSD guru Timothy Leary, McKenna was a fascinating and polarising figure. Some of his insights about consciousness expansion and human potential were original and penetrating. He also seemed completely fearless about exploring within. Producer of the Hearts Of Space radio program Stephen Hill recalls a lecture McKenna gave at Berkeley in California in the 1990's, in which he made the quite terrifying assertion that the only real way to experience the powerful hallucinogenic drug DMT was lying down alone and completely isolated in a totally dark room.

Each to their own, but upon listening to Ishq's delicate strains it would be safe to conclude that the music wasn't inspired by McKenna's psychedelic bungee jumping. The real connection comes from his intriguing concept of 'the invisible landscape'. Matt Hillier has spoken of this before, telling ezine Fluid Motion in 2008: "Visual art is a a big part of what I do...I write visual music which paints an image of what Terence McKenna called the invisible landscape, the inner worlds and planes. So I guess I always wanted to be a landscape painter, painting in the invisible world."

Just recently Ishq released an album actually tiled The Invisible Landscape (2014), surely a direct McKenna reference? "The album title was in part related to his books, yes. It's also a direct reference to the inner world and landscape of the imagination. I give him credit for the title, as it was the first time I heard the term. I think most of what I've done since then is in some way me trying to paint this landscape, but it also relates to the landscape of the natural world. The invisible landscape of the imagination is something you can't put it into words. People have to see or feel it for themselves. For me it's as real as this world. just way, way more beautiful and colourful in some respects."

The road to Orchid

Ishq's debut album Orchid (2002) is a bona fide ambient classic - a gentle walk through imaginary gardens, pristine landscapes and celestial spaces rendered with a strong melodic sense and deeply immersive sound design. It's often beatless, standing it apart from the beats-based chillout scene where the album initially found an audience. Even though Matt Hillier mostly prefers releasing music on is own Virtual label, Orchid's release on Canadian-based Interchill Records was valuable exposure and helped a great deal in introducing Ishq to the world.

The road that led to Orchid's creation was not mapped out; in fact the album almost never happened.

 The story begins in the early 1990's. Hillier's musical background was the early UK dance and rave scene, initially as a punter on the now legendary free festival scene. He and his friends were soaking up anything and everything: psychedelic rock, rave, acid house, Detroit techno, ambient. It was around this time that he met the late musician Jake Stephenson aka Optic Eye, who was also a distributor/retailer of music out of his front room in the evenings.

"Jake had built a studio and me and some mates had been doing acid jams on old home keyboards and guitars," Hillier explains. "It was Jake who got me into studio recording and started selling me all his old studio gear as he bought new stuff. I started making a mix of ambient, electronica and dance music, as that's what we were all listening to. One minute it was hard Tresor stuff, the next it was ambient like Fax Records and then it was space rock and so on. Then I got a release deal with Kinetix Records via Jake and wrote the early Indigo Egg stuff with him, as well as some trance and dance".

The Indigo Egg material - dating from 1995-96 and totaling two albums - segues between kinetic midtempo techno and more exotic downtempo psychedelia. Occasionally you'll hear a gentle combination of floating chords, nature recordings and jazzy chord changes that are suggestive of future Ishq. But, as Hillier explains, "the rave scene then kind of took over in the UK and psytrance kicked in. So I got more into writing that kind of stuff. But I was not really ever regimented enough to write that music well. It requires you follow lots of rules so that you produce a very specific sound. I was really banging my head against a wall doing that stuff for a few years and then I kind of gave up making music."

In truth, he says, he was burned out. He sold most of his studio gear, left London and moved back to Cornwall with Kersley. It was while slowly rebuilding his studio that he realised he was more into the ambient and electronica than high velocity dance. He toyed with the idea of self-releasing. "I thought that I could probably self-release in small numbers and began working on the Virtual label. I wrote Timelapse in Mercury (later released on Virtual) and then began working on Ishq material for what became Orchid."

That material, however, was originally a demo of just one track and it may well have gone no further. Hillier was still having a crisis of confidence that dated back to his departure from the London scene, and he distrusted the whole business. It was at this juncture that Jacqueline Kersley stepped in.

"After we moved to Cornwall, Matt had really lost a lot of faith in making music on a personal level," says Kersley. "He'd resigned himself to either stopping or doing something purely off his own back, which was the start of Virtual. Then one night he came up with one track which stood out from all the Virtual material - 'Bhakti' - and played it to me the following day. I remember me saying 'you must send this stuff off' and him saying 'what's the point?' as he was fully pessimistic at the time." But Kersley was persistent and eventually Hillier decided to try. After a search under 'ambient' on Yahoo he chose two labels: Hearts Of Space and Interchill Records. He sent the CD-R demo of 'Bhakti' and eventually heard from Interchill. It was Interchill's request for more material that resulted in Orchid, eventually released in 2002.

Interchill founder Andrew Ross Collins recalls: "Gordon Field and I were running the label at the time and he had a few demos from Matt, including the amazing track 'Bhakti'. When he played them to me I was blown away - kind of spellbound and in awe. So when I was over in the UK I traveled Southwest and met him in Cornwall at this beautiful and mystical location. Things just flowed from there." Of the album itself Collins says: "Orchid is a landmark album. Matt has always had his own sound. A humble person and creative genius.”

Stephen Hill, who was running Hearts Of Space Records at the time, is also a fan. "I place him in a small but distinguished category of English ambient musicians who have authentic sources of inspiration, rather than a technical or commercial orientation," says Hill. "He just makes really enjoyable records. As for the ‘Bhakti’ demo, I'm honored that Matt thought we were worth submitting his music to, but I can't say I recall it. The reason is probably that by 2000 the label was winding down and we sold it in 2001."

The next decade and beyond 

Hillier's recollection of Orchid's initial reception is positive, and it's an album that he feels had something to say (though, dear listener, it's up to you to decide that exactly that is). Looking back on the album also finds him pondering the whole creative process. "It's always felt its own work. I have a weird relationship with the music I release, as I really don't feel fully that it's mine or created by me. It's hard to explain but by the time I finish an album I'm already onto the next, and the one I just released feels like it was written by someone else."

There was a downside to Orchid, however: the album's very success meant no major releases from Ishq for almost a decade. The problem? Fan expectations and the resulting Difficult Second Album Syndrome.

 "That album was not premeditated," he says. "It was me jamming and writing tracks really with zero thought of an end result. The tracks just came out like that and somehow were perfect for Interchill at the time and it worked for a lot of people. But then with a second album people begin to expect a certain sound, more of the same. They want it as good as the first experience. The scene expects this of you. That pressure did me in a bit. I'm not good at meeting expectations and premeditating music. A kind of rebellious nature kicks in - if you say I must go right then I'll go left. With Ishq after Orchid a part of me wanted to press delete for a while and also I wanted to keep experimenting."

And experiment he did, releasing ambient and downtempo music mostly under other aliases: the beautiful/strange Faeri-themed noodlings of Elve, another album with Jake Stephenson as Colourform, and so on.

The Ishq drought finally broke in 2010. Two major albums appeared in quick succession - the outstanding Sama in 2010 on Electronic Soundscapes, followed in 2011 by And Awake on Interchill. There has also been a raft of new Ishq releases on the Virtual label - some are new music, others are archival releases and compilations.

The albums on Virtual tend to eschew beats even more than the three 'main' Ishq releases but vary quite widely - from almost pure abstraction (such as Lyght from 2012) to pieces built on rich, harmonic, droning chords (such as the aforementioned Invisible Landscape and Blue Infinity). That Hillier often chooses a beatless direction makes him an exception among producers from a dance music background, whose chillout music is usually anchored by defined drum loops. "With the whole beat and no beat thing, personally I'm just into it all," he says. "I always liked deeper, stilling music but many people don't. It's natural to want to add more kinetic energy. It's just that I often prefer it without any beat or bass for some reason and that's just what's flowed out in Ishq's music more recently. I'm still working on a lot of kinetic music, though. I love it all."

Today, Ishq's catalogue is substantial and easy to find and buy, including most of Hillier's obscure collaborations and another projects, which is manna from heaven for those fans who felt starved of music for so many years. He says, though, that Ishq never actually went way. "I was literally writing music all the time after Orchid in that style. Some of it became Sama and And Awake but most of it formed an album I will release sometime as the next main Ishq release."

The art of mastering

When he's not making music, Hillier also does professional mastering for other artists and labels. Given the sometimes extraordinary attention to detail that's apparent in his productions, mastering seems a natural choice for him.

He describes the craft as "very dark", insomuch as listening preferences change like the weather and people can be very particular about how mastering should make a piece of music sound. "You'll find artists and producers who think a heavy limited/compressed mix is great and sounds 'right' and who find a light mastering mix or one mixed for headphones 'wrong'. So it's become quite a strange world of 'right and wrong' when in truth there's neither. It's just personal preference."

