Discography PAPA020 – DJ Spinna feat. The Free
Radikalz ‘Outta Time’ single
PAPA030 – DJ Spinna feat. Heavy ‘We Can
Change This World’ single
PAPA032 – DJ Spinna feat. Selan ‘Back
2 U’ single
PAPACD002 – DJ Spinna ‘Intergalactic Soul’
album
Biography
DJ culture has been a dominant pop culture phenomenon
during the past fifteen years but all too frequently
the biggest names have been noted for doing just one
thing well. DJ Spinna, a celebrated DJ/re-mixer/producer
who is widely regarded as the best "underground"
deejay in America, stands out from the pack due to
his exceptional musical sense but also due to his
versatility. Unlike those who work within a single
genre such as house, techno or hip hop, a set from
DJ Spinna may incorporate hip-hop, funk, jazz, break-beat,
house, garage and reggae in an organic mix that is
more than the sum of its parts. No wonder such diverse
artists as Michael Jackson, De La Soul, Das EFX, Zero
7, Soulive, Mos Def, Shaun Escoffrey, George Michael,
Mary J. Blige, Shirley Bassey and numerous others
have utilized DJ Spinna as producer or re-mixer. Intergalactic
Soul is an original album of new material featuring
a stellar lineup of vocalists and rappers including
N'Dea Davenport, Stephanie McKay, Phonte of Little
Brother, Lizz Fields, Eric Roberson, Tortured Soul
and more.
"The general idea for Intergalactic Soul,”
DJ Spinna explains, "was to construct a full-length
album fusing hip-hop and dance beats with electric
synthy overtones. I wanted to create something that
sonically fuses the past with the future. What sets
it apart from my other releases is the growth in production.
Most of my past releases focused more on the hip hop
side and
were more sample-based. I wanted to take the hip hop
element and enhance it with great musicianship and
songwriting."
Indeed Intergalactic Soul is a deft synthesis of
soul, hip-hop, funk and dance music that creates a
seamless, beguiling listening experience from beginning
to end. Often using a synth-driven Eighties-style
production sensibility, at times tracks on "Intergalactic
Soul" channel Prince's funky eclecticism. Indeed
one track features a live string quartet, scored by
a Detroit musician, Piranahead. A distinct jazz sensibility
informs the vocals of N'Dea Davenport, Lizz Fields,
Eric Roberson and Stephanie McKay.
"I've been a huge fan of N'Dea since her days
with Brand New Heavies," Spinna says. “Working
with her was a dream. When we met at a club in New
York she mentioned being a fan of mine; that just
made things easier. I was handed the debut CD of Lizz
Fields some years
back and was kind of blown away. Ever since then I
was on a mission to find out more on her. One day
Eric Roberson made a venture to my studio with a surprise
visitor...Lizz! The thing that made me want to work
with Stephanie McKay was her voice. Her vocal tone
is very unique."
The hip-hop quotient is supplied courtesy of Phonte
of the celebrated underground rap trio Little Brother,
as well as Alphonso Greer. "I'm a huge fan of
Little Brother," Spinna notes. "I think
they are one of the most refreshing groups to happen
in hip hop in the past five years. The song that Phonte
appears on was the first thing that was recorded for
Intergalactic Soul. It was actually his idea to do
it; the actual track appeared as an interlude on my
previous BBE album From Here To There.”
The three instrumental selections stand out because
they offer much more than grooves and atmospherics.
Each of them has a programmatic, melodic feel, with
a melodic sensibility that sometimes recalls the gorgeous
simplicity of reggae instrumental wizard Augustus
Pablo.
"Most of the songs were created with me in the
studio constructing the beats in my drum machine,"
Spinna explains." That's the foundation for everything
I do. I usually have a keyboard player, the main one
being Selan, sitting next to me. I would then figure
out direction and overall vibe as the melodies and
chords are formed. Then I think about which singer
would fit the track. Sometimes that artist might write
the song in the studio but most often they would be
sent the track and write the lyrics. Eric Roberson
is a super-talented songwriter; he's written songs
for artists like Jazzy Jeff, Vivian Green and Dwele.
I thought he would compliment my production.”
A native of Brooklyn, NY, DJ Spinna was fascinated
by music at an early age; he began amassing a record
collection as a youth. While at college, he made his
radio debut on WHRW Binghampton, NY and by 1994 landed
guest DJ spots on KISS-FM in New York. He became a
resident deejay on WBAI-FM's influential "Underground
Railroad" program. Before long he was deejaying
at major New York clubs and garnering a growing reputation
for originality and an ability to bring diverse musical
genres together in an irresistible mix. Performances
abroad led to legendary sets at such bellwether venues
as Yellow in Tokyo, The End and Cargo in London and
Paradiso in Amsterdam. Indeed DJ Spinna has widely
and successfully toured Europe, Japan and Africa,
as well as America. He has contributed to the success
of 4Hero, Rae & Christian, Les Nubians, Nightmares
On Wax and Shirley Bassey and was soon called to produce
or re-mix tracks for a wide array of artists. In 1999,
Rawkus Records released "Heavy Beats Vol. 1",
an underground hip hop classic, his first full Stateside
CD release. It yielded the dancefloor favorite "Rock".
There followed a series of releases ranging from mix
CDs to compilations to original productions for mainly
European labels. A highlight is 2003's From Here To
There, a solid mix of original hip hop and R&B
tracks. With Intergalactic Soul, DJ Spinna takes a
giant step forward as a producer of an album that
works as a cohesive statement rather than a collection
of tracks.
"The main thing I would say is flow," Spinna
muses. "Being a DJ and knowing how to tell a
story with an audience through music definitely helps.
It's about figuring out what kind of emotions you
want the listener to feel from start to finish while
listening to the mood of each song."
