ed has remixed tiefschwarz and headman amongst others and has released tracks on labels such as blast first, wagram, high society, gomma and of course, kitty-yo. in 2007/08 we will be releasing his solo album on kitty-yo digital so stay hooked.

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ed laliq - prime penny gaff

they were debauched enclaves of music, magic and movement which paved the way for the uk’s thriving rave culture a century later. it is the post-punk perspective of the 80s, the decade of synth dominance that influences both ed’s production and vocal aptitude on this album. ed’s voice encompasses the vocal strengths and diversity of artists such as david bowie, franz ferdinand and the human league, his songwriting skills comparable to those of the legendary joe meek. having remixed musical honchos such as headman, spektrum and chikinki as well as having lent his vocal talent to amongst others, tiefschwarz’s electroclash hit ‘eat books’ compilation, a solo offering was the next logical step. the album is equipped with a full musical arsenal of audio weapons that would be more than at home in any 21st century penny gaff. tight jazz, sharp horns and swinging beats steal the show throughout with club-orientetated tracks such as say hey (usa) and china rising sitting comfortably next to cinematically sculptured offerings such as pieces. as much a winner on the airwaves as on the dance-floor, aural pleasure guaranteed. calling on the spirits of david bowie, talking heads and even duran duran, ed laliq muses and twitches his vocals over electro meets retro. the production style keeps the beats and claps modern and adds in bleeps and squiggles to further the throw-back vocal melodies and is reminiscent of the neptunes or timbaland. witness this in “say hey (usa)” or “hold on me (your kiss)”. electro funk shows up in “drowning” with elbow-moving delight. it is nice to hear the attention to detail and craftsmanship included in the album that takes it from retro-reminiscing to future retro. prime penny gaff could easily have been written off as living in the past and tossed aside. but it shouldn’t be. ed hits the mark most of the time and the range of styles included help tremendously to keep the album from re-treading earlier moments or wandering off into monotony. “lost n.y.c” is a great songwriter story on top of an acoustic loop along with nice snare claps. “beu-tea-full-day” is one of the best tracks with its bouncy cabaret-style bass and horn stabs. “a.c.h” and “china rising” are straight-up bowie ala let’s dance era. “no panic” is a quiet break with its almost a cappella arrangement and is followed up by a string led work titled “pieces” that show patience and pacing to keep the beat material from growing old. “waiting” drops hawaiian guitar and bopping church organ in an old time 50’s sort of way as beats glitch in and out. quality work for sure. (dedric moore)

review no.1

mp3: coming soon | coming soon