His own preference nowadays is to tread lightly. "I correct any bad EQ that's irritating, leave in some transience and life and try and allow the music some room to breathe, not flatten it to death or over gloss it. If I can make it sound a little better, wider sometimes, richer and free from bad irritating errors, then that's it. I feel mastering is really about correcting and enhancing what the musician and mixer have achieved and just working with their sound and preference."

Until the end of time 

As our interview nears it's end the topic drifts back to psychedelia and - if you'll bear with me a moment - The Incredible String Band.

This brilliant psychedelic folk group recorded a series of exotic, nature-loving albums in the 60's that evoked a rare sense of cosmic wonder and other-worldliness. It's a quality found in all the best pastoral psychedelia including - in its own way - the music of Ishq. In an interview in 1994, the ISB's Robin Williamson said something rather profound - and funny - about the source of it all: "Music is an eternal power that runs from the beginning of time to the end of time and musicians get allowed to play it," he declared. "And you either get that, or think it's a load of old bollocks."

I put this to Matt Hillier. "That kind of sums it up. I tend to think of people who make music more as a medium or prism. I got the impression many times with music I heard - and also made - that I had heard it before. So time comes into the equation; time as a possible illusion. Then there's the whole subject of the musician as a channel, about how the musician's own ego or personality colours but can also weaken the music, turning it into a construct rather than a free expression."

 "Personally I feel that creating music is more a revealing of it," he adds. "It already exists as a work. We just have to realise it."

***  Ambientmusicguide.com


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Ishvara, ( Sanskrit: “Lord”) in Hinduism, God understood as a person, contrasting with the impersonal transcendent brahma. The title is particularly favoured by devotees of the god Shiva; the comparable term Bhagavan (also meaning “Lord”) is more commonly used by Vaishnavas (followers of the god Vishnu). Particular communities within the Hindu fold differ in their understanding of the relation between Ishvara and brahma. Theistic communities maintain that these two are one and the same, or even that the personal representation is superior; others, including some adherents of Advaita Vedanta, argue that Ishvara is a limited and ultimately inadequate representation of brahma.

The "magic square of the sun," was one of the most important symbols used to represent the sun in antiquity because of all the symbolism it possessed involving the perfect number "6." There are six sides to a cube, the numbers 1, 2, an 3, when added or multiplied together are equal to "6," and the sum of all the numbers from 1 to 36 arranged in a 6x6 magic square are equal to the number "666." The square is "magic" because the sum of any row, column, or diagonal is equal to the number "111." After the Church became the state religion of the Roman empire, possessing the diagram below could get you burned at the stake!

'Magik square of the sun' is the first in the Virtualworld series of releases which are the detailed immersive soundscape and electronica side of Ishq. The album was inspired by all things science fiction and written in a sense as a sci fi film on headphones mixing experimental electronica , sublime ambient harmonics and film samples and special fx into one long epic journey into futuristic imaginary worlds and landscapes.



Ishvara - Magik Square Of The Sun  (flac 406mb)

01 Nomad 21:06
02 Green Sun Prismatic Sky 17:48
03 Iqqoa 8:22
04 Blue Helix 5:50
05 Sun In Venus 5:57
06 Utopian Moon Garden 7:20
07 Infinity Beam Home 6:34

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Originally written in the late 90's and subsequently shelved and worked on over the years Ixland has now finally found its way onto cd and in a remastered and finished version. The album highlights the early beginnings of the artist matt hillier and ishq and documents his early work when he was based and recording from a semi squatted location in the UK called No1, a meeting point for weirdos and freaks. The album is itself the result of many late night sessions and early mornings and a melting pot of the free festival / early psychedelic ambient sound which is still highlighted in matts work.

The album is a colourful and both melodic and also tripped out series of tracks all forming one fluid vision with hints of everything from electro alien harmonics to tibetan cities in the clouds, organic and deep yet with hints of the lightness and beauty which have found their way into the music of Ishq.



Indigo Egg - Ixland (flac  322mb)

01 Clouds Of Indigo 13:01
02 Planet X 11:42
03 Tree Bark Dreams 9:51
04 Smiling Buddha 8:35
05 Lhasa Oblongata 3:24
06 Ixland / Clearlight 5:27
07 Home 2:13

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The first release on the Virtual space series, the album was written about 1 month before Orchid was completed in 2001 and originally ' found its way ' onto the web as a rough and ready demo version in mp3. Since then we had a few people ask to release it as a finished version and on audio cd with artwork and so 7 years later.. this is it.We have reworked and now finished this album fully and added new layers and mastered the original recording .The result is a beautifully deep and nebula ambient work and journey into a cosmos of monolithic shapes and space geometry.



Ishq - Timelapse in Mercury  (flac 208mb)

01 Departure 13:54
02 Nebula Phase 9:20
03 Hyperdrive 3:32
04 Photosphere 2:42
05 Cathedrals In Space 3:30
06 Timelapse In Mercury 9:43
07 Dark Clouds 1:44
08 Fluroscopia 5:28
09 Seraphim 7:30

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Aug 30, 2014

RhoDeo 1434 Grooves

Hello,

The coming weeks we focus on an American singer-songwriter, actor, and producer. He was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the mid-1960s. Hayes, Porter, Bill Withers, the Sherman Brothers, Steve Cropper, and John Fogerty were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of writing scores of notable songs for themselves, the duo Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, and others. He is also a 2002 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We'll start at the beginning ......N'joy

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Few figures exerted greater influence over the music of the 1960s and 1970s than Isaac Hayes; after laying the groundwork for the Memphis soul sound through his work with Stax-Volt Records, Hayes began a highly successful solo career which predated not only the disco movement but also the evolution of rap.

Hayes was born on August 20, 1942, in Covington, TN; his parents died during his infancy, and he was raised by his grandparents. After making his public debut singing in church at the age of five, he taught himself piano, organ, and saxophone before moving to Memphis to perform on the city's club circuit in a series of short-lived groups like Sir Isaac and the Doo-Dads, the Teen Tones, and Sir Calvin and His Swinging Cats. In 1962, he began his recording career, cutting sides for a variety of local labels.

Two years later, Hayes began playing sax with the Mar-Keys, which resulted in the beginning of his long association with Stax Records. After playing on several sessions for Otis Redding, Hayes was tapped to play keyboards in the Stax house band, and eventually established a partnership with songwriter David Porter. Under the name the Soul Children, the Hayes-Porter duo composed some 200 songs, reeling off a string of hits for Stax luminaries like Sam & Dave (the brilliant "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby," "Soul Man," and "Hold on, I'm Comin'"), Carla Thomas ("B-A-B-Y"), and Johnnie Taylor ("I Got to Love Somebody's Baby," "I Had a Dream").

In 1967, Hayes issued his debut solo LP Presenting Isaac Hayes, a loose, jazz-flavored effort recorded in the early-morning hours following a raucous Stax party. With the release of 1969's landmark Hot Buttered Soul, he made his commercial breakthrough; the record's adventuresome structure (comprising four lengthy songs), ornate arrangements, and sensual grooves -- combined with the imposing figure cut by his shaven head, omnipresent sunglasses, and fondness for gold jewelry -- made Hayes one of the most distinctive figures in music.

After a pair of 1970 releases, The Isaac Hayes Movement and To Be Continued, he reached his commercial zenith in 1971 with the release of Shaft, the score from the Gordon Parks film of the same name. Not only did the album win Hayes an Academy Award for Best Score (the first African-American composer to garner such an honor), but the single "Theme from Shaft," a masterful blend of prime funk and pre-rap monologues, became a number one hit.

After 1971's superb Black Moses and 1973's Joy, Hayes composed two 1974 soundtracks, Tough Guys and Truck Turner (in which he also starred). By 1975, relations with Stax had disintegrated following a battle over royalties, and soon he severed his ties with the label to form his own Hot Buttered Soul imprint. Although both 1975's Chocolate Chip and 1976's Groove-a-Thon went gold, his records of the period attracted considerably less attention than prior efforts; combined with poor management and business associations, Hayes had no choice but to file for bankruptcy in 1976.

After the 1977 double-LP A Man and a Woman, recorded with Dionne Warwick, Hayes began a comeback on the strength of the hit singles "Zeke the Freak," "Don't Let Go." and "Do You Wanna Make Love." Following the success of his 1979 collection of duets with Millie Jackson titled Royal Rappins, he issued a pair of solo records, 1980's And Once Again and 1981's Lifetime Thing before retiring from music for five years. After returning in 1986 with the LP U Turn and the Top Ten R&B hit "Ike's Rap," Hayes surfaced two years later with Love Attack before again dropping out of music to focus on acting.

