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artist · rae and christian
release · it aint nothin like
year · 2000
genre · lo-fi
label · grand central
catalogue · gc129
website · www.grandcentralrecords.co.uk
date · 20-feb-2005
quality · 212kbps/44,1khz
source · vinyl
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a1 it aint nothin like (the nextmen remix) 4:19
b1 it aint nothin like (acapella) 3:12
b2 it aint nothin like (instrumental) 4:15
playtime · 00h 11m 46s
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mark rae and steve christian have been working together for over
six years as recording artists, producers and remixers. the pair
first met when they were both occupying the same rehearsal space
in ducie house, manchester. the first meeting actually took place
when steve, who is the production strength of the duo, walked past
markÆs studio and informed him that his music was out of key, in
the nicest possible way! the pair decided to embark on a
partnership that has seen them work for six years and achieve
critical and public acclaim for their work.
the duo was the first act to emerge form grand central records, a
label that mark rae founded. it is a label that has reflected the
confident cosmopolitan of post-rave manchester since itÆs birth in
1995. acts on the label such as aim, only child, votel and the
funky fresh few were all initially introduced to rae by going into
the shop. mark rae had acquired music makers and talented djÆs
through word of mouth and the personal touch, an ideal that would
continue as the label expanded in size and reputation.
a year after getting together, rae and christian enlisted the
vocal skills of veba to add a more diverse flavour to their sound.
contributions to the grand central compilations ôfrying the fatö
and ôcentral heatingö attracted attention from the dance music
press and their debut album, ônorthern sulphuric soulö fulfilled
this early promise. the swagger of the singles ôspellboundö and
ôall i askö and vebaÆs quality vocal delivery ensured critical
acclaim and admiration for the duo. their joint appreciation of
hip-hopÆs flavours did justice to the respected hip-hop acts they
were able to call upon. the jungle brothers and jeru the damaja
both contributed to the duoÆs work and these attributes gave the
pair an edge over other late nineties sampling group, and coupled
with a slick live show ensured that rae and christian had
established themselves as artists in their own right. they pushed
their reputation beyond underground circles also, gaining
production credits with texas on ôwhite on blondeö and ôthe hushö.
at the same time as nurturing other acts on the label, their
production and remix skills have been in demand by their peers
(lamb, the pharcyde, wai wan) and mainstream stars such as
nathalie imbruglia, simply red and the manic street preachers.
their second album brought in new dimensions to their sound as
they brought in veterans such as bobby womack, tania maria and the
congos, which has added extra spice to their music.ôsleepwalkingö,
their second album, marked a change in approach for mark rae (dj,
beat merchant and lyricist) and steve christian (music maker and
production-wizard). moving towards more live instrumentation and
more varied songwriting partnerships their sound has taken on a
new shape. a continual process, they refine their combination of
hip hop ethics, traditional song writing and 21st century
production technology
"sleepwalking boasts a style, and a charm, entirely its own."
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