Artist.......: Extra Golden
Album........: Thank You Very Quickly
Label........: thrill jockey records
Genre........: Ethnic
Catnr........: THRILL 214
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Sep-18-2009
str.date.....: 000-00-0000
quality......: VBR/44,1Hz/Full Stereo
Url..........: extragolden.com
track title time
01. Gimakiny Akai 15:37
02. Fantasies of the Orient 11:12
03. Piny Yore Yore 10:32
04. Anyango 10:38
05. Ukimwi 10:19
06. Thank You Very Quickly 13:15
Runtime 71:33 min
Size 49,2 MB
Release Notes:
After summer 2008's three-month, international tour
(highlighted by performances
at both Pitchfork and Roskilde festivals), Extra
Golden settled down to record
the follow-up to their acclaimed Hera Ma Nono. The
result is Thank You Very
Quickly, a six-song wonder of a record whose joyous
danceable anthems were
crafted in the wake of political and economic
upheaval in Kenya. Flexibility,
resilience, and invention have always been keys to
Extra Golden's success, and
the recording process of Thank You Very Quickly was
no exception. The basic
tracks were recorded in one day, with the group set
up in the third floor
hallway/laundry room of guitarist Ian Eagleson's
parents' house. While perhaps
not the ideal studio situation, this arrangement
went a long way to confirm the
group's belief that "tight quarters = tight
grooves". Additional tracking was
done in the Pocono Mountains and again, back at the
Eagleson's. The record was
mixed in Washington, DC, with Jonathan Kreinik and
Nikhil Ranade. While Extra
Golden's first two albums served as thesis and
antithesis, Thank You Very
Quickly showcases a new level of artistry that
could only be referred to as
synthesis. That is to say that Extra Golden is no
longer an experiment or
"collaborative encounter", but (wait for it!) a
band. For evidence of this
evolution, one need look no further than the
album's fierce opener, "Gimakiny
Akia", a dance-floor choogler for high altitudes.
"Fantasies of the Orient" has
a spring in its step while reminding the listener
that one doesn't have to live
as a monkey to find happiness. Kenyan
schoolchildren sing songs like "Piny Yore
Yore", minus the shimmering guitars and explosive
tom-tom rolls. The lysergic
blues/disco groove of "Anyango" is sure to be a
huge hit - with a psychedelic
surprise for the heads. Drummer Onyango Wuod Omari
steps out front on "Ukimwi",
a passionate plea to destroy AIDS. Finally, the
album's title track and closer
extends a humble thanks to all of the group's fans
who donated money to keep
Extra Golden's families alive and safe amidst
Kenya's post-election violence of
early 2008. Though musically quite progressive,
Thank You Very Quickly also
consciously recalls many elements of the pre-
digital age - from the album's
overall look and length, to its "live" drum sound
and organic guitar tones.
Extra Golden is proud to present its third album,
Thank You Very Quickly, a
powerful sonic statement that will have fans and
critics alike showing their
gratitude to the group for a very, very long time.
The fun and joy expressed is
remarkable when one considers the political and
geographic obstacles the group
has continuously overcome. Extra Golden will be on
the prestigious African Soul
Rebels tour of the UK in March, along with
international stars Oliver Mtudkudzi
and Baaba Maal, which will give them the
opportunity to extend their gratitude
in the best way they know how - from the stage.