MARK RAE (of Rae & Christian) + DENISE BENSON + ANDREW ALLSGOOD
at GLIDE wednesdays ~ Wednesday August 29 ~ 10pm-3am
GYPSY CO-OP, 817 Queen St. W. Toronto ~ 416.703.5069
No cover. Loads of great music.
That's right, we're keeping it FREE!!
Read on and spread the word....
hello, hello, hello all!
I've just arrived back into T.O. and am adjusting rather well, despite
the longing for more breaths of truly fresh air, swims in the lake,
sightings of fog hanging gorgeously on country roads and the like. Ahhh,
but cities are great for lots of reasons as well, amongst them all the
incredible music that we can hear out in clubs and all the wonderful,
wicked talent we can find both making and spinning it! Which brings me
to....
Tomorrow night (Wednesday August 29), Andrew Allsgood and I have the
pleasure of welcoming a very special guest, a man who has, for years,
both made music and run a label which has influenced us both heavily.
Yes folks, the rumours are true, tomorrow night, Glide Wednesdays at
Gypsy Co-op welcomes Manchester, UK producer, DJ and Grand Central
Records honcho, Mr. MARK RAE of RAE & CHRISTIAN.
Mark has been touring extensively over the past while, in support of
both the most recent, excellent RAE & CHRISTIAN album, Sleepwalking
(Grand Central/K7!), and also his even more recent mix CD, Ordered >From
the Catalogue,which sees Rae gathering, blending and further funkdafying
Grand Central artists such as R&C, Aim, Tony D, Fingathing, Only Child
and Riton. If you've heard the CD, or seen Mark spin in other parts of
the world, you know he can throw down like crazy: mixing, cutting,
scratching, and obviously smiling his way through stacks of soul, funk,
hip hop, reggae and more. It's no surprise then that Andrew and I are
filled with glee at the thought of Mark guesting with us tomorrow night.
And it gets even better!
Essentially, Mark Rae is in Toronto on post-tour vacation, hanging here
with cousin Kate Rogers, herself a singer whose gorgeous voice has
blessed many a track from Rae & Christian, Aim and others. Mark has
agreed to join us at Glide for an evening of pure, unadulterated FUN,
frolic and favourite tunes, throwing down whatever he darn well pleases
for all of us.
So...we're very happily doing the word of mouth thang, spreading the
news to as many friends and fellow fans as possible. Spread the word and
see you tomorrow at Glide and the Gypsy!
For those who enjoy knowing as many facts as possible, here's some more
info about MARK RAE and RAE & CHRISTIAN, all taken from the excellent
Grand Central site. Check it at: http://www.grandcentralrecords.co.uk
Ordered From The Catalogue
mixed by Mark Rae
At last a Mark Rae mix coming your way again. Building on 1999's mix CD
("Blazing the Crop), this Grand Central gem is like a newsflash of where
we are now. Featuring hard-to-find remixes and new tracks too, this is
the perfect preview of this year's Grand Central sounds.
As well as featuring tracks from all the established Grand Central
artists (Rae & Christian, Aim, Tony D & Only Child), there's also a
glimpse to the more experimental Fingathing & brand new Riton.
And a few more reasons why this is such special mix album, Mark
explains:
1."It is 100% live and involves no overdubs or computer twonkery."
2."I answered the phone twice and made a sandwich while making it."
3."If you intend to cuddle someone whilst listening to this, note that
although the beginning lends itself to this behaviour, a sharp upturn in
tempo halfway through could lead to some embarrassment."
Standout tracks are : Riton 'Take Control' - a future classic from the
latest GC star (and released as a single on 12th March) combining
Scruff-like beats with a dreamy Tosca-ness. Rae & Christian/ The
Pharcyde 'Ain't Nothing Like' (Nextmen Remix) a remix that had Kenny
Dope spinning this version up to three times a night on his recent trip
to the UK. Also a firm favourite with the likes of Richard Dorfmeister
and Jazzy Jeff. J-Walk 'Following The Noughties' is a Detroit meets
Manchester epic number that originally appeared on Central Heating 2.
Reviewed here if you're curious:
http://motion.state51.co.uk/reviews/862.html
RAE & CHRISTIAN bio and release info
About the early days..
Mark Rae and Steve Christian have been working together for over five
years as recording artists, Rae & Christian on the Grand Central label,
and as remixers extraordinaire for a whole host of artists.
Mark Rae started Grand Central Records in 1995, and since its inception
has developed a roster of highly talented artists that have become the
envy of many labels. Not content to release faceless twelves, the Grand
Central ethic is to develop the artists in their charge.
Rae and Christian originally appeared on the inaugural Grand Central
compilation, 'Frying The Fat' with their classic 'In Rhodes'. Previous
releases include the dynamic dance floor devastator 'Northern Sulphuric
Soul' and tracks from 1996's critically acclaimed second GC compilation
album, 'Central Heating'. Combining Mark's music-making skills with
Steve's production talent, they produced two outstanding vocal tracks on
Central Heating, 'Spellbound' featuring Manchester discovery Veba, and
'Good Advice' featuring Sharleen Spiteri.
