Blog Archives - rhythmandnews

randy muller returns with some tasty 'soul biscuits'!!

7/26/2013

Randy Muller

With the current re-emergence of 70's soulful and funky sounds dominating the airwaves, dancefloors and the music charts around the world, the charge being led by Daft Punk's Nile Rodgers produced Chic flavoured smash 'Get Lucky', Justin Timberlake's 'The 20/20 Experience' album and Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines', which borrows heavily from Marvin Gaye's 1977 hit 'Got To Give It Up', the timing couldn't be better for one of the that decade's foremost groove masters to unleash some brand new music to the public. Randy Muller is the gifted producer, arranger, songwriter and keyboardist who contributed greatly to the soundtrack of those heady times with many songs which eventually became black music club classics.

His name first crossed my path as a teenager. In 1974 a new group from Brooklyn, New York called B.T. Express released one of the funkiest albums of the year 'Do It 'Til You're Satisfied' which contained the US R&B No. 1 monster 'Express'. This huge club favourite featured what would be one of Muller's trademarks, a smooth, subtle, sweet sounding string arrangement which gave the track an added class and sophistication. The following year Muller really made the music world sit up and take notice when he and his nine piece outfit Brass Construction exploded onto the scene with their debut album featuring the groundbreaking joints 'Movin' and 'Changin', both 8 minute plus 'soul boy' anthems, which gave dancers (like myself at the time) the heavenly feeling of an endless funky groove. These two recordings really were game-changers. Again, those distincitve string arrangements, along with the striking horns meant for a magical Randy Muller mix. Along with his own band, Muller branched out in the 80's working and delivering hits for several artists including Skyy ('Let's Celebrate' 'Call Me') and Rapheal Cameron ('Boogie's Gonna Get You').In recent years a considerable amount of Muller's work has been sampled by the hip hop community and his influence has extended to leading music folk such as legendary dj/producer Kenny 'Dope' Gonzales. Now in 2013, proving that he's still got 'the chops', Randy Muller has returned with his new brand new band, Brooklyn Soul Biscuits and their debut outing, 'Soul Biscuits'.

'run' - fresh, new uk drama from new kids on the block

7/23/2013

The four main characters whose individual stories overlap within 'Run'

Last week the UK broadcaster Channel 4 presented a multi-layered drama, shown over 4 consecutive nights dealing with the harsh realities of urban life in London. It was simply called 'Run' and it had me hooked from the first night to the last. All credit to Channel 4 who thought it wiser to grab the viewer by the throat going in and not allowing their attention to be diverted by waiting a week for the next installment. In reality 'Run' felt very much as if it were an epic 4 hour independent movie, chopped into sizeable pieces. The elements contained within varied from love story to straight up crime thriller, social commentary to at times a dark humour. With all of this bubbling to the surface at any given time, it gave the show a realism. In fact at times I found myself so engrossed with the stories I felt I was watching a documentary.

'Run' is set in Brixton and the surrounding area and this is where it was filmed. I knew the settings to be authentic as growing up in this part of the capital I immediately recognised many of the locations used. Each of the four characters featured in the show in some way or another have to 'run' from whatever situation they were in. Carol (played by Olivia Colman) is a single mother having to deal with two layabout sons who bring tragic grief to her door, Ying (played by Katie Leung) is an illegal Chinese immigrant who to pay off debts owed finds herself on the street trying to sell black market dvd's, Richard (played by Lennie James) is a street bum with a drinking problem, also an ex crack addict to boot who is trying to re-connect with his daughter and finally we have Kasia (played by Katharina Schuttler), a Polish hospital cleaner involved with illegal marriages. On the face of it the impression given is one long depressing journey, however as I stated earlier, this is not the case. One minute you are witnessing a scene so distressing it makes you want to cry and then next moment you find yourself laughing at an absurd gesture or comment heard from one of the characters, not unlike real life.

trailer: '12 years a slave'

