LP of the Day: Wax Poetic, 'Wax Poetic,' (2000, Atlantic Records)

For a brief moment in time, around the turn of the Millenium, there emerged in New York City a supergroup of sorts. I say 'of sorts,' because it was a loose collective of all sortsa peeps who would move in and out of this collective, some destined for superstardom, and some, destined to be virtually unsearchable on Google. Is that such a sad fate? Perhaps not, considering some of the stuff about oneself that's so hard to remove from the Interwebs!

The 'group,' Wax Poetic, would go on to cut a follow-up, 'The Nublu Sessions' (2003), almost a companion piece to their self titled debut LP ('Wax Poetic,' released March 2000), which featured some of the same cast of musicians. Over the course of 4 more albums released the decade following, three of which were so concept-oriented towards physical places that they were named for those places (Copenhagen, Istanbul, Brasil), while original members would guest-in from time to time, only one would be a constant presence. That is founder, composer, principal lyricist, and multi-instrumentalist (saxophone, keyboards/synth) Ilhan Ersahin. In addition to all that, Ersahin is also a producer, musical curator, and founder of the Nublu Records label.

The Wax Poetic sound circa 2000, with its nocturnal Downtown/Lower East Side vibe a fresh blend of some seriously played-out genres by that time (trip-hop/downtempo, ambient, acid jazz, drum n bass), would not remain constant. It continued towards slightly different directions in 2003's Nublu, then kept morphing, taking cues from Copenhagen, Istanbul, and Brasil. By 2012's 'On A Ride,' hardly a shred of the original LP's sound was still in play. This is not a bad thing, per se. I would imagine that the stylistic and personnel changes created a host of creative inspiration, positive musical challenges, and generally kept the vibe fresh. And as mentioned, having some of the old collaborators return as guest artists across multiple albums must have made for some sentimental and furtive alumni reunions!

Ok, I've gone on three full paragraphs already and still haven't stated the obvious, for people who have had any previous exposure to Wax Poetic and their history. The 'obvious' is that a certain megastar, the then barely 20-year old Norah Jones, following a one-LP stint on lead vocals in Laszlo ('In a Whisper' is her standout track!), rose to prominence as a member of Wax Poetic on 'Wax Poetic', and features prominently on some of their finest cuts, both on lead vocals, and in a casual supporting role as sometime backup on piano and keys. More about that shortly.

To the point of this post, 'Wax Poetic' the debut LP of Wax Poetic is in my opinion one of the finest releases ever to come out of the Trip-Hop/Downtempo movement, if there ever really was any such 'movement.'  I kinda doubt it, but labels and categorizations aside, it's just one really fucking fine-ass album! It's got all the elements of greatness: 9 full-length songs of wide sonic and mood variety, punctuated by equally as many shorter, interstitial ambient and instrumental interludes; tasty grooves and minimalist, spatial musicianship; some bitchin' hard bop-esque Jazz arrangements that would make the O.G. hard boppers proud; perfectly placed delicious stabs and evocative flourishes of electronica sound effects flair; heady, impressionistic lyricisms that channel the collective zeitgeist; an amazing collection of singers/MCs with unique vocal styles--Jones being the most recognizable one, but there's a particular wordsmith I'd also like to recognize, Rhasaan (Rahsaan?) Manning (ahh, that baritone!)--and lastly, this being the clincher--what an amazing collection of live performers, with some serious stage presence!

Don't take my word for it. Check out this duo of performance video clips from their breakout debut period, the stellar Jones-led 'Technologie' and 'Purple Elephants.'

Sadly, the video quality is poor, but there is so much to be enjoyed in these performances.

'Technologie' runs about a minute longer than the original LP version, which I've also attached below. In addition to the great performance (and ohhh those lyrics!), a bonus is the cheesy, overly earnest intro to the 'Technologie' video by the host of the program 'Jazz Central' (with a name like Sunny Sumter it has to be cheesy!)...priceless!

1. Technologie (Live Video Version and LP Version)

Technology by Wax Poetic by Steelydan

'What's goin' on this world?'
What's goin' on this world?
All I see
Technologie
All I see

When I turned on the TV
Who did I see?
Ricki (Lake)'s trying to tell me 
Who I can be
Fat or thin, you know you have a friend
In me.
Watch me, Watch me!

I got my MTV
I think she's more grand than me
She tells me what to say
What to wear 
How to do my hair
She lets my music play
'Cause black and rapper's in today
Technologie
Technologie.

I took a pill today
Because I couldn't concentrate
And then I took another pill
'Cause my life didn't give me no thrills
I was on a site today
This is where our children play
Another place to put the blame
If your child is a little insane.

What happened to loving me?
What happened to nights without TV?
What happened to loving me?
What happened to reading to me?

Technologie...Technologie...Technologie...'

2. Purple Elephants (Live Video Version)

Purple Elephants by Wax Poetic by Steelydan

The video for 'Purple Elephants' is equal to 'Technologie' in its musical excellence, yet in some ways the performance exceeds that of the other track. This version of 'Purple Elephants' attains its superiority in that moment of awesomeness, at around four minutes and eleven seconds, where Norah Jones nonchalantly gets off the mic, walks over to the Fender Rhodes Keyboard rig that Ersahin had been playing, and then (SPOILER ALERT!) cooly sits down and starts playing it, while Ersahin picks up the sax and launches into a blistering, epic two-minute-plus solo that rips it out til the end of the song!

The most well-known Jones contribution to the record, 'Angels,' is perhaps a misnomer. While her sparse vocals mellifluously cascade above the song like Angels in the ether, it's really vocalist (and co-composer) Val Jeanty who steals the show with the cool flow in French (she's Haitian, so it comes natural)! In a rare occurrence, though the song was released in 2000 on the debut LP, the video was shot in 2008 and stars Ersahin, along with some gorgeous peeps, including model Kali Hawk, so...enjoy!

3. Angels


One last tip of the hat to Jones for her masterful vocal performance on 'Driftin,' one of  the most drum and bass-centric of the tracks, alongside 'Selim II.'  Her jazz phrasing flutters in and out of the song like a songbird driftin' high above, while down here on terra firma, wicked acoustic standup basslines rip, trumpets pop, bop, and echo, guitars churn and bend, and keyboards build a sparse yet expansive (oxymoron?) digital delay soundscape!

4. Driftin'

As the song 'Driftin' fades off, the companion drum and bassness of 'Selim II' fades in seamlessly and brings us into another side of the Wax Poetic vocal vibe, that of relative enigma and obscure entity Rahsaan Manning...or is Rhasaan Manning? Even the spelling of his name is uncertain! This dood, with his deep baritone and dry, almost monotone delivery, has a distinctive style to his spoken-word/rap phrasing, a dark, moody calm that somehow juxtaposes perfectly with all the manic jazz and drum and bass chaos swirling around him. I wish I could find more of his work, but as of this writing, this LP's all I've got, folks! Manning is co-credited as composer of the aforementioned 'Selim II,' the jazzy, accordion-spiced, dub-inflected 'Rootgroove,' and 'Megaphone,' which at 1:30, should barely be a song, but somehow Manning makes it a completely fulfilling one!

I have no pics of Rahsaan/Rhasaan Manning, no video, and nary a visual aide. So we'll have to end this post old skool, and take it out with the trio of tunes that brilliantly illuminate Dr. Manning's dark, moody, expressive, impressionistic wordpainting and auditory acumen.

5. Selim II (featuring Rhasaan Manning)

'Out From Under the Asphalt Sky, And Into The Man-Made Atmosphere.

Out From Under the Asphalt Sky, And Into The Man-Made Air.' 

6. Rootgroove (featuring Rhasaan Manning)


'I Have Slept on Myself For So Long
Fueling the Fire, Feeding the Fantasy
I've Been Weak, Wept To Be Strong
Need to Get Higher To See What I See

I Have Slept on Myself For So Long
Fueling the Fire, Feeding the Fantasy
I've Been Weak, Wept To Be Strong
A Fool...an N.O.G.'

7. Megaphone (featuring Rhasaan Manning)


'Days Pass in Drab Drones
Timothy Handshakes Sycophants in the Idols
Deal in the Stakes
Who Fronts the Loot For the Escapades
Who Wants to Pay the Junkie on Holiday
Remember, the First Time You Imagine Kissin' The Third Rail
Breathin' Dense Stench
Like Incense
Spiral Embryo Against
The Gales That Someone Wails
From the Frontside Lookin' In
To The Blackness At the Base of A Chin
Watching the Progress of the Piss of A Bum
Twiddling My Thumbs to the Steady, Steady Hum
Avoiding the All Aluminum
Living Sufficient Freedom'

Wax Poetic's 'Wax Poetic.' A Brief Moment in Time, And One For the Ages.