In 1995, fully enshrined as one of the forefathers of hip-hop and newly converted to Scientology, Hayes emerged with two concurrent releases, the vocal Branded and instrumental Raw and Refined. Under the official name Nene Katey Ocansey I, he also served as a member of the royal family of the African nation of Ghana while continuing simultaneous careers as an actor, composer, and humanitarian. In 1997, Hayes provided the voice of what was slated to be a one-time character on the animated series South Park -- Jerome "Chef" McElroy, the main characters' favorite school cafeteria worker. Hayes was an instant hit, and Chef became a regular character on the show, lending advice and, oftentimes, breaking into songs that gently sent up Hayes' image as one of R&B's ultimate love men.

South Park made Hayes more visible than ever and cemented his status as an icon with a whole new generation. He contributed the infamous "Chocolate Salty Balls" to the South Park tie-in album Chef Aid, and naturally appeared in the film South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut. (He left the show only after an episode made fun of Scientology.) In 2000, Hayes revisited his biggest triumph of the past by appearing in the remake of Shaft starring Samuel L. Jackson. The following year, he supported Alicia Keys as a musician and arranger on her acclaimed debut, Songs in A Minor.

On August 5, 2003, Hayes was honored as a BMI Icon at the 2003 BMI Urban Awards for his enduring influence on generations of music makers. Throughout his songwriting career, Hayes received five BMI R&B Awards, two BMI Pop Awards, two BMI Urban Awards and six Million-Air citations. As of 2008, his songs generated more than 12 million performances. Although he recorded little during the 2000s, he appeared in many films, including 2004's Hustle and Flow. Hayes was in ill health on August 10, 2008, when he collapsed at his home in Memphis and was pronounced dead later that day of a stroke due to high blood pressure.

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Released in late 1970 on the heels of two chart-topping albums, Hot Buttered Soul (1969) and The Isaac Hayes Movement (also 1970), Isaac Hayes and the Bar-Kays retain their successful approach on those landmark albums for To Be Continued, another number one album. Again, the album features four songs that span far beyond traditional radio-friendly length, featuring important mood-establishing instrumental segments just as emotive and striking as Hayes' crooning. Nothing here is quite as perfect as "Walk on By," and the album feels a bit churned out, but To Be Continued no doubt has its share of highlights, the most notable being "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." The album's most epic moment opens with light strings and horns, vamping poetically for several minutes before Hayes even utters a breath; then, once the singer delivers the song's orchestral chorus, the album hits its sentimental peak -- Hayes elevating a common standard to heavenly heights once again. Elsewhere, "Our Day Will Come" features a nice concluding instrumental segment driven by a proto-hip-hop beat that proves just how ahead of his time Hayes was during his early-'70s cycle of Enterprise albums. It's tempting to slight this album when holding it up against Hayes' best albums from this same era, but a comparison such as this is unfair. Even if Ike isn't doing anything here that he didn't do on his two preceding albums -- Hot Buttered Soul, The Isaac Hayes Movement -- and isn't quite as daring as he is on his two successive albums -- Black Moses, Shaft -- To Be Continued still topples any Hayes album that came after 1971. It didn't top the R&B album chart for 11 weeks on accident -- this is quintessential early-'70s Isaac Hayes, and that alone makes it a classic soul album.



Isaac Hayes - To Be Continued (flac 224mb)

01 Monologue: Ike's Rap I 3:59
02 Our Day Will Come 5:27
03 The Look Of Love 11:14
04 Medley: Ike's Mood I / You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' 15:34
05 Runnin' Out Of Fools 5:52

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Of the many wonderful blaxpoitation soundtracks to emerge during the early '70s, Shaft certainly deserves mention as not only one of the most lasting but also one of the most successful. Isaac Hayes was undoubtedly one of the era's most accomplished soul artists, having helped elevate Stax to its esteemed status; therefore, his being chosen to score such a high-profile major-studio film shouldn't seem like a surprise. And with "Theme from Shaft," he delivered an anthem just as ambitious and revered as the film itself, a song that has only grown more treasured over the years, after having been an enormously popular hit at the time of its release. Besides this song, though, there aren't too many more radio-targeted moments here. "Soulsville" operates effectively as the sort of downtempo ballad Hayes was most known for, just as the almost 20-minute "Do Your Thing" showcased just how impressive the Bar-Kays had become, stretching the song to unseen limits with their inventive, funky jamming. For the most part, though, this double-LP features nothing but cinematic moments of instrumentation, composed and produced by Hayes while being performed by the Bar-Kays -- some downtempo, others quite jazzy, nothing too funky, though. Even if it's not quite as enjoyable as Curtis Mayfield's Superfly due to its emphasis on instrumentals, Shaft still remains a powerful record; one of Hayes' pinnacle moments for sure.



Isaac Hayes - Shaft  (flac 488mb)

01 Theme From Shaft (Vocal) 4:37
02 Bumpy's Lament 1:49
03 Walk From Regio's 2:22
04 Ellie's Love Theme 3:15
05 Shaft's Cab Ride 1:07
06 Cafe Regio's 6:09
07 Early Sunday Morning 3:47
08 Be Yourself 4:27
09 A Friend's Place 3:21
10 Soulsville (Vocal) 3:47
11 No Name Bar 6:09
12 Bumpy's Blues 4:01
13 Shaft Strikes Again 3:04
14 Do Your Thing (Vocal) 4:40
15 The End Theme 1:56

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The sheer tenacity -- albeit undeniably fitting -- of this double-disc set has made Black Moses (1971) one of Isaac Hayes' most revered and best-known works. The multi-instrumental singer/songwriter and producer had been a central figure in the Memphis soul music revolution of the mid-1960s. Along with Booker T. and The MG's, Hayes' wrote and performed on more Stax sides than any other single artist. By the time of this release -- his fifth overall, and first two-record set -- Hayes had firmly established himself as a progressive soul artist. His stretched out and well-developed R&B jams, as well as his husky-voiced sexy spoken "raps" became key components in his signature sound. Black Moses not only incorporates those leitmotifs, but also reaffirms Hayes abilities as an unmistakably original arranger. Although a majority of the album consists of cover material, all the scores have been reconfigured and adapted in such a fundamental way that, for some listeners, these renditions serve as definitive. This is certainly true of the extended reworkings of Jerry Butler's "Brand New Me," or Esther Phillips' "You're Love Is So Doggone Good" -- both of which are prefaced by the spoken prelude to coitus found in each respective installment of "Ike's Rap." The pair of Curtis Mayfield tunes -- "Man's Temptation" and "Need to Belong to Someone" -- are also worth noting for the layers of tastefully scored orchestration -- from both Hayes and his long-time associate Johnny Allen. The pair's efforts remain fresh and discerning, rather than the dated ersatz strings and horn sections that imitators were glutting the soul and pop charts and airwaves with in the mid-1970s. Hayes' own composition, "Good Love," recalls the upbeat and jive talkin' "Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic" from Hot Buttered Soul (1969), adding some spicy and sexy double-entendre in the chorus. Wisely, the CD reissue also reproduced Chester Higgins' original tongue-in-cheek liner note essay giving the history and mythology of the Black Moses persona.



Isaac Hayes - Black Moses (flac 589mb)

01 Never Can Say Goodbye 5:10
02 (They Long To Be) Close To You 9:05
03 Nothing Takes The Place Of You 5:32
04 Man's Temptation 5:04
05 Part Time Love 8:34
06 Medley: Ike's Rap IV / A Brand New Me 9:44
07 Going In Circles 7:02

08 Never Gonna Give You Up 5:47
09 Medley: Ike's Rap II / Help Me Love 7:34
10 Need To Belong To Someone 5:16
11 Good Love 5:18
12 Medley: Ike's Rap III / Your Love Is So Doggone Good 9:18
13 For The Good Times 5:24
14 I'll Never Fall In Love Again 4:56

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Aug 28, 2014

RhoDeo 1434 Goldy Rhox 175

Hello, today the 175th post of GoldyRhox, classic pop rock in the darklight is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and humanitarian activist (born 13 February 1950), who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis, he went on to a successful solo career.

More recently, today's mystery artist has focused on producing and promoting world music and pioneering digital distribution methods for music as well as his involvement in humanitarian efforts. Our man has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1987, six Grammy Awards, thirteen MTV Video Music Awards, the first Pioneer Award at the BT Digital Music Awards, and in 2007 he was honoured as a BMI Icon at the 57th annual BMI London Awards for his "influence on generations of music makers". In recognition of his many years of human rights activism, he received the Man of Peace award from the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in 2006, and in 2008, TIME magazine named Gabriel one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He was also awarded the Ivor Novello Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2007, and the Polar Music Prize in 2009. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Genesis in 2010 and he is to be inducted as a solo artist in 2014.

