March 2001It can be overwhelming deciding which of the myriad of available musical selections to feature in this column. There's a natural inclination to choose the most obscure, wacked-out offerings, the kind of music that will always be underground. Yet there are also artists who are underground because they defy convention or push the envelope, even while their music has familiar, inviting elements that vie for a position with more popular contemporaries. These artists walk a fine line between aboveground and underground and have the power to transform sensibilities and bring progress to contemporary music. When I first heard that SOULSTICE were going to be profiled in this issue, I was relieved that there would be less ink needed here to relate the history of San Francisco's newest music phenomenon. What makes "Illusion," their debut album on Om Records, so special is that this foursome was nurtured by the underground, back-alley San Francisco club scene. The productions set forth were fully collaborative efforts developed and honed during "freestyle" live sessions at selected back-door night spots. The aura of those live sessions dominates the tone of all the songs, especially those that are moody and down-tempo. The dominance of acoustic elements may strike the listener, both the musical and the ambient. That's usual from a band with roots on the live circuit, but extremely unusual for a group originally based in the dance clubs. The lyrics of the songs on "Illusion" reflect universal themes: love, loneliness, and life. GINA RENE's vocal delivery has a natural jazz bent, often with swing styling. Many comparisons could be made to her contemporaries, but Gina Rene's influences are drawn from broader sources and inspiration. She doesn't have the range of Ella, but Gina has been touched by her joy of song. She will never have the hard knocks of Lady Day, but Holiday's sense of timing and delivery have been absorbed mainline. There are ten original songs on this album and one standard cover, "Tenderly." This Lawrence & Gross-penned classic has been covered by every jazz icon from Satchmo to The Duke; Ella, Billie, and Sarah have all embraced this timeless love song. Soulstice jolt and ignite this torch-y ballad solidly into the 21st century with skillful Tuck-like acoustic guitar, dusted high hats, Sergio Mendes-style harmonies and rhythm that morphs seamlessly into a discriminating use of drum & bass. Being the offspring of Om Records, beautifully complex rhythm was destined to be a crucial element. The title track, "Illusion," kicks off this set with an attitude and a tone that prevail throughout the release. Life often kicks you in the ass, but that "illusion" (or delusion) can be replaced when you put yourself in the position of control. The music creates drama with a cinematic soundtrack approach a la Curtis Mayfield. An intricate breakbeat rhythm along with a wide variety of musical elements fill this soundscape. Orchestrated strings, reverberated guitar twangs and Andy Caldwell's complementary keyboard work keep the listener occupied. "Fall into You" has you "letting go" and "falling into (love)." Sentimental but not squishy. Thick, rubbery bass lines neatly embrace the vocals and percussion, creating a beautiful fluidity. There is much subliminal distortion, fuzzy scratching, and organic effects that bolster and support the various moods created. The segue of the songs on "Illusion" were extremely well thought out to the point of being conspicuous. The juxtaposition of "Fall into You" followed by "Color" are obvious counterparts, but hey, this structure should not be too complex. "Color" is probably the moodiest track in this collection, since the color Gina sings of is very "blue." This song tells what may happen if you "fall into you" and that "you" steps aside to let your face hit the pavement. "Andromeda" is an atmospheric, cosmic ballad that comes back from the despair of "Color" to the unity and completion awarded to those lucky few involved with true love. The organic elements are more up front here than in most of the other songs. There is also the Soulstice super-organic touch of adding such scratches, bubbles and squeaks necessary to accomplish the desired soundtrack. "Winds" features lilting simple acoustic elements and skillfully honed lyrics which lull the listener into groovy nuevo bossa nova territory. The track slowly builds percussive elements that burst into nu-skool drum & bass crescendos replete with sub-sonic bass stabs. This is unexpected and a persuasive hybrid outcome. "Surrender" captures the essence of the club roots of Soulstice. Its approach is dubby west coast soulful house. "Surrender" is an instrumental but Gina is still involved. Her vocals are used instrumentally with "surrender" being the only word in the song with elaborate vocal improvisation. "Lovely" and "The Reason" are two of my favorite tracks. "Lovely" was the first single pulled from the album and was reviewed in my last column. "The Reason" is a simple song, the best ones always are that are a testament to true love. Gabriel Rene's fine acoustic guitar work seems to cuddle with his sister Gina's vocals throughout the song. Mei Lwun Lee's scratching breaks in at just the right moments and keeps the song from becoming too precious. "Not Alone" follows with a reaffirmation of "The Reason"; "I am not alone, I am not alone..." is a chanting like chorus that will linger. Dire Strait-like guitar chords kick off the song accompanied by hard beats that demand your attention. "Changes" completes this stunning set offering us a jazzy drum & bass reprise that beautifully caps off this emotionally charged album. One last note, be patient for four and a half minutes after "Change" and you will be treated to an unnamed ghost track. It's a smoky ballad that one might hear under the credits of some future 007 flick. GINA RENE has not limited herself to her Soulstice work. After you hear Gina you will understand why JAY-J and JULIUS PAPP as SHUFFLE INC. convinced her to be their vocalist on "All I Do," their cover of the ever popular Stevie Wonders track. Yes, there have been many "bootlegs" of the original circulating and one other "cover" version, but this is the real deal. The approach here is simple and straightforward, a classic well-structured house track. Gina's fine voice is complemented nicely by Shan Kenner's tight guitar and Bill William's keyboards. Although jazzy there is no lack of energy provided by fierce bongos and toms. The flip has "Jazz Ride" which is not just a great dub since Kenner's guitar takes over the task of vocals, an equally fine effort. This is the first official release on San Francisco's MOULTON STUDIOS (lab@moultonstudios.com) imprint and what an outstanding debut it is. Of course these guys at Moulton, CHRIS LUM and JAY-J, are no freshman, having been responsible for many crucial releases that represent the new "west coast soul" sound. Miquel Migs, Julius Papp, Deep Dish, Dubtribe, and David Harness have all been down to the "third floor" on Polk Street. Such labels as Naked Music, Transport, Imperial Dub, Large, Leaf Nervous, and Om have all utilized the talent at Moulton. I expect this column to be busy through the rest of the year with all the fine projects slated for release. One fresh project recently put in the can is David Harness classic remix of the new DAJAE "Jack It Up" on Pound Boys. Keep your eye out for him at WMC, he is sure to have some whites for the right DJs. It is brutal and will tear up any dance floor. SOLMATIC RECORDS (415-531-1518) is a newly formed label and their debut is from THE BASH BROTHERS aka David Garcia, Jay Walker, and Joey Mazzola. Garcia brings the vibe he works on his mix show, Radioactive. This is a double A-sided offering. "Heart-Attack" is a galloping, filtered hard disco stomper with the "uplifting" chant of "heart-attack" throughout. "Stay Awake" holds its own as a bass-driven, hard house disco slammer that will slaughter your dance floors. This is a powerful and refreshing alternative to our otherwise deep and soulful San Francisco. Well I suppose new labels are a positive trend. SATOSHI TOMEII has finally put his stamp on a new imprint SAW RECORDINGS (info@sawrecordings.com). Of course with Tomeii's name on it one would expect a high quality release and the first BIPATH "Paranoize" will be far from disappointing. It is finally a relief to receive a release from New York with a powerful peak-hour punch minus the "frommage." This new direction is more than hard house or tribal and to one side of techno. Sexy basslines, moody late-night breakdowns and demanding rhythm dominate. There are some weirdly muffled vocal bits that defy deciphering, but somehow that only adds to the attraction. I dislike prediction; however, I do expect many demands from over the counter come the end of March. Get a sunburn! Send review material to: |