Track of the Day: Zero 7 Featuring José González, 'Futures,' (2006, Atlantic Records, from the LP The Garden)

Ever had one of those 'perfect moments' in music, when mood, weather, season, life events, music history, and one particular song converge in a kind of magical confluence of the aural senses?

When something like that happens, I just have to fire up a post. Today, I had one of those 'perfect moments,' And this is that post.

Early this morning, October 9th, I was contemplating my next post, and was sifting through artists. Lately, I've been hanging out in the 'Zs.' My Zs are a relatively short list, containing not more than a half dozen or so artists. Suffice to say I know exactly who the cast of characters are. Having recently blogged about Zuco 103, I knew the Z list had grown even shorter. I began listening to my Z peeps as background music, and started my day. 

Headed outside just before lunchtime, I noticed a distinct chill in the air I hadn't felt since last October. The temp had dropped considerably from just two days ago, when it felt as if summer had no intention of leaving anytime soon. Ominous cloud formations hinted at the distinct possiblity of--Yes, Southern California, brace yourselves--RAIN! 

It wasn't til mid-afternoon that the rain actually began falling. Just a light to moderate rain, and in fact by late afternoon the clouds had broken and the sun had peeked out. Still chilly, but definitely one of those brighter autumn moments bathed in amber sunlight where the fall colors are starting to become visible. Sure, it's no New England foliage, but there are some faint colors to be seen here if you look hard enough! 

I suspected that would be all we see of the day's rain. However, to my surprise, dark clouds began reforming by early evening. Around that time, I remembered that today's date, October 9th, was one of mega-significance in my musical world. It was the birthday of none other than John Lennon, my greatest musical muse, and to whom I've been forever tied since that fateful day back in 1980 (more about that in a later post). Lennon would have been 73 today, and it's been nearly 33 years since the promising second act of his life was wasted on a cold day of horror and madness in December. Needless to say, my mood began molding more closely to this day of crappy weather.

As I write this post, it's late evening and the rain is torrentially pouring down. But I am not sad. Melancholic, yes. But things are not all glum, bleak, or grim. After all, it's a time of rebirth--of a new season. It's the first rain of the season, and Fall is my favorite season. I think of John Lennon as the musical beacon he still is and will always be, lyrically, vocally, compositionally, and philosophically. It's a time of endless possibilities. It's a time to reflect. To create. And to move forward towards a great new beginning, one that Mr. Lennon never had the opportunity to enjoy. I'm in no way, shape, or form insinuating I have attained or will attain any such level of achievement or notoriety in my life that he did, but I will at least carry on the spirit and the essence of the best of what he stood for as a musician and as an activist. Whoa, this post is turning into quite the personal confessional!

So, I've reached that moment in today's post when we celebrate one of those great songs from one of the 'Z artists' I have been listening to today. They're a bit more well known than the typical artists I cover, but the track is just perfectly in sync with today's vibe. It just so happens that in the course of listening to downtempo/trip-hop/ambient/chill-tronica mavens Zero 7's (Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker) catalog today, the track 'Futures' (from 2006's LP The Garden) really encapsulated the mood and feel of this day. 

'Futures' is a Zero 7 collaboration with the very talented Swedish artist José González, who plays guitar and lends his gentle, intimate, melancholic vocal and lyrical touches. The track is filled with late 1960s/early 1970s-esque harmonies that are amazingly close to Crosby, Stills, and Nash-level virtuosity, while the instrumentals contain spooky, rich basslines, and swirling, moody, 70's-era Moog-y prog-rock synths, which build during the cathartic outro. There are also sparse piano fills, crescendo-ing metronome clicks, and you can essentially hear the wind churning and the clouds colliding through the synth effects. Even the lyrics themselves are a double-entendre play on 'The Fall:'

Futures
Zero 7, Featuring José González (2006, Atlantic Records, from the LP The Garden)

Made A Note Of It

Did You Write It On Your Hand?

Put A Name On It 

To Help You Understand.

What Do You See?

The Futures Holiday Out For Me

Just Let Me Know

Where We Go

After The Fall.

Like the Sound of It

Gonna Hang It On Your Wall

Turn And Run With It

For the Sake Of One And All

Where You Go, Nobody Knows.

What Do You See?

The Futures Holiday Out For Me

Just Let Me Know

Where To Go

Where You Go

After The Fall.

Happy Autumn, everyone. It's really here! Enjoy the foliage! Celebrate the Harvest! Raise a glass to Oktoberfest! The Great Pumpkin and Thanksgiving Day are not far off!

Artists of the Day: Zuco 103 (Various Recordings, 2000-2009)

With a career spanning 7 LPs to date, including two remix albums, Netherlands-based Zuco 103 have pioneered a self-proclaimed hybrid musical genre called Brazilectro. This unique ecléctica blends elements of samba, bossa nova, acid jazz, funk, electronica, and house, with the electronica/house elements amplified in many of the remix tracks.

It's no wonder that there's a seamless flow and intermingling of musical styles in the Zuco 103 sound. The 3 core members have been collaborating together since the late 1980s, where they met in Conservatory school in Rotterdam, and initially became known as Rec.a. Vocalist Lilian Vieira hails from Brazil, and sings primarily in Portuguese, while the two Stefans, Stefan Kruger (percussion) and Stefan Schmid (keyboards/synth) are Dutch and German, respectively.

Zuco 103 is another one of the bands I first heard when I was working at Sony Studios in 2003, a nugget I found when digging through the notoriously chaotic piles of CDs in the 'Music Library,' which was housed in a particularly disorganized and essentially unfiled storeroom in the Film Soundtracks Department. For more detail on that experience, you can click on this previous post. The specific LP I uncovered there on my archaeological dig was 'Tales of High Fever,' Zuco's sophomore LP, released during the previous year, 2002.

I was immediately drawn in by the opening cut on the LP, 'Treasure,' with its mellow R&B/Funk/Acid Jazz groove and acoustic guitar picking (check out the live video below, for an even more groovified version!). The entire album exudes a tropical club/dance vibe throughout, most notably on tracks like 'Peregrino' and 'Brasil 2000.' But it is really 'Curso de Reclamaçao-Liçao 1' (Complaining Course, Lessson 1), with its propulsive guitar/keys opening, frenetic rapid-fire, multi-tracked vocal assault by Vieira, and infectious Tropicália percussion loops, that got me deep into the Zuco 103 groove. That song in particular contains elements that recall the Zap Mama sound, even the album artwork style is strikingly similar, check it out!!!

1. Treasure (2002, Six Degrees Records, from the LP Tales of High Fever)

      (2005, Live Video Version, Sofia Jazz+Festival!)

2.  'Curso de Reclamaçao-Liçao 1' (Complaining Course, Lessson 1) (2002, Six Degrees Records, from the LP Tales of High Fever)


My further Zuco explorations led me through their entire catalog, and I've picked 4 more tracks to share among my faves. Going back to their debut LP, 'Outro Lado,' there's the irresistible, house-inflected 'Zabumba No Mar,' with its speak-hop vocals, and lotsa scratching, 'ba' backing vocal chants, and squeaky synth effects to back dis' shit up right! There's also the title track, 'Outro Lado,' with its smoky multi-tracked Vieira vocals, sensuous basslines, and chillaxed keyboard stabs.

3. Zabumba No Mar (2000, Six Degrees Records, from the LP Outro Lado)


4. Outro Lado (2000, Six Degrees Records, from the LP Outro Lado)


The Brazilectro doesn't get any more fluid and slinky than on 'Pororoca,' my fave track from 2008's 'After the Carnaval' LP. It's soulful and jazzy, and smooth as smooth can be, with all the positive connotation of 'smooth,' rather than that notoriously flaccid 'smooth jazz!'

