by Quantic & Alice Russel
Producer, musician, DJ and composer Quantic and singer/songwriter Alice Russell are two of the UK’s best loved independent artists. Through their respective solo projects and various acclaimed collaborations over the last decade, they have become leading lights of the international funk, soul and alternative dance music scene.
The two all-time biggest selling artists on Tru Thoughts records, the label that brought them together, Quantic and Alice Russell have each captured the World’s imagination not just for their natural born talents but for their unique and refreshingly passionate take on their craft, with an authentic yet creative approach. They both played a pivotal role in the UK’s funk and soul resurgence of the early 2000s (out of which sprang which spawned the hits of the likes of Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse and Adele). With international fanbases, sell-out tours, and coverage across the World’s music and cultural media they are now well established artists; Quantic released a critically acclaimed ‘Best Of’ compilation last year, celebrating 11 years and 14 albums on Tru Thoughts, while Alice Russell regularly plays to thousands both at home and abroad, and is recording her fifth longplayer.
2012 sees the release of ‘Look Around The Corner’, the first ever full collaborative album from these two musical soulmates. The sound of this intoxicating record mixes sweet soul and blues with overtones of folk and gospel, and the inimitable swing of Quantic’s world-renowned outfit the Combo Bárbaro, who form the core band. Recording at Quantic’s Sonido del Valle studio in his adopted home city of Cali, Colombia, producer/musician Quantic and singer/songwriter Russell had the space and time to revel in their creative chemistry, revisiting and building on the spirit of their previous collaborative tracks which have peppered the last decade (big hitters include “Pushin’On” for Quantic Soul Orchestra and “Sweet Calling” for Russell’s solo project). For legions of hopeful fans around the World, this is the culmination of a tense will-they-won’t-they storyline, and ‘Look Around The Corner’ proves good things come to those who wait.
The first single – the album’s title track – has been added to the official BBC 6Music Playlist for daily rotation, amongst a raft of early media support all over the world including national radio playlisting in Germany, France, the Netherlands and the USA. With Alice Russell’s versatile, shimmering vocals and Quantic’s trademark warm production alongside big string sections, spine-tingling harmonies, unshakable hooks and an uplifting crescendo, it is no surprise.
Joining Quantic and Alice Russell on this project are Mike Simmonds (Alice Russell’s regular strings guru who joined them in Colombia from London); as well as Alfredito Linares, bassist Fernando Silva and conga player Freddy Colorado, all from the Combo Bárbaro. Wilson Viveros, from coastal town Buenaventura, was an invited drummer; also on drums for some songs was Jazz drummer Larry Joseph from Cali. Alfredito is the instrumentalist star of the show, sprinkling his magical and charismatic brand of bluesy, boogaloo piano throughout the album.
Look out for a series of official promo videos for this project, to be launched in the run-up to album release.
This week's Top 10:
