s w e e t b e a t s
august.08.2003 - #1185
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artist : Jon Kennedy
album : Take My Drum to England
year : 2003
label : Grand Central Records
genre : Lo-Fi
catalogue : GCCD 121
url : www.grandcentralrecords.com
quality : CD 192k HQ True Stereo
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01.Basic Dialogues 00:51
02.Funk Construction 04:30
03.Do as You Did 04:19
04.Blow Keys 04:24
05.Do Something 00:56
06.Mistery 04:11
07.Brown Acid 04:12
08.Secrets of the World Feat. Kate Rogers 05:53
09.East is East 03:41
10.The Loafer 04:40
11.A Portrait of Autumn 03:10
12.Coming Down 01:03
13.Surrenderism 04:18
14.Way I Feel Feat Karen Wilson 04:56
15.Waiting for the Sea to Freeze 05:47
15 tracks | 56:51 mins | 78,2 MB
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Autumn 2002 beheld the latest addition to the Grand Central family,
Jon Kennedy. Bred a stoneÆs throw from GCHQ, his childhood in
Stockport was characterized by exposure to new and interesting
music, as a function of his parentsÆ enthusiasm for the pioneering
artists of their day. Jon cites Peter Frampton, Electric Light
Orchestra, David Essex and Geoff WayneÆs ôWar of the Worldsö (check
out the H.G. Wells classic!) as early influences. His taste would
in part be shaped also by his brotherÆs musical excavations, which
brought him into contact with more guitar-centric bands like KISS
and AC/DC.
Such a fervent musical home life encouraged the young Jon Kennedy
to begin exploring for himself. Initial efforts led him to Run DMC
and Tone Loc, which marked the beginning of a hip-hop love affair.
After Dad forked out for a snare drum, JonÆs passion led him to
work the cold and wet streets of his hometown in a paper-round,
until he could finally afford the full kit. Disliking the
constraints of formal drum lessons, Jon found his feet jamming with
records heÆd bought, giving him freedom to explore the fresh beats
and breaks which have come to mark his production style. GCÆs
answer to DJ Shadow in his mastery of the drums, Jon prefers to
record live beats himself and then cut ænÆ paste as desired to
achieve a classic hip-hop feel.
His focus on maintaining as æliveÆ a sound as possible is probably
a function of the manÆs unique musical talent. Not of the æbuy as
much kit as you canÆ breed, he prefers to stay true to the artistic
element of songwriting by giving primacy to live instruments.
Indeed, he is concerned as to how his sound will translate to the
stage: ôI hope I can turn the music into a live band without losing
the cut and paste elementàI love to play and that is where my roots
will always beö. However, that is not to say he doesnÆt welcome the
new space for experimentation provided by modern techniques:
ôthrough pace of technology I can now simulate the echo created
inside the crust of a large meat pieö!
The live set-up currently consists of Jon on drums, accompanied by
his brother on acoustic guitar, school buddy Ben Thomas on bass and
Bernard Moss (Pork Recordings) on flute and alto sax. The hope is
that the show will become increasingly live so that the musicians
can work through the grooves together with the crowd: ôonce I
figure out how to get all the sounds live (either triggered or
played), it will free me up so much more û then I can really let go
of myselfö. As it is though, youÆd be mistaken to assume that Jon
Kennedy Live is merely a reproduction of studio-produced material:
ôI spend hours preparing the backing for live gigs so donÆt be
thinking I just get on stage and hit stuff for an hour or soö!
Jon acknowledges the inspiration he drew from label-mate Andy
Turner: ôWithout a doubt Aim has had a massive influence on meö.
Aim fans will be glad to see GC consolidate this area of the
labelÆs sound with another sublime offering, where subtlety, taste
and eclecticism embody the cornerstone of Jon KennedyÆs distinct
brand of hip-hop. His preference for recording original loops and
beats, which can then be processed, sampled and reworked,
attributes him with a might of innovation not open to most other
artists of the genre. He has already achieved a reputation for
maintaining a staggering output rate, easily gaining the title of
GCÆs most prolific songwriter. Expect a heavyweight debut from a
genuine pioneer.
--grandcentralrecords.com
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