5. Pororoca (2008, Six Degrees Records, from the LP After the Carnaval)


What's even better than that track is the reworked 'Back Home,' from the same After the Carnaval LP, which is rendered completely unrecognizable from the original LP cut by Dutch house/breakbeat/trip-hop maestros Kraak and Smaak. Believe me, this is very good thing! This wild track, 'Back Home (Kraak and Smaak Disco 103 Remix),' appears on the 2009 Zuco release 'Retouched! After the Carnaval Remixes.' Punctuated by tribal-esque Vieira chants, synth fills that ping-pong around the song like some early 80s Atari video-game sound effects, some choice house beats, and a severely funkified repeating disco bassline, this is a DJ's dancefloor dream! Personally, I love to play around with this one during my DJ sets! Zuco 103 in Tha House!

6. Back Home (Kraak and Smaak Disco 103 Remix) (2009, from the LP Retouched! After the Carnaval Remixes)

LP of the Day: The Angel, 'No Gravity,' (2001, New Line Records)

A potent mix of dub, downtempo/trip-hop, hip hop, drum and bass/breakbeats, and cinematic spy-fi, The Angel's 2001 LP 'No Gravity' paints life after dark in moody, hypnotic, seductive soundstrokes.

'No Gravity' is the debut album from DJ/producer/sound engineer/remixer/TV and film score composer The Angel, who has previously and since recorded under the monikers 60 Channels and Jaz Klash, and has also since released several other titles as The Angel. Angel, who was raised in Brooklyn, moved to London, and is now based in Los Angeles, has also established her own music production company, Devilishly Good Productions, a record label, Supa Crucial Recordings, and a publishing company, Supa Crucial Music.

The first I ever heard of The Angel was sometime in late 2000, after watching the film Gridlock'd  
for the first time over at my friend Steve's place. I was really digging the film score passages, and happened to spy her name in the closing credits. Not long thereafter, I began checking into her discography, but couldn't really find anything concrete.

Fast forward to 2003, when I was working at Sony Studios in their Film Soundtracks Department, an experience I described in rather (music)pornographic detail in a recent post. Sifting through the mounds and stacks and corrugated boxes as I scrambled to make some organizational sense of the epically disorganized so-called Sony Music Library, The Angel's 'No Gravity' just so happened to catch my peripheral eye. Serendipity indeed. Thanks, photographic memory!

In my opinion, 'No Gravity' stands as her most interesting and groove-oriented set of compositions. She blends and bends musical genres in a bubbling cauldron of bass and beats, icy, slightly spooky spiraling synths and digital programming, and vocals from a gaggle of guest artists that lend a layer of lyrical intrigue to the late-night lounging.

 'In the Realms of the Groove' is an instrumental track that mixes droning electronica with varying pieces of digital flair, and some choice orchestral and jazz flourishes.  The title cut, 'No Gravity,' is a brooding downtempo masterpiece punctuated by cinematic spy-fi synths and sparse guitar notes, held down by some seriously sinister deep dub basslines and choice breaks.

1. In the Realms of the Groove


2. No Gravity


Pharcyde alum Tré (Slimkid3) Hardson's expressively confessional, conversational, motivational vocals provide a compelling narrative on 'Make it Betta,' Some cool multi-tracking adds to the depth of the song's impact.

3. Make It Betta Feat. Tré Hardson


'See the players never cared about the rules of the game
Modified all the books and now all the tools changed
Even cool individuals start to act strange
And nowadays I keep 'em all at close range...

...I'll be damned if I work another 9 to 5
Just tryin' to barely stay alive in this rat race
Wake up every mornin' with the whack face 
Cause the boss on the job really lacks taste...and compassion
(Hey how's it goin?')
Hey I feel like shit, thanks for askin'!
As I turn my clown mask in...

...'I can't run the same laps around the same bend 
 Without changing the patterns of the man within'

While I very much enjoy the No Gravity LP track Act As If (Act II Remix), it's actually the remix of this remix, Act As If (Act III Mix), from 2009's Supa Crucial Downtempo Remixes and Rarities, that has the slight edge in terms of overall vibe and soundscape. Rapper Divine Styler's aggressive lyrical stylins' are enhanced by spacey digital delay effects and repeating, minimalist orchestral note pickings, interspersed with some well-placed scratching.

4. Act As If (Act III Mix) Feat. Divine Styler (2009, from the LP Supa Crucial Downtempo Remixes and Rarities)


Beyond my fave individual track recommendations, I maintain that the LP 'No Gravity' is best experienced in its entirety, to maximize the moonlight mysticism, moodiness, mischief, and nocturnal naughty niceties this album is sure to conjure up!