Tuesday 13 October 2009

Hollis P Monroe & Ruoho Ruotsi - Black Rhapsody EP

A four-track EP that's been out for about a week, this is unusual because it actually credits the source for its extensive spoken word samples. So when I tell you that both the title track and I Wept For You feature spoken, black consciousness vocals from African-American historian Ed Robinson, that's not me being a massive cleverclogs or anything. That's just me repeating stuff, parrot fashion. Hell, it could not even be true, for all I know. Though it's hard to see why they'd lie about it.

Sorry, rambling. Anyway, Black Rhapsody itself, from Ruoho Ruotsi, is a kind of crazy dubbed-out excursion that's more about letting the inspirational vocal be heard, while Monroe's I Wept For You is a more floor-oriented tech houser. You also get two takes on the non-Robinson-sporting The Beautiful iZi: Monroe's original, which is the closest thing here to straight-up deep house (with that funkified feel that says 'west coast', even though ex-hiphopper and sometime Prince Rogers Nelson protege Monroe actually hails from Philadelphia, I think), and a techier refix from Ruotsi.

About the label: This is on Def'child Productions, a label that formed in Montreal in 2004, has since relocated to San Francisco, and has managed to – admirably, in these over-saturated musical days – put out just 15 singles in the intervening five years. They seem quite seriously-minded peeps – just read the 'Label Philosophy' blurb on their website. I'd cut & paste it here but it'd make the fonts go all funny and I'm not starting all that again.

2 comments:

  1. Amazing release! "I Wept For You" goes deep!

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  2. It's great, isn't it? Thanks for commenting and making TIWWD a less lonely place, as well! :-)

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