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Most of the albums i 'll post made many millions for the music industry and a lot of what i intend to post still gets repackaged and remastered decades later, squeezing the last drop of profit out of bands that for the most part have ceased to exist long ago, although sometimes they get lured out of the mothballs to do a big bucks gig or tour. Now i'm not as naive to post this kinda music for all to see and have deleted, these will be a black box posts, i'm sorry for those on limited bandwidth but for most of you a gamble will get you a quality rip don't like it, deleting is just 2 clicks...That said i will try to accommodate somewhat and produce some cryptic info on the artist and or album.



Today's mystery album is the fifth studio album by today's English rock musician, released on 19 May 1986 by Charisma Records. After working on the soundtrack to the film Birdy (1984), producer Daniel Lanois was invited to remain at Gabriel's home during 1985 to work on his next singing project.

Today's mystery album is the artist's first non-eponymous album. Hehas noted his dislike for titling albums, mainly because it distracts from the sleeve design. In an interview for Rolling Stone, he commented, "I decided to go for the anti-title ... It can be more a piece of graphic, if you like, as opposed to something with meaning and intention. And that's what I've done ever since". The sleeve design is a portrait of the artist photographed by Trevor Key, who was then most famous for capturing the bell artwork for Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells (1973). It was then designed by Peter Saville and Brett Wickens, the former of whom had designed several sleeves for Factory Records artists.

At the 29th Annual Grammy Awards, today's mystery album was nominated for Album of the Year, losing to Paul Simon's Graceland (1986), while "Sledgehammer" received nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.

Today's mystery album is often regarded as today's artist best album, as well as one of the best albums of the 1980s. Rolling Stone placed So at 187 on its 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and at 14 on its 100 Best Albums of the 1980s, noting that "despite its mass appeal, however, the album also presented compelling challenges." It has been profiled in the Classic Albums series and featured in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. It is the artists' best-selling album, it has been certified fivefold platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. It spawned five singles, "Sledgehammer", "Don't Give Up", "Big Time", "In Your Eyes" and "Red Rain". "Sledgehammer" received particular success, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and winning a record of ten MTV Video Music Awards.It was remastered in 2002 and it's available here.



Goldy Rhox 175   (flac 293mb)

Goldy Rhox 175   (ogg 107mb)


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Aug 27, 2014

RhoDeo 1434 Aetix

Hello, well today belongs to the return of Kate Bush, 35 years her fans had to wait to see her on stage again, the coming weeks she will be doing her thing at the Hammersmith Apollo Theater in London. Anyway her fans, some had flown in from L.A. and Australia, were more nervous than she was as she gave a great performance and her voice, well it was all there. I'm sure you'll be able to buy an official video come X'mas, if not that would be a mistake.


Today's band is an alternative jangle pop group. They originated in Marietta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, but they were often billed as being "from Athens, Georgia" in the early 1980s. The band formed in 1981 and disbanded in 1989. They reformed in 1997, but never recorded any new material.....N'Joy

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Guadalcanal Diary is an alternative jangle pop group. They originated in Marietta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, but they were often billed as being "from Athens, Georgia" in the early 1980s. The band formed in 1981 and disbanded in 1989. They reformed in 1997, but never recorded any new material. After going on hiatus in 2000, Guadalcanal Diary temporarily reunited for a second time in 2011 for Athfest, where they celebrated their 30th anniversary.

While frequently lumped in with such Southern alternative pop bands as R.E.M. and Let's Active, Guadalcanal Diary was distinctly different from its peers, with a sound that was at once melodic and rhythmically aggressive, and a decidedly literary and spiritual bent to the group's lyrics. And at a time when Athens, Georgia, was being hailed as the new center of the smart-pop universe, Guadalcanal Diary hailed from Marietta, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb where the band formulated its sound with little input or influence from the local rock scene.

Guadalcanal Diary was formed in 1981 by guitarist and singer Murray Attaway and lead guitarist Jeff Walls, who'd first met in high school and joined a punk band called Strictly American. Rhett Crowe, who was sharing a house with Attaway at the time and was learning to play bass guitar, joined the new band's lineup, and shortly before the new group's first show, John Poe, a former bassist who has worked with Walls, was recruited to play drums when their original timekeeper quit at the last minute. Attaway's roommate chose the name Guadalcanal Diary, from a book by Richard Tregaski about the U.S. campaign against Japan during World War II, enamored of the name's surface ambiguities and undertones of patriotism and warfare.

After developing a reputation on the Georgia music scene thanks to frequent gigging in Atlanta and Athens, Guadalcanal Diary cut its first record, a four-song EP called Watusi Rodeo, in 1983 for the Athens-based DB Records label. A year later, DB and the band followed it up with a full-length album, Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man, produced by Don Dixon. Filled with rich but moody songs about faith, doubt, and the legacy of life in the Deep South, and driven by thundering drums and the clarion call of electric guitars, Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man quickly won an enthusiastic reception from critics and college radio programmers, and in 1985 Elektra Records signed Guadalcanal Diary and reissued the album. More touring followed, as did a cameo appearance in a best-forgotten youth comedy called Rockin' Road Trip.

In 1986, the band released its first album financed by Elektra, Jamboree, which was produced by Rodney Mills, best known for his work with the likes of .38 Special and the Atlanta Rhythm Section. While Mills brought a greater polish to Guadalcanal Diary's approach and the band displayed a greater stylistic diversity, it lacked the force and impact of Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man and was not as well received. Guadalcanal Diary returned to the studio with Dixon for 1987's 2x4, which coupled the energy of the first album with Jamboree's sense of musical adventure and spawned a minor alternative rock hit, "Litany (Life Goes On)." However, Guadalcanal Diary's busy touring schedule was beginning to take its toll when the group cut 1989's uneven Flip-Flop, and by the end of the year, after a long stretch on the road, the bandmembers amicably parted ways.

Following Guadalcanal Diary's breakup, Murray Attaway signed to Geffen as a solo artist, and released the well-reviewed In Thrall in 1993. Walls played guitar with Hillbilly Frankenstein and Dash Rip Rock, and produced recordings for Southern Culture on the Skids, the Woggles, and Man or Astro-Man? Poe pursued a low-key solo career, and Crowe retired from music after a short spell with Ottoman Empire to raise her children. In 1995, Attaway began recording a second album and decided to invite Walls, Poe, and Crowe to join him on a few songs, and while the album was never released due to a change of management at Geffen, the four were happy enough with the tunes they recorded to play a few reunion gigs in Atlanta.

In late 1998, the band self-released a live album, At Your Birthday Party, recorded at one of its reunion shows; in 2000, the bandmembers announced they'd gone back on hiatus, but had not ruled out working together again in the future. Continued interest in Guadalcanal Diary has been confirmed by a two-fer compact disc reissue of Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man and Jamboree, released by Collectables in 2003, and limited-edition, remastered, and expanded editions of the group's first three albums, issued by the Rhino Handmade imprint in 2003 and 2004. In 2009, as an answer to increasing online demand for new music and shows, Murray Attaway and Jeff Walls formed the band Bomber City as an outlet to play their large backlog of solo material and favorite Guadalcanal Diary songs. In 2011, Guadalcanal Diary briefly reunited to play Athfest, where they celebrated their 30th anniversary.

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Like R.E.M., the B-52's, and Pylon, this fine band hailed from the unlikely independent-rock hotbed of Athens, GA. The long jangle pop shadow of R.E.M. is extremely strong on this release, with seven of the ten tracks showing either full or partial influence of that group. Fortunately, the songs here are excellent, exhibiting much variety within this style. "Trail of Tears," a haunting antiwar number, sounds the most like their Athens counterparts. "Fire From Heaven" is more up-tempo, intense, and dynamic, while "Sleepers Awake" is an ominous, slowly unfolding song. "Ghost on the Road" is primarily a fast country-punk number that saves its R.E.M. stylings for its yearning chorus. "Gilbert Takes the Wheel" and the title track are jangly instrumentals, the former being a fast rocker with a thudding beat, the latter being a lengthy slow-tempo selection exhibiting noticeable psychedelic traits. Other territory is touched on as well. "Pillow Talk" is a winsomely energetic Everly Brothers-influenced song. The brilliant "Watusi Rodeo" is a jumpy pop number sporting over-the-top surf guitar licks and inspired hilarious-yet-uncomfortable lyrics about "Ugly American" cowboys in Africa. There's also an eccentric cover of the missionary hymn "Kum Ba Yah," complete with appreciative background audience shouting, an energetic drum solo, and extreme contrasts of loud and soft dynamics (sometimes within the same verse line). This odd yet strong album is well worth hearing.



