Release : Randolph Matthews - I Love EP
Artist : Randolph Matthews
Album : I Love EP
Genre : Lo-Fi
Source : CDDA
Label : Documented
URL :
Date : 00-00-2007
Encoder : LAME 3.97 / -V2 --vbr-new
Quality : 157kbps 44100 kHz Joint Stereo
Tracks : 7
Time : 33:21 min
Size : 39.67 MB
1 I Love 4:40
2 Indigenous Man 4:17
3 Dazed & Confused 4:35
4 Guitaresque (Interlude) 1:59
5 Canvas 4:27
6 Angel 8:06
7 Cohon Peace 5:17
Forget the usual tags û ┤singer-songwriter┤, ┤folk-soul┤, ┤troubadour┤. If
you┤ve caught Randolph Matthews live, either solo or with his band, you┤ll
understand. Randolph operates in his own parallel world, well away from
traditional mainstream record label marketing formulae.
Born in Camden in 1973 to West Indian parents, Matthews┤ early music schooling
involved soaking up London┤s burgeoning late-┤80s soul-jazz scene. By the 1990s
he was playing sessions for the likes of US soul / boogie legend Don Blackman,
recording with Julie Dexter on the ┤Nocturnal Flavours┤ project with Aztec
Productions and working with Arthur Baker on music for Brooklyn soul legend,
Will Downing.
Since then, Matthews has graced an impressive series of forward-thinking
projects in conjunction with some of London┤s leading soulful musicians and
producers, including two fruitful collaborations with hip hop DJ Rob Mac. First
up, Speeka (for Ultimate Dilemma in 2001), matching low-slung hip hop breaks and
basslines with well-crafted songs. Then, Gum Drop, bringing heavier P-funk, jazz
fusion and electro arrangements to the table on their acclaimed ┤Hi-Falutin┤
long player during 2006.
His new recordings reflect the deep-rooted base under-pinning his music, a
desire to experience the full potential of what music can do to affect other
people┤s lives, small ripples that may have wide-reaching resonance in the world
at large.
His debut set for Documented brings to the fore his personal, intimate delivery
within seven varied acoustic pieces, all produced by Tony Nwachukwu (NEPA / CDR
/ Attica Blues). Tracks range from the epic, soaring ┤I Love┤, building from an
acoustic base to an overwhelming finale, to the jaw-dropping ┤Cohon Piece┤, a
masterpiece of freeform expression as Matthews chants and flows over raw
percussive rhythms.