Artist.......: Boo Bajou
Album........: Grains
Label........: !K7 Records
Genre........: Electronic
Catnr........: !K7235CD
source.......: CDDA
rip.date.....: Feb-28-2009
str.date.....: Feb-23-2009
quality......: VBR/44,1Hz/Joint-Stereo
Url..........: n/a
track title time
01. Flickers 04:12
02. Sign 04:38
03. Big Nick's 05:04
04. Same Sun 05:47
05. Grains 06:17
06. Fuersattel 05:13
07. Heavy on Me 06:45
08. Kinder Ohne Strom 05:37
09. Tonschraube 05:46
10. Messengers 04:55
11. Nebelkloster 05:19
Runtime 59:33 min
Size 79,3 MB
Release Notes:
After 10 years of forward-thinking musical fusion,
Boo Bajou return with their most seductive and
sophisticated album yet, ?Grains?.
The producers Florian Seyberth and Peter Heider are
already widely respected around the globe for their
unique blend of modern electronica with blues,
jazz, soul, latin and dub elements. But on ?
Grains?, the Nuremberg duo take a lighter and
brighter path, absorbing acoustic folk and classic
songwriting into their progressive musical journey.
Boo Bajou earned global attention with their
irresistible breakthrough single ?Night Over
Manaus? in 1998, their 2001 debut album ?Satta? and
its 2005 sequel ?Dust My Broom?. They also
demonstrated their excellent and wide-ranging
musical taste on two excellent mix compilations, ?
Juke Joint? and ?Juke Joint II?.
In addition, Florian and Peter have remixed and
collaborated with a wide range of major artists.
These include hip-hop superstar Common, Joe Dukie
from New Zealand dub-rock collective Fat Freddy?s
Drop, rapper Oh No from the Stones Throw camp,
former Motown writer-producer and blaxploitation
soundtrack legend Willie Hutch, and the veteran
Louisiana singer-songwriter Tony Joe White, author
of the all-time classic ?Rainy Night In Georgia?.
Yet ?Grains? marks a dazzling new chapter in Boo
Bajou?s career. This is the duo?s most organic
album so far, making beautiful new sounds by
blending modern studio electronics with live
instruments and guest vocals. An album of
underground and experimental sounds, but based on
strong melodies and emotionally charged vocals.
Inspired by the resurgence in acoustic singer-
songwriters, and a visit to the contemporary folk
festival Green Man, obsessive record collectors
Florian and Peter made ?Grains? after falling in
love with the Laurel Canyon generation of early
1970s LA. This was a time of unplugged
introspection for rock superstars like Neil Young,
Joni Mitchell and Jackson Browne.
As on their previous albums, Boo Bajou have made
something fresh and modern from their old-school
inspirations, weaving them into their 21st century
studio soundscapes. ?We didn?t try to make an
authentic West Coast album, it?s just that laidback
California thing was in the back of our minds,?
Florian explains. ?It coloured the whole thing.?
Several guests sing on ?Grains?. But Boo Bajou?s
most exciting new discovery is their first ever
female vocalist, the young British singer-
songwriter Rumer, whose voice was described by BBC
London as coming ?straight out of Laurel Canyon?.
Rumer provides the vocals on ?Same Sun?, an
addictive fusion of acoustic melancholy with shiny
modern production. She also sings on ?Messengers?,
a sublime mix of jazz, electronics and singer-
songwriter folk. Imagine a generation-spanning
voice which blends the fragile beauty of Karen
Carpenter, the warm glow of Sade and the spooky
magic of Goldfrapp.
?Grains? is another lovely acid-folk ballad with a
broad cinematic sweep. ?With this track especially,
we had the West Coast feel,? says Florian. ?I
really get a feeling of oceans when I hear this, a
wide Pacific Ocean.?
Boo Bajou chose the same name for their album
title because ?Grains? seemed to best describe
their wide range of ingredients and inspirations.
?There are a lot of different small influences on
us and our music, all under one roof,? Florian
says. ?My main background is punk rock and
rockabilly, from when I was a kid. Peter is totally
the opposite. He really studied classical music and
jazz, and his father is a modern composer. The
sound we create is what happens when these two come
together.?
Fans of previous Boo Bajou albums will
appreciate the rich mix of contemporary and vintage
sounds scattered across the album. On the luminous
late-night torch song ?Flickers? and the
bittersweet soul ballad ?Sign?, the ghost of Curtis
Mayfield meets Florian?s love of early Style
Council.
Meanwhile, somewhere between the spaghetti western
twangs of ?Kinder Ohne Strom? and the trippy
sunshine ripples of ?Fuersattel?, Ennio Morricone
shares a Studio One jam with King Tubby. Then there
is closing track ?Big Nicks?, a gentle Blue Note
jazzy stroll through uptown Manhattan, where the
24-hour diner of the title is located.
Both inside and out, ?Grains? is an intoxicating
mix of past, present and future. A folk songbook
for the 21st century. A soulful statement for
today. Boo Bajou have made their finest album to
date.