Guadalcanal Diary - Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man  (flac 337mb)

01 Trail Of Tears 2:28
02 Fire From Heaven 3:55
03 Sleepers Awake 3:13
04 Gilbert Takes The Wheel 2:36
05 Ghost On The Road 2:56
06 Watusi Rodeo 2:40
07 Why DoThe Heathen Rage? 3:02
08 Pillow Talk 2:01
09 Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man (Part 1) 4:36
10 Kumbayah 3:49
bonus
11 Johnny B. Goode 3:46
12 Michael Rockefeller 4:56
13 Liwa Wechi 2:51
14 John Wayne 3:12
15 Dead Eyes 3:19
16 Just An Excuse 2:53
 
Guadalcanal Diary - Walking In The Shadow Of The Big Man (ogg 126mb)

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After the musical and commercial disappointment of Guadalcanal Diary's second album, the overcooked and overproduced Jamboree, the band took a simultaneous step back and leap forward on their third long-player, 1987's 2x4. 2x4 found the band working once again with producer Don Dixon, who had captured their mingled punch and jangle on their debut, 1984's Walking in the Shadow of the Big Man, and the happy irony was that Dixon was able to give the band the tougher and more detailed sound they failed to get on Jamboree. At the same time, Guadalcanal Diary rose to the occasion with a batch of songs that merited Dixon's more muscular treatment; 2x4 isn't short on pop smarts, but Murray Attaway and Jeff Walls put a lot more weight behind their guitars on this set, and bassist Rhett Crowe and drummer John Poe weren't afraid to keep up with their wall of sound. "Things Fall Apart" and "Litany (Life Goes On)" proved Guadalcanal Diary could have their cake and eat it too, holding on to the obtuse Southern accents of their earlier work while introducing plenty of Big Rock swagger to the mix, as "Little Birds" and "3 a.m." offered reassurance that the band still knew how to turn down their amps when circumstances demanded. If Guadalcanal Diary succumbed to the stereotypical sophomore slump with Jamboree, they managed a far stronger third-inning rebound than the majority of their peers on 2x4, which sounds like the group's strongest and most confident album.



Guadalcanal Diary - 2x4  (flac 261mb)

01 Litany (Life Goes On) 3:41
02 Under The Yoke 4:28
03 Get Over It 3:00
04 Little Birds 3:57
05 Things Fall Apart 2:44
06 Let The Big Wheel Roll 2:40
07 And Your Bird Can Sing 2:07
08 Where Angels Fear To Tread 3:13
09 New Born 4:41
10 Winds Of Change 2:55
11 Say Please 2:10
12 3 AM 4:12
13 Lips Of Steel 3:28

Guadalcanal Diary - 2x4  (ogg 102mb)

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Guadalcanal Diary's final album is simultaneously their most stylistically consistent and their least effective. Most of the songs on this release uneasily mix walloping rock, arena stylings, and ringing R.E.M. touches; most have clearer, somehow less effective lyrics, some of which (most notably in "The Likes of You") are riddled with cliches. The temptation to think that the band is going for chart success in a big way is very strong here. A few off-style excursions can be found, all but one showing strong ties to songs on earlier albums. "Ten Laws" has the slow, ominous feel of "Spirit Train." "...Vista" mixes musical elements of "Country Club Gun" and "T.R.O.U.B.L.E." in an uneasy alliance with nonsense lyrics. And "Fade Out" (probably the album's best track) is a further excursion into paisley-period Beatles that recalls "Lips of Steel." The one surprise here is the power-pop selection "Always Saturday." A number of the songs on this release have sour, angry lyrics excoriating such things as out-of-control drunks ("Whiskey Talk") and women both snooty ("The Likes of You") and vacuous ("Pretty Is as Pretty Does"). In short, the group seems to be stagnating. Fans of this band will likely find this release to be a letdown from earlier efforts.



Guadalcanal Diary - Flip-Flop  (flac 236mb)

01 Look Up ! 2:28
02 Always Saturday 4:09
03 The Likes Of You 3:03
04 Barometer 4:05
05 Happy Home 2:47
06 Whiskey Talk 3:30
07 Pretty Is As Pretty Does 4:00
08 Everything But Good Luck 2:48
09 Ten Laws 3:42
10 Fade Out 4:52
11 …Vista 3:05

Guadalcanal Diary - Flip-Flop  (ogg 89mb)

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Aug 26, 2014

RhoDeo 1434 Roots

Hello, just watched Breaking Bad pick up a string of Emmy's, I guess all the other nominees must have felt chance-less, next year it will be split between Mad Men (ending) and Game Of Thrones (neverending), meanwhile summer remains like mid autumn in NW Europe rather bizarre in these days of global warming but then if it wasn't for the warm gulfstream these temps would be normal, still for those on holiday it must be frustrating. Then again in Africa....

In the late 60s and early 70s, James Brown’s funky new bag hit West Africa like an atom bomb. The funk groove was a perfect fit with the traditional rhythms and High-life guitar and horn sounds that were dominant in the region. The same thing had happened 40 years earlier when Cuban music came home to Africa, would happen again in a few years when Reggae spread across the continent. . ... N'joy

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What we have here on BOONIAY!! is a DJ-selected collection of dance-floor movers, mostly from the 70s and mostly from Ghana; a tasty variety of highlife-disco-funk hybrids that sprout like tropical fungus with phase-shifted and wa-wa guitars, farty vintage synths, glorious drum and percussion beds, massive Mother Drum bass lines, sweet, rough, and soulful vocals. Verve, imagination, and exuberance are evident on every track.

This collection lacks the informative liner notes of the recent NIGERIA 70s set on Strut, but it does provide an equally valuable window on the rich ferment of African music and culture that was happening at the time. As a bonus for analog fans, there’s plenty of vinyl crackle and pop on these re-masters, and the transfer to digital is just right: the bass sound is fat and incisive, the percussion vivid and alive; warm and fuzzy rules here.



VA - Booniay!!, A Compilation of West African Funk  (flac  344mb)

1 Brigth Engelberts And The B.E. Movement - Get Together 4:52
2 Gyedu Blay-Ambolley - Akoko Ba 5:24
3 Matata - Good Samaritan 2:37
4 William Onyeabor - Body And Soul 10:06
5 George Danquah - Hot And Jumpy 4:09
6 Gyedu Blay-Ambolley - Fa No Dem Ara 4:36
7 Brigth Engelberts And The B.E. Movement - Tolambo Funk 5:47
8 Atomic Bomb Zigoto - Menyeckse 7:06
9 Vis A Vis - Susan Sue 4:20
10 Gyedu Blay-Ambolley - This Hustling World 4:12

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Club Africa features an infectious blend of '70s cuts informed by Fela's groundbreaking Afro roots and jazz blend. High profile moments come courtesy of Mandingo, Peter King, and Miriam Makeba, revealing the collection's cross-cultural bent in the process. In fact, a good amount here is global, coming from the likes of Columbia's Wganda Kenya, the New York-African group Buari (featuring jazz drummer Bernard Purdie), and the U.S. session band behind Chakachas' funk hit "Jungle Fever." And, yes, there is plenty of Africa here too, not only in all the music of course, but more directly in the Fela-meets-Sunny Ade side "Jungle Funk" by Nigeria's Nkengas and the Afro-Cuban cut "Kenia" by Kenya's Mombasa. The grooves are incredible throughout, making it easy to believe, as Dewbury purports in the liner notes, that this music is "the flavor of '99 with cutting edge DJs." Save for the Gaytones' lifeless rendition of the Manu Dibango hit "Soul Makossa" and the Ashantis' Afro-Allman Brothers jam "Everybody's Groove," it's not hard to see why the hipsters of Dance Nation are getting down to cuts like these.



VA - Club Africa, Vol.1; Hard African Funk, Afro-Jazz, and Original Afro-Beat  (flac  452mb)

01 Oneness Of Juju - River Luv Rite 8:04
02 Wganda Kenya - Shakalaode 7:72
03 The Daktaris - Eltsuhg Ibal Lasiti 5:05
04 Buari - Karam Bani 4:23
05 Sookie - Rhythm On Rhythm 3:38
06 Mandingo - The Cheetah 3:27
07 The Gaytones - Soul Makossa 2:50
08 Mombasa - Kenia 6:44
09 Living Funk - Silver Black Summer Day 4:16
10 Nico Gomez And His Afro Percussion Inc. - Ritual 3:52
11 Nkengas - Jungle Funk 3:26
12 Peter King - Afro Funk 3:52
13 The Ashantis - Everybody's Groove 3:18
14 Miriam Makeba - Samba 5:06

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The twelve tracks on the record explore West Africa's groove-heavy assimilation of the psychedelic revolution, albeit a few years (and a couple thousand miles) removed from 1967's Summer of Love.   Spanning countries such as Mali, Gambia, Benin, Nigeria, Ghana, and Cameroon, this collection spotlights a time of incredible creative fermentation, reflecting on colonialism's more fortunate byproduct:   the fascinating and unique intersection of hallucinogenic, distorted Western psychedelia and local, traditional African music.   This phenomenon of Afro-Rock is what lies at the heart of Love's A Real Thing.