Their debut LP "Northern Sulphuric Soul" featured Rae and Christian at
their finest, combining the hip hop ethic with traditional song writing
skills and noughties production technology, and announced Rae &
Christian as one of the UK's brightest production talents. The vibe
created from Grand Central attracted major artists into collaborations
for this album. >From undeniable hip hop legends to indisputable
popstars, their first long player sees some sublime soundclashes. On
this album is featured work from NYC's Jeru Tha Damaja and The Jungle
Brothers, YZ from New Jersey and Glasgow's Texas. The Grand
Central-Texas kinship started in August in 1996 when Rae & Christian
produced 'Good Advice' for the highly acclaimed Grand Central
compilation 'Central Heating which later appeared on Texas' White On
Blonde LP. Mark and Steve then went on to remix Texas' top two hit 'Say
What You Want'.
The circle has been completed with Sharleen as writing the track 'The
Hush' [as Texas] which also appears on "Northern Sulphuric Soul".
About the newer LP, Sleepwalking:
It´s not as though they´ve been away for too long, last summer was the
last time Rae & Christian performed a live gig. After touring the globe
with a full band, performing material off their acclaimed debut album
"Northern Sulphuric Soul", it was time to get them back in the studio
and set about working on their second album. You might have heard one of
their recent remixes such as Faze Action, Lamb, Moby or Eagle Eye
Cherry. Aside from these Mark & Steve have been working on their new
"Sleepwalking" album for the last 12 months.
Their individual talents - Mark Rae as DJ, beat merchant and lyricist
and Steve Christian as the music maker and production-wizard, have
become more versatile. Their ability to combine hip hop ethics with
traditional song writing skills and 21st century production technology
is even more evident on the new album.
How It All Came Together For "Sleepwalking":
Firstly a couple of instrumentals were produced. Then the quest for new
guest vocalists began. While "Northern Sulphuric Soul" had a distinct
New York slant with the choice of MCs, a different focus on rapping and
rhyming was planned. Rae & Christian tried to reconnect with The
Pharcyde, Los Angeles hip hop crew who they did their first ever remix
"Running" for in 1995. Mark & Steve felt that The Pharcyde would be able
to adapt more readily to the new, more musical sound that they were
working on. Mark Rae travelled to Los Angeles and stayed with a friend
in a very weird building in downtown L.A. that once housed William S.
Burroughs. While
waiting to meet The Pharcyde, Mark did an hour long mix for an internet
radio show during which he mentioned his interest in the singer Bobby
Womack, the legendary 70´s soul legend (responsible for the classic
"Across 110th Street"). In a bizarre twist of fate, the right person
heard his wish and within 45 minutes he was given a Post-It-Note with a
telephone number of Bobby´s management. A few weeks later,
they met and within three months Rae & Christian had recorded two tracks
with Mr Womack. A dream had come true for Mark & Steve (even if Bobby
initially said they looked like a pair of astrologers!!)
Womack later commented that with music like this he didn't "need no
fancy studios, no $1 million dollar pay-offs, just music from the heart,
just music with soul". His two collaborations saw him return to his
considerable best.
A similar coup for R&C is the collaboration with Cedric Myton from
legendary reggae outfit The Congos. Thanks to the reggae and dub
historians of the Blood & Fire Label (who are also based in Manchester)
a contact was made to the seminal reggae singer and his band, now based
in New York. "Hold Us Down" was then recorded in the infamous D+D
studios in New York.
After going to ground in recent years, truly disillusioned by the music
industry (they claimed that they were lied to by record company staff
about how many copies of their album had actually been sold), The
Pharcyde were approached by Mark Rae whilst performing at a live gig in
London. After speaking with them he knew they were right for the new
project sharing the same consciousness, and so beats were sent to
their LA base. Then Mark travelled once again to the legendary D&D
studios in New York and spent a very hazy weekend with Imani & Booty
Brown - the two remaining Pharcyde members "watching them play craps".
Also on hand was Kriminul - DJ Spinna's partner in The Jigmastas - to
deliver a guest verse and become the third honorary member.
Kate Rogers is Mark Rae's cousin, who has previously recorded with Grand
Central´s AIM on his album "Cold Water Music". A three month stay in
Manchester (she normally resides in Toronto) resulted in "Not Just
Anybody".
The Tania Maria track was developed very differently as the original
demo version featured a sample of her voice. Not being satisfied with
its quality, the singer was tracked down in Paris and asked to re-sing
the sampled riff. She loved the music and suggested writing a new song.
Steve Christian travelled to Paris and recorded "Vai Viver A Vida" with
her. The 40 piece string orchestra you can hear in the background was
later recorded back home, in Manchester.
The recording for Siron´s track involved less travelling, as she is
based in London. And if the voice sounds familiar, it´s because she´s
been a mainstay of the RAE & CHRISTIAN live show.
-- -denise benson-Radio & Club DJ: 'Mental Chatter' • Mondays 11am-2pm, CKLN 88.1FM (Toronto) (playlists & live RealAudio: http://ckln.sac.ryerson.ca Archives: http://www.beats.to) 'Glide' • Wednesdays @ Gypsy Co-op, 817 Queen St. W.
Writer: Eye Weekly • 'Extended Play' and 'Beats Per Week' • http://www.eye.net Exclaim Magazine • features & reviews • http://www.exclaim.ca
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