On Wednesday May 27th 2011, the world lost Gill Scott Heron, a poet, musician and cultural pioneer.
In this Gil Scott Heron tribute, Freedom Writers Frankie Payne and Tona offer lyrical wisdom, flow and timing placed in between excerpts from Gil Scott Heron’s classic original version. The track was produced by Big Sproxx, who also directed the video. Download (Megaupload): Freedom Writers - "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"
The insistent first single "NY Is Killing Me" from Jamie xx's forthcoming Gil Scott Heron remix album We're New here is easily one of my favorite remixes of 2010. There's something dark and creepy about Jamie's sample based melody intertwined with Gil's pleas "Lord Have Mercy on Me", which comes off in Jamie's surveillance tape video counterpart remarkably well. iTunes doesn't usually get my buck if I know I'm going to be picking up the entire album anyway, but this was an exception. I couldn't wait until February 22nd.
That's the date We're New Here will drop in all forms, including a vinyl box set with the full album on a pink heavyweight vinyl, the instrumental version on a green heavyweight vinyl, CDs of both the album and instrumental album, and two limited edition photographic prints. And here's what's kicking me in the ass: it's only 25 pounds and comes with a free mp3 of "NY is killing me" when you pre-order it.
Props: FDR.
Producer Jamie xx (from The xx) is creating a re-mix album to be called We're New Here that reworks Gil Scott Heron's 2010 release titled I'm New Here, his first album in thirteen years. '"NY Is Killing Me" is the first single from WNH, set for release in on February 21, 2011.
The original "NY Is Killing Me" is barely recognizable in xx's remix, but Heron's distinctive raspy and scowling vocals and the perpetual sense of rhythm retained creates sense of familiarity between the two very different versions. The accompanying video has a weird sense of stasis about it that is both familiar and creepy, like watching a bunch of retro security feeds through an used TV shop window. Whether the TV sets pictured are located in Jamie's London UK or Heron's New York, it's difficult to tell from the images displayed on the screens-- both are visually homogenized by the technologies that have made this unlikely collaboration possible.
Visit Jamie xx's page for download and more information.
Shouts, PP.
On Wednesday May 27th 2011, the world lost Gill Scott Heron, a poet, musician and cultural pioneer.
In this Gil Scott Heron tribute, Freedom Writers Frankie Payne and Tona offer lyrical wisdom, flow and timing placed in between excerpts from Gil Scott Heron’s classic original version. The track was produced by Big Sproxx, who also directed the video. Download (Megaupload): Freedom Writers - "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"