Release : Opensouls - Kaleidoscope
Artist : Opensouls
Album : Kaleidoscope
Genre : Hip-Hop
Source : CDDA
Label : From The Crate Records
URL : http://www.opensouls.co.nz
Date : 2006-04-10
Quality : 203kbps 44100 kHz Joint Stereo
Tracks : 16
Time : 66:03 min
Size : 101.30MB
1 Intro 0:48
2 The Optimist 5:32
3 What Do You Do? 4:17
4 Latin Joint 4:04
5 They Don't Even Know 4:40
6 12345 5:22
7 Turn It Up! 4:00
8 Angles 4:06
9 Moving On 3:57
10 Whatever 3:44
11 Morena 5:04
12 Falling In 4:12
13 Showbiz 5:00
14 In Your Hands 4:08
15 Rise Up Pt.1 2:09
16 Rise Up Pt.2 5:00
From The Crate Records presentsà the long awaited full length debut Opensouls
album 'Kaleidoscope'.
It took 5yrs to create the debut Opensouls album 'Kaleidoscope', which
originally started as sketches back in 2001 on Ota's MPC2000. Ota aka Jeremy
Toy, pulled together a remarkable group of musicians over those 5yrs, the
Opensouls band made up of Bjorn Petersen & Tyra Hammond [vocals], Chip [bass],
Isaac Aesili [trumpet], Scott Towers [sax], Stephanie Brown [keyboards],
Buttafingers [turntables], Julien Dyne [drums] & Jeremy himself
[guitar/MPC2000].
Three of the band have traveled to South Africa, Rome & Seattle as part of the
Red Bull Music Academy, the music, experiences & inspiration informing
'Kaleidoscope', as much as the group's constant gigging & appearances at
festivals such as Soundsplash & Rippon. Many of the group are experienced
musicians, with members of well known underground & overground NZ groups such as
Solaa, Hollie Smith Band, Fat Freddy's Drop, Che Fu & The Krates making up the
Opensouls band.
Opensouls have also drawn inspiration from seeing the world through the eyes of
a young Aotearoa, with lyrics penned by Bjorn Peterson [heard on 'In Your
Hands'] & Tyra Hammond [heard on 'Turn It Up!'].
'Kaleidoscope' is 16 tracks deep with production from the beatmaker that brought
to light 'In Your Hands' & 'Turn It Up!', Jeremy Toy, with co-production from
Julien Dyne. The album was mastered in LA by Dave Cooley, mastering engineer for
Stones Throw Records [Madlib, J Dilla etc.] who has also worked with David
Axelrod & Queens Of The Stone Age.
Most of the songs found on 'Kaleidoscope' are played by the band, then sampled &
cut-up like the classic 'golden era' hip hop. This is not however, a straight up
hip hop release ~ 'Kaleidoscope' incorporates all the music that Opensouls draw
inspiration from, like soul, reggae, jazz & blues. Their singles to date
illustrate their versatility & consistency perfectly.
'Kaleidoscope' features tracks which have enjoyed international as well as
national success ~ such as the gorgeous slice of soulful hip hop that was the
group's first single, released on 12", 'In Your Hands', voted 'Best Unreleased
Song' at the bNet Music Awards after cracking the top 11 in bNet & Alt Radio
charts nationwide, and being released by Curl Curl Records [with European
remixes from Zimpala & Gerd] & Compost Records ['Soulsearching'], earning a
gushing review from UK website ritmo.co.uk, "àgrooving beat with subtle, soulful
male vocals make 'In Your Hands' a perfect wind-down trackà".
How about their churning funk monster 'Turn It Up!' then? Released on 7" [with
barnstorming b-side 'What Do You Do?'] & with top 11 bNet success nationwide in
NZ, including weeks on the Alt Radio chart, top 10 on George & Kiwi, and glowing
praise from the likes of Quantic aka Will Holland, Lanu [The Bamboos] aka Lance
Ferguson & Robert Luis [Tru Thoughts].
'Turn It Up!' was released in the UK thanks to funk heavyweights Dom Servini &
Nick Weston [WahWah45s] & sold out on the famous UK website Piccadilly, who
described the track as " àa total killer with a strong vocal from singer Tyra
Hammond Backed by the Opensouls band who create a fat soul-funk soundà" The
track was also reviewed in Straight No Chaser, with the magazine trumpeting "Big
funk tune alert! A low-down, grinding funk burnerà", recommending instant
purchase!
Their brand new single, the bluesy, rootsy 'Falling In', featuring a captivating
Ladi 6 [Verse2] guest vocal appearance, has also been creeping up bNet
playlists, Alt Radio charts & into the GeorgeFM top 10, and is destined for
greater things thanks to its inclusion on the new NZ On Air Kiwi Hit Disc, which
is serviced to every radio station in the country!
'Kaleidoscope's guests include not only Ladi 6, but also Ho Pepa [Fat Freddy's
Drop] & Karena Lyons [Feelstyle Band].
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