The record kicks off with the funk/soul inflections and James Brown-style shrieks of Benin's Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou Dahomey , followed by Gambia's Super Eagles , with their electric keyboards, sitar-like guitar and affinity for pedal effects, updating progressive fusion with African roots in the title track.   Known for wearing Sergeant Pepper-style uniforms, Super Eagles was a hugely popular group ñ their cover of Hey Jude was as well known in Gambia as the original. Cameroon's Manu Dibango  provides insight into the altered state element of psychedelic music through a moody, atmospheric marimba-based theme from the Senegalese film ìCeddo.î   Representing Mali, Sorry Bamba 's masterful arrangement of keyboard, brass, and electric guitar, ìPorry,î modernizes a comic, self-aggrandizing drinking song.

No. 1 de No. 1  de Guinea 's elaborates a transcendentally rhythmic groove with Cuban-influenced trumpet and Hendrix-styled guitar, and, given the time, an unusually restrained and effective use of the wah-wah pedal in ìGualira Ven.î   From Nigeria, Lagos-based William Onyeabor 's ìBetter Change Your Mindî juxtaposes politically conscious lyrics condemning the imperial powers of the time with a thumping bass and soaring keyboards. A frequent collaborator with ex-cream drummer Ginger Baker in the early 70s, Nigeria's talking drum specialist Gasper Lawal concocts a dreamy percussion-heavy chorus-chanting paean with ìAwon-Ojise-Oluwa.î Closing out the record, ten-piece Malian band Orchestre Regional de Kayes, led by Harouna Barry, hint at yet another cultural transmigration with the Arabic-tinged vocal rounds of ìSanjina.î



VA - World Psychedelic Classics 3- Love's a Real Thing  (flac  369mb)

01 Orchestre Poly-Pythmo De Cotonou Dahomey - Minsato Le, Mi Dayihome 3:19
02 Super Eagles - Love's A Real Thing 2:58
03 Moussa Doumbia - Keleya 6:40
04 Manu Dibango - Ceddo End Title 5:08
05 Sorry Bamba - Porry 8:15
06 No. 1 de No. 1 - Guajira Van 5:11
07 William Onyeabor - Better Change Your Mind 8:21
08 Ofo & The Black Company - Allah Wakbarr 3:30
09 Gasper Lawal - Awon-Ojise-Oluwa 6:22
10 Bunzu Sounds - Zinabu 3:19
11 Tunji Oyelana and The Benders - Ifa 4:58
12 Orchestre Regional De Kayes - Sanjina 5:59


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Aug 25, 2014

RhoDeo 1434 Cabin P 20

Hello, well as mentioned yesterday, the Mercedes riders clashed and opened the door to Red Bull and once again Vettel missed his chance and was busy fighting the other riders most of the race whilst Ricciardo cruised to another victory , amazing season that guy is having, today it was like the red sea parted for him as a bonus to this effortlessness he could skip a tire change and that left the remaining Mercedes of Rosberg unable to catch him. Big mouth Hamilton had already left the race after being unable to make any real headway, after losing more than a minute with a flat tire in the 2nd round and no safetycar to compress the field showed up. It was an enetertainig race all apart from the winner Ricciardo had to do break a real sweat for their points.

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Cabin Pressure is a radio situation comedy series written by John Finnemore. Its first series was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2008. The show follows the exploits of the oddball crew of the single aeroplane owned by "MJN Air" as they are chartered to take all manner of items, people or animals across the world. The show stars Stephanie Cole, Roger Allam, Benedict Cumberbatch and John Finnemore.

The principal cast, the 4-person crew, is the following:

As part of her last divorce settlement, Carolyn Knapp-Shappey (Stephanie Cole) received a mid-size (16 seat) jet aeroplane named "GERTI" (a "Lockheed McDonnell 312", registration G-ERTI). As a result, she founds her very own single plane charter airline, "MJN Air" ("My Jet Now"), which is crewed by an oddball mixture of characters who fly to various cities around the world, encountering a variety of situations.

The airline's only Captain, Martin Crieff (Benedict Cumberbatch), has wanted to be a pilot since he was six years old (before which he wanted to be an aeroplane). He suffers, however, from a distinct lack of natural ability in that department. He was rejected by at least one flight school, and had to put himself through the required coursework, barely qualifying for his certification – on his seventh attempt. He took the job with MJN for no salary at all, as long as he could be Captain. He appears to have no outside interests beyond flying. He is a stickler for procedures and regulations, but is more prissy than pompous. At the end of series two he tells Douglas that he survives financially by running a delivery service using the van he inherited from his father (running two different jobs largely explaining the lack of hobbies). This was his only inheritance (apart from a tool kit and multimeter) because his father believed he would waste any money he received trying to become a pilot. He has two siblings, Caitlin, now a traffic warden and Simon, a council administrator who often frustrates Martin with his annoying superiority. This isn't helped by his Mother's constant admiration of Simon, often saying that "Simon knows best".

First Officer Douglas Richardson (Roger Allam) is, on the other hand, a quite competent pilot who worked for Air England – until he was fired for smuggling. He chafes at his subordinate position to Martin, and misses no opportunity to flaunt his superiority in the younger pilot's face. In later episodes, it is revealed that Douglas, ashamed of his second-rate job, dresses in Captain's uniform for his wife Helena's benefit, changing to First Officer's uniform before he gets to work. Douglas is, however, something of a smooth operator who knows all of the dodges available to airline officers, and enjoys taking part in all of them.

Carolyn's son Arthur Shappey (John Finnemore) is an eager and cheery dimwit aged 29, who is supposed to be the flight attendant but usually manages to get in everyone's way. He is half-English and half-Australian; Carolyn is his English mother, and Gordon, Carolyn's ex-husband, his Australian father (original owner of Gertie). Arthur is a relentless optimist, whose biggest claim to fame is being the inventor (or at least discoverer) of fizzy yoghurt (the recipe for which is yoghurt plus time). He also celebrates Birling day, Birling day eve, Gertie's birthday and Summer Christmas, and is a definite polar bear enthusiast and expert. He is very allergic to dragon fruit and strawberries, but frequently forgets, having eaten strawberry mousse on occasion.

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Cabin Pressure 402 - Uskerty (ogg 25mb)

402 - Uskerty 27:54

The crew are in Ireland, where Carolyn is purchasing a birthday present for Herc, assisted by Martin. However, difficulties with heavy rain, stubborn taxi drivers, poor phone reception, angry bees and signet-eating geese with no control of their bowels ensue. Meanwhile, Douglas and Arthur enjoy the luxuries of an empty airport with an over-enthusiastic manager.


Cabin Pressure - 301 Qikiqtarjuaq (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 302 Paris (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 303 Newcastle (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 304 - Ottery St Mary (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 305 - Rotterdam (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 306 - St Petersburg (ogg 25mb)
Cabin Pressure - 401 - Timbuktu (ogg 25mb)


previously, alas those mediafirelinks are down but i compiled season 1 and 2

Cabin Pressure - Season 1 (ogg 153mb)

Cabin Pressure - Season 2 (+Xmas bonus) (ogg 179mb)

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Aug 24, 2014

Sundaze 1434

Hello,  The F1 circus has restarted after a holiday break it does so at the famous Spa circuit and after today's qualification it became clear that Mercedes is still way in front of the rest of the field. Hamilton challenged Rosberg who calmly put his energy in beating the UK loudmouth, but hey it's about the race and who will take the biggest risks. At least it gives the rest of the field a chance to win if the Mercedes riders take each other out, not that its likely that happens, Rosberg is too calculated for that.

Today once again the highly prolific ambient, trance and psytrance producer, known to have in excess of 50 recording aliases, alas the man is no more on this plane. He left us plenty of sundaze..  ... ...N'Joy

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Jake Stephenson

Paperhouse (named after the track on Can’s Tago Mago album) were a late eighties space-rock outfit from Surrey. Originally consisting of Jake Stephenson (guitar, vocals), Gray E (bass) Andy (keyboards) and Phil Merrall (drums), they played a psychedelic mix of dub-tinged space rock. The first line up played a handful of party gigs to friends and family in the Weybridge area, releasing a number of live recordings on cassette.