7/23/2013

Director Steve McQueen and actor Michael Fassbender

London born artist Steve McQueen is enjoying an illustrious career which seems to be going from strength to strength, especially when it comes to his work on the big screen. After producing several short films, his debut feature length effort, released in 2008 was a stark, hard hitting drama called 'Hunger' which dealt with the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike. Critics world wide praised the film and it proved so much of a popular choice at the Cannes Film Festival of that year that McQueen became the very first Brit to receive the Camera d'Or (first time director) Award. He followed this up in 2011 with another critically acclaimed movie, 'Shame', a modern day tale set in New York about a sex addict.

Now McQueen is set to return with what looks to be a highly provocative as well as engaging piece of work. The film, set in the highly oppressive pre Civil War period of America is called '12 Years A Slave' and is based on the true story of Soloman Northup, a free black New Yorker with a family, who in 1841 travelled to Washington DC to take up the job of playing the fiddle in a circus, but instead was sold into slavery in Louisana, and there he stayed until 1853, only after someone got word to his family back in New York. Amazingly his wife had to go to court to secure his freedom. Oh yes, this is a true story!

'little black boy wonder'

7/23/2013

Omari Hardwick

African American actor Omari Hardwick, who has appeared in several Hollywood movies including Spike Lee's World War 2 drama, 'Miracle At St. Anna', 'Kick Ass' and Tyler Perry's 'For Colored Girls', was so shaken by the 'not guilty' verdict handed down to George Zimmerman in his trial for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin, that he felt compelled to write a poem to express his feelings. The end result was a deeply moving piece entitled 'Little Black Boy Wonder'.

Hardwick then enlisted the help of several actors including Eric La Salle, Marlon Wayans, David Oyelowo, Gary Douran and Bill Duke to help present the poem in video form. 'Little Black Boy Wonder' is dedicated to Trayvon Martin. An emotional, worthy tribute to the slain teenager.

mandela: 'long walk to freedom'

7/20/2013

Idris Elba as Nelson Mandela

British born actor (and let's not forget supreme heart-throb to millions of women world wide) Idris Elba has come a long way from UK TV soap opera 'Family Affairs', through his breakout performance of drug lord kingpin Stringer Bell in the epic HBO drama 'The Wire', to bursting onto the big screen in such large scale productions as 'Prometheus', 'American Gangster' (both directed by Ridley Scott), and 'Thor'. Indeed he can currently be seen in one of this summer's big Hollywood blockbusters, 'Pacific Rim'. If this were not enough to establish this man's huge talent and abilty is not based on his obvious good looks, Elba is also the star (and associate producer) of the BBC TV series 'Luther' where he plays Detective Chief Inspector John Luther, let's just say a policeman with issues. A role which incidentally won him a Golden Globe in Hollywood.

No doubt, this skilled brother has come a long way. However, he is just about to take on his greatest challenge in portraying a living legend in a new motion picture. Idris Elba will play South African President Nelson Mandela in 'Mandela: Long Walk To Fredom', a film based on Mandela's 1994 autobiography, 'Long Walk To Freedom' which covered his early life, coming of age, education, his political struggle and his 27 years of incarceration. Elba will be tackling a subject which is very close to most people's hearts. Mandela is probably the most popular elder statesman on the planet, as was recently displayed by the world wide media attention to his current health problems. He surely must know if he gets this wrong, the world will not be backward informing him of their displeasure. However, on the strength of a new trailer for the film which has just been released, my gut feeling is Mr. Elba will rock baby!

'fruitvale station' trailer

7/18/2013

Oscar Grant (Michael B. Jordan) in 'Fruitvale Station'

While Hollywood delivers in summer 2013 a succession of high profile, money losing casualties at the box office, a little independent film, with no huge marquee names attached, has quietly been released in a few select US cities (New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles with more to follow) and gotten major attention and sold out performances, not only for its quality, but its subject matter, which in the light of the recent Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman trial is very apt. 'Fruitvale Station' is the debut feature from Ryan Coogler and tells the true story of 22 year old Oscar Grant, who while out celebrating New Year's Eve with friends in San Francisco, was fatally shot dead by a police officer in the early hours of New Year's Day 2009 at a train station called 'Fruitvale' in Oakland, California.