A second line-up of Jake, Phil, Andy Taylor (bass) and Brian Trower (keyboards) ventured forth with greater commitment, securing gigs further afield, and in front of paying punters (albeit mostly as support act). An album, ‘Spongy Comestibles’, was produced at White Dove Studios in Weybridge (actually Jake’s spare bedroom) and released on the Mystic Stones label, with a couple of thousand pieces of vinyl and a couple of thousand CDs being pressed, most of which were exported straight to the Italian market. Paperhouse were a couple of years too late for the UK festival scene, and were probably too similar to the Ozrics to establish themselves properly - the lure of electronic dance music proved too much and they split in 1994 to pursue alternative avenues. Among the subsequent projects were Jake and Brian’s Optic Eye and Optica, Jake’s solo trance alter ego Shamanic Tribes On Acid and Phil and Andy T’s Jupiterhead.

The late Jake Stephenson was a highly prolific ambient, trance and psytrance producer, known to have in excess of 50 recording aliases. He is best known for his solo project Shamanic Tribes On Acid as well as collaborations with other artists, such as Brian Trower (Optica, Optic Eye) and Matt Hillier (Alien Mutation, Crystal Moon). Jake passed away on the 22nd of January 2005 after an attack of epilepsy.

Prolific UK trance/psytrance/ambient producer. The bulk of Stephenson's output was released on the Kinetix, Rumour Records and Jumpin' & Pumpin' record labels under a multitude of project names, the most well-known being his solo project Shamanic Tribes on Acid and his collaborations with Brian Trower (Optic Eye, Optica) and Matt Hillier (Alien Mutation vs. Indigo Egg, Crystal Moon).

The most frequently used solo project name for UK producer Jake Stephenson, Shamanic Tribes on Acid released several albums (Acid Apocalypse, 303 To Infinity, The Mad Hatter's Acid Tea Party, and Future World ) as well as 12"es and compilation tracks mainly in the psychedelic trance vein. The music of Jake Stephenson is scattered across many many compilation albums, all of which are pretty much deleted, the man was prolific, and passed away far too young, but then he crammed a lot of life into those few years. Jake Stephenson passed away on the 22nd of January 2005 after an epilepsy attack.


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Mmmm, this is such a great album. The late Jake Stephenson and the Kinetix label released so much good music back in the 90's. From the deep, spacey ambient sounds of Crystal Moon, Alien Mutation and Indigo Egg to the fast, loud and nothing but MAD acidic sounds of Shamanic Tribes on Acid. And especially, all the magical sounds inbetween, from Optica and Transfinite. This was the true Kinetix-sound, spacey psychedelic trance with pretty soft beats.

Jake Stephenson and Brian Trower find another great outlet as Optica here. Every single track here is stellar, but the stand out has to be Somniferum (Rainbow reconstruction mix). The "mainlead" that starts around 02:37 is amazing. Remember the Infinity Project-title "When sound becomes colour"? After listening to this song - on a BIG soundsystem - you'll know what they meant! Spirals...

If you like your old schoul trance music spacey and trippy, rather than banging and loud, then do yourself a favour and cheque some Kinetix-stuf. It's also great to see (and hear, of course) the roots of the genious minds of Jake Stephenson and the living legend Matt Hillier (Ishq, Ishvara, Elve etc.).



Optica - All The Colours Of The Rainbow  (flac 391mb)

01 "Glow With All The Colours Of The Rainbow" (Intercede) 0:35
02 Analogue Spectrum 9:56
03 Hashidity (Red Kingsize Mix) 6:53
04 Glow (White Heat Mix) 6:28
05 Alkaline PH9 5:57
06 Curve 5:21
07 Incredibly Strange Dub 6:22
08 Lifewish (Purple Planet Mix) 5:28
09 Somniferum (Rainbow Reconstruction Mix) 6:33
10 Macrorobotic 7:23
11 Microstatic 4:24
12 "Do You Think" (Parabole) 0:16

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An extended 12" becomes a 37min mini-album full of minimalistic energetic trippy sounds by Jake Stephenson and Brian Trower under their Optica moniker.



Optica - Alkaline Spectrum (flac  240mb)

01 Alkaline PH9 (Spectra Mix) 6:57
02 Analogue Spectrum (Vibrating Shakra Mix) 6:26
03 Energy Voyage 4:48
04 Techno Pigeons Eat Kippers 5:56
05 Acid Munchies 7:11
06 Rising High 5:36

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Another beautiful piece of work from Matt Hillier and legend Jake Stephenson that came in 3 years after Jake's death.  Stephenson was known for a great deal of electronic music projects, mainly of acid "303" and ambient nature. The biggest contribution he made was, most definitely, to Kinetix label, mainly with projects Optica and Optic Eye.

Colourform, is not the first collaboration between Jake and Matt, friends since the mid nineties. Ten years ago they established an acid-ish ambient project Crystal Moon, which somehow was quite overshadowed and pretty unseen, not receiving exposure, slipped thru the cracks. Considering the style adopted with Crystal Moon, one could expect to hear something similar, but Colourform is very calm, minimalistic and free of "acid" higher-level sound. If you like calm, meditative-oriented, 'celestial' ambient work, you'd most probably make an unexcusable mistake having missed this outstanding release.



Colourform - Visions of Surya  (flac 304mb)

01 Kaleidoscope 16:24
02 Nubien Sunset 6:12
03 Flying Carpet 6:47
04 Monkey Puzzle 9:59
05 Diving Into Sun 8:46
06 Dissolution 8:36
07 As Stars We Are 9:15

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Aug 23, 2014

RhoDeo 1433 Grooves

Hello, so everyone who believed the Red Cross was a neutral organisation, has been enlightened as The Red Cross blatantly refused to accompany the aid to the beleaguered residents of Eastern Ukraine, clearly they feared the wrath of the US as it is engaged in an insane (as in blatant lies) propaganda war against Russia. Backing a bunch of right wing mad men in Kiev could be expected from the US republicans but how Obama let himself be lured into this mess is testament to his weak presidency.

The coming weeks we focus on an American singer-songwriter, actor, and producer. He was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the mid-1960s. Hayes, Porter, Bill Withers, the Sherman Brothers, Steve Cropper, and John Fogerty were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of writing scores of notable songs for themselves, the duo Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, and others. He is also a 2002 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We'll start at the beginning ......N'joy

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Few figures exerted greater influence over the music of the 1960s and 1970s than Isaac Hayes; after laying the groundwork for the Memphis soul sound through his work with Stax-Volt Records, Hayes began a highly successful solo career which predated not only the disco movement but also the evolution of rap.

Hayes was born on August 20, 1942, in Covington, TN; his parents died during his infancy, and he was raised by his grandparents. After making his public debut singing in church at the age of five, he taught himself piano, organ, and saxophone before moving to Memphis to perform on the city's club circuit in a series of short-lived groups like Sir Isaac and the Doo-Dads, the Teen Tones, and Sir Calvin and His Swinging Cats. In 1962, he began his recording career, cutting sides for a variety of local labels.

Two years later, Hayes began playing sax with the Mar-Keys, which resulted in the beginning of his long association with Stax Records. After playing on several sessions for Otis Redding, Hayes was tapped to play keyboards in the Stax house band, and eventually established a partnership with songwriter David Porter. Under the name the Soul Children, the Hayes-Porter duo composed some 200 songs, reeling off a string of hits for Stax luminaries like Sam & Dave (the brilliant "When Something Is Wrong with My Baby," "Soul Man," and "Hold on, I'm Comin'"), Carla Thomas ("B-A-B-Y"), and Johnnie Taylor ("I Got to Love Somebody's Baby," "I Had a Dream").

In 1967, Hayes issued his debut solo LP Presenting Isaac Hayes, a loose, jazz-flavored effort recorded in the early-morning hours following a raucous Stax party. With the release of 1969's landmark Hot Buttered Soul, he made his commercial breakthrough; the record's adventuresome structure (comprising four lengthy songs), ornate arrangements, and sensual grooves -- combined with the imposing figure cut by his shaven head, omnipresent sunglasses, and fondness for gold jewelry -- made Hayes one of the most distinctive figures in music.

After a pair of 1970 releases, The Isaac Hayes Movement and To Be Continued, he reached his commercial zenith in 1971 with the release of Shaft, the score from the Gordon Parks film of the same name. Not only did the album win Hayes an Academy Award for Best Score (the first African-American composer to garner such an honor), but the single "Theme from Shaft," a masterful blend of prime funk and pre-rap monologues, became a number one hit.