The whole unfortunate incident was caught by several train passengers on their mobile phones, showing the unarmed Grant being shot in the back. After a massive outcry from the general public, the officer in question was eventually charged with involuntary manslaughter and served just 11 months of a two year. 'Fruitvale Station' centres on the very last day of Oscar Grant's life, showing his relationships with his mother, his girlfriend and his child. The film shows that although he was no angel, he was committed to turning his life around for the good. Newcomer Michael B. Jordan plays Oscar, the fabulous Oscar winning Octavia Spencer plays his mother, Wanda and Melonie Diaz plays his girlfriend, Sophina. One of the film's producers is (another Oscar winner) Forest Whitaker.
Coogler filmed in and around the Oakland area and even shot footage at the actual location of 'Fruitvale' station. I have yet to see 'Fruitvale Station' myself, but on the strength of the powerfully moving trailer and the word of mouth that has reached my ears (including posibilities of Oscar noiminations), my guy feeling is this is a film to definitely catch. Hopefully it will reach UK shores in the not too distant future.

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spike lee remakes 'oldboy'

7/18/2013

Film director Spike Lee

Director Spike Lee returns to the big screen with a very interesting choice, especially for a film maker who usually works from his own scripts. He has decided to do a remake (or in his own words 'a reinterpretation') of the South Korean mystery thriller 'Oldboy'. This very dark and violent tale was originally made by Park Chan-Wook in 2003 and was universally greeted as groundbreaking. It went on to win The Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival 2004 and was highly praised by The President of the Jury that year, none other than Quentin Tarantino.

'Oldboy' tells the story of a man finding himself locked up in a hotel room for 15 years (in Lee's version it is 20 years) without knowing why or even who his captors are. While there he discovers his wife has been murdered and he is the chief suspect. With no warning he is suddenly set free and what follows is a very bloody and graphic quest for vengeance. The 2003 film drew many fans world wide not only for it's The Matrix-style action scenes and ultra violent images, but also for it's highly original script with several mindblowing twists.

The first trailer for Lee's updated version has just gone online and seems to show he has wisely decided not to stray too far from the original's moody, sinister tone. In this version Josh Brolin stars as the imprisoned man hell bent on discovering the truth, at any cost. His co-stars include Samuel L. Jackson and Elizabeth Olsen. With Spike in charge, this should be a very interesting ride. 'Oldboy' (2013) hits the US in late October and the UK in December.

Here is a clip of Spike Lee talking about his 'take' on 'Oldboy':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylrLtpeHK4Q

Here is the trailer for the orginal 2003 'Oldboy':
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBP0PC-VPeM

d'ya wanna 'get lucky' with daft punk condoms?

7/11/2013

So the French electronic music duo Daft Punk are riding high in the music charts around the world with their latest album, 'Random Access Memories' which has obviously had a massive boost from the first single released, the Chic inspired 'Get Lucky' (featuring founding member of Chic, Nile Rodgers and Pharrell Williams). This simple, yet highly infectious funky groove has dominated dancefloors around the world and has brought a new found respect for the term 'disco' after years of it being looked down upon after the glory days of the late 70's.