After 1971's superb Black Moses and 1973's Joy, Hayes composed two 1974 soundtracks, Tough Guys and Truck Turner (in which he also starred). By 1975, relations with Stax had disintegrated following a battle over royalties, and soon he severed his ties with the label to form his own Hot Buttered Soul imprint. Although both 1975's Chocolate Chip and 1976's Groove-a-Thon went gold, his records of the period attracted considerably less attention than prior efforts; combined with poor management and business associations, Hayes had no choice but to file for bankruptcy in 1976.

After the 1977 double-LP A Man and a Woman, recorded with Dionne Warwick, Hayes began a comeback on the strength of the hit singles "Zeke the Freak," "Don't Let Go." and "Do You Wanna Make Love." Following the success of his 1979 collection of duets with Millie Jackson titled Royal Rappins, he issued a pair of solo records, 1980's And Once Again and 1981's Lifetime Thing before retiring from music for five years. After returning in 1986 with the LP U Turn and the Top Ten R&B hit "Ike's Rap," Hayes surfaced two years later with Love Attack before again dropping out of music to focus on acting.

In 1995, fully enshrined as one of the forefathers of hip-hop and newly converted to Scientology, Hayes emerged with two concurrent releases, the vocal Branded and instrumental Raw and Refined. Under the official name Nene Katey Ocansey I, he also served as a member of the royal family of the African nation of Ghana while continuing simultaneous careers as an actor, composer, and humanitarian. In 1997, Hayes provided the voice of what was slated to be a one-time character on the animated series South Park -- Jerome "Chef" McElroy, the main characters' favorite school cafeteria worker. Hayes was an instant hit, and Chef became a regular character on the show, lending advice and, oftentimes, breaking into songs that gently sent up Hayes' image as one of R&B's ultimate love men.

South Park made Hayes more visible than ever and cemented his status as an icon with a whole new generation. He contributed the infamous "Chocolate Salty Balls" to the South Park tie-in album Chef Aid, and naturally appeared in the film South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut. (He left the show only after an episode made fun of Scientology.) In 2000, Hayes revisited his biggest triumph of the past by appearing in the remake of Shaft starring Samuel L. Jackson. The following year, he supported Alicia Keys as a musician and arranger on her acclaimed debut, Songs in A Minor.

On August 5, 2003, Hayes was honored as a BMI Icon at the 2003 BMI Urban Awards for his enduring influence on generations of music makers. Throughout his songwriting career, Hayes received five BMI R&B Awards, two BMI Pop Awards, two BMI Urban Awards and six Million-Air citations. As of 2008, his songs generated more than 12 million performances. Although he recorded little during the 2000s, he appeared in many films, including 2004's Hustle and Flow. Hayes was in ill health on August 10, 2008, when he collapsed at his home in Memphis and was pronounced dead later that day of a stroke due to high blood pressure.

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Presenting Isaac Hayes (1967) is the debut long-player from soul man extraordinaire Isaac Hayes (piano/vocals), although he had been a major force on the Memphis R&B scene as an instrumentalist/arranger/producer. With partner David Porter he was also a songwriter for artists associated with the legendary Stax label. Along with Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass) and Al Jackson, Jr. (drums) of Booker T. & the MG's fame, Hayes unleashes his familiar blend of highly introspective jazz, soul, and blues. He turns Willie Dixon's blues standard "I Just Wanna Make Love to You" into a sensual medley with B.B. King's signature composition "Rock Me Baby." In direct contrast to the aggression in much of his later work, his originals -- most notably the sexy "Precious, Precious" and a blast from his past, "You Don't Know (Like I Know)," are almost discomfortingly intimate. His stylish and classic rendering of "When I Fall in Love" demonstrates Hayes' obvious understanding and deep abiding appreciation of pop standards. His emotive rendering is not unlike that of Nat King Cole -- who recorded the song himself to great effect. The long, spoken "raps" that Hayes would become known for on subsequent releases had yet to be fully developed. However the idea of stretching the song out melodically and extending the arrangement yields one of the most poignant and unlikely medleys of all time, combining the Count Basie/Jimmy Rushing classic "Going to Chicago Blues" with, of all things, "Misty." This reveals the extreme sensitivity that exists between music and musician. In fact, so densely packed and involved are some of the passages it is easy to dismiss that all the sounds are coming from a trio. The 1995 CD reissue features a previously unreleased 19-plus minute "long version" of "Precious, Precious," from which the two-minute album track was derived. Although die-hard soul fanatics will inevitably include Presenting Isaac Hayes in their library, it should also be considered essential listening for the burgeoning enthusiasts of not only R&B, but anyone who loves well-arranged pop music.



Isaac Hayes - Presenting Isaac Hayes (flac 268mb)

01 Precious, Precious 2:45
02 When I Fall In Love 3:28
03 Medley (I Just Want To Make Love To You / Rock Me Baby) 9:04
04 Medley (I'm Going To Chicago Blues / Misty) 6:45
05 You Don't Know Like I Know 8:30
Bonus
06 Precious, Precious (Long Version) 19:05

Isaac Hayes - Presenting Isaac Hayes (ogg 114mb)

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Released at the tail end of the '60s, Hot Buttered Soul set the precedent for how soul would evolve in the early '70s, simultaneously establishing Isaac Hayes and the Bar-Kays as major forces within black music. Though not quite as definitive as Black Moses or as well-known as Shaft, Hot Buttered Soul remains an undeniably seminal record; it stretched its songs far beyond the traditional three-to-four-minute industry norm, featured long instrumental stretches where the Bar-Kays stole the spotlight, and it introduced a new, iconic persona for soul with Hayes' tough yet sensual image. With the release of this album, Motown suddenly seemed manufactured and James Brown a bit too theatrical. Surprising many, the album features only four songs. The first, "Walk on By," is an epic 12-minute moment of true perfection, its trademark string-laden intro just dripping with syrupy sentiment, and the thumping mid-tempo drum beat and accompanying bassline instilling a complementary sense of nasty funk to the song; if that isn't enough to make it an amazing song, Hayes' almost painful performance brings yet more feeling to the song, with the guitar's heavy vibrato and the female background singers taking the song to even further heights. The following three songs aren't quite as stunning but are still no doubt impressive: "Hyperbolicsyllabicsequedalymistic" trades in sappy sentiment for straight-ahead funk, highlighted by a stomping piano halfway through the song; "One Woman" is the least epic moment, clocking in at only five minutes, but stands as a straightforward, well-executed love ballad; and finally, there's the infamous 18-minute "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" and its lengthy monologue which slowly eases you toward the climactic, almost-orchestral finale, a beautiful way to end one of soul's timeless, landmark albums, the album that transformed Hayes into a lifelong icon.



Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul  (flac 301mb)

01 Walk On By 12:00
02 Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic 9:36
03 One Woman 5:07
04 By The Time I Get To Phoenix 18:40

Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul  (ogg 106mb)

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Although this is Isaac Hayes' third long-player, he had long been a staple of the Memphis R&B scene -- primarily within the Stax coterie -- where his multiple talents included instrumentalist, arranger, and composer of some of the most beloved soul music of the '60s. Along with his primary collaborator, David Porter, Hayes was responsible for well over 200 sides -- including the genre-defining "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby," "Soul Man," "B-A-B-Y," "Hold On, I'm Comin'," and "I Had a Dream." As a solo artist however, Hayes redefined the role of the long-player with his inimitably smooth narrative style of covering classic pop and R&B tracks, many of which would spiral well over ten minutes. The Isaac Hayes Movement (1970) includes four extended cuts from several seemingly disparate sources, stylistically ranging from George Harrison's "Something" to Jerry Butler's "I Stand Accused" and even Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself." These early Hayes recordings brilliantly showcase his indomitable skills as an arranger -- as he places familiar themes into fresh contexts and perspectives. For example, his lengthy one-sided dialogue that prefaces "I Stand Accused" is halting in its candor as Hayes depicts an aching soul who longs for his best friend's fiancée. Even the most hard-hearted can't help but have sympathy pains as he unravels his sordid emotional agony and anguish. Hayes' lyrical orchestration totally reinvents the structure of "Something" -- which includes several extended instrumental sections -- incorporating equally expressive contributions from John Blair (violin). Both "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" and the comparatively short (at under six minutes) "One Big Unhappy Family" are more traditionally arranged ballads. Hayes again tastefully incorporates both string and horn sections to augment the languid rhythm, providing contrasting textures rather than gaudy adornment.



Isaac Hayes - The Isaac Hayes Movement (flac 221mb)

01 I Stand Accused 11:37
02 One Big Unhappy Family 5:49
03 I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself 7:00
04 Something 11:52

Isaac Hayes - The Isaac Hayes Movement (ogg 86mb)

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