Capitalizing on the huge popularity of the song, and given the nature of it's (somewhat) risque lyrics, Daft Punk have cleverly joined forces with Durex to release their own brand of 'Get Lucky' condoms. The package uses the art work from the hit record - Daft Punk, alongside Nile Rodgers and Pharrell Williams in silhouette behind a setting sun - to eye catching effect. To help promote the condoms, Durex have taken the route usually used by record companies with their own product, by sending out sample packs to djs. Makes perfect sense to me, even though I, myself am a dj and so far nothing has arrived in the post.

nile rodgers to work on new music with daft punk

7/11/2013

Nile Rodgers (right) with Daft Punk and Pharrell

Nile Rodgers, the master musician, songwriter, producer and leader of one of the greatest dance music bands of all time, Chic is really back in the swing of things. His collaboaration with the French electronic duo Daft Punk with 'Get Lucky' (which also features Pharrell Williams) has not only given the band the biggest hit of their career, but has been a global phenomemon. In the US it is already being touted as the Song of the Summer and in the UK it became the first record to sell a million copies in 2013.

So it was very exciting to learn from Rodgers during a recent interview with DJAZZtv that while he was in the Warner Music tape library, he happened across a box which did not belong there, but contained a substantial amount of unreleased music he had worked on, including solo tracks, Johnny Mathis material, film scores and here is where it gets mighty interesting, unfinished Chic songs. Rodgers has plans to work on these Chic grooves and Daft Punk have expressed a desire to get involved. He said "Daft Punk wants to do at least one of them with me, so that should be very cool. Because they respect the music, they understand." So who knows, we may all get lucky one more time. My fingers are crossed.

review: no doubt, omar is 'the man'

7/10/2013

'The Man' on Freestyle Records

His full name and title is Omar Christopher Lye-Fook MBE, that's Member of the Order of the British Empire to you and me, but to all his music fans worldwide, this UK born and bred soul singer and musician is simply and affectionately known as Omar. This talented guy first introduced himself to the record buying public in the mid-80's, but really made his mark in 1990 when he dropped what surely must be his signature 'calling card', the hypnotic bassline, slow grooving 'There's Nothing Like This', now seen as a certified UK soul classic. A definite milestone back at the time which helped to break down the notion that quality soul music could only be produced in America. Going from strength to strength Omar has released several albums and his reputation has grown so much so that in many quarters today he is regarded with much respect as 'the godfather of UK soul'. When even musical giants such as Stevie Wonder show him major love, you know he is the real deal.

So it has been 7 years since Omar released an album, but that long spell of waiting is finally over as he has dropped a joint that is worthy of his vast skills. An aptly titled collection called 'The Man'. After living with the cd for a couple of weeks now, fully absorbing the various flavours and textures on offer, I have got to say, without question Omar is THE MAN. In this day and age where new soul music seems to be in short supply within the mainstream market, it is refreshing to see an artist deliver an album that is not only soulful and (at times) downright funky, but at the same time manages to put his own individual stamp on the material without the usual cop out of sampling classic grooves from 'back in the day'. Happily no concessions have been made to 'crossover' to a pop music sensibility, unlike some of his American counterparts. This is straight up good groove sounds for a discerning audience who want to feel as well as listen to the music on 'The Man'. The set contains an undercurrent of both jazz and latin that gives the songs a free flowing mood.

EON IRVING

DJ, Remixer, Producer, Writer
Involved in the music business since the very late 70's Beginning work at Island Records. DJing since the early 80's both in London and abroad, including the US and Europe. Along the way performing at many high profile events for such luminaries as Prince, Public Enemy and Lennox Lewis.
Aside from radio and club djing, remixing and production work in the recording studio has meant working with the likes of Loose Ends, Junior Giscombe, David Morales, Gwen Guthrie, Sly & Robbie, Maxie Priest and Madonna.
An intense lifelong love of cinema has blossomed itself in several ways including presenting to the UK public for the very first time such films as 'Boyz In The Hood', 'House Party' and 'A Rage In Harlem'.
My passion for music, cinema and all other interests manifests itself through my writing. I am also a Contributing Editor for the music and entertainment website magazine, DeeperThe Beats www.deeperthebeats.com
and can be heard presenting a soul music show every Wednesday 7pm-10pm on Delite Radio (on DAB+ in London & Manchester in the UK) and worldwide online www.deliteradio.com

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