Neo-Soul music is too cool! That simplified bass beat and snare, colored and enveloped with a funky bass and elements of chords and strings just can't be beat! With the likes of Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, Anthony Hamilton, and India Arie, I was simply hooked on this prolific musing of sound that gave me a natural high. Although I dabbled in Rap, Pop, and R&B I seemed to have found my niche with Neo Soul.
I began Neolistic with a song that was more of a story-line than a normal song. The first tune, "First Love", was birthed from seeing an old girlfriend at a school carnival. It amazed me how the memories of young love and hope came flooding back to me that day, so I had to put pen to paper and laid down the tracks for that song. The moving bells pushed the song forward. The piling on of the vocals in the background give the song a hypnotic beat with a bit of old-school R&B flavor. It possesses a continuous beat, and very simple melodies and chords. With its simplicity and welcoming message, this song was decidedly the first song to carry the album.
The second song, "No Man is an Island", was written as an anthem song to those who feel that they must do things all alone. It is a song of hope that we need each other in this world. The background music tracks consists of a simple slow rhythm bass drum and snare track with simple melodies driving the beat. Admittedly this is one of my favorite tracks on the album. Great message. Great beat.
The next track, "The Possibilities", is an up-tempo track about the impact of a first encounter. A guy bumps into a girl at a bookstore and they begin to build a relationship. This was one of my first tracks built around loops and samples found from other jazz hits of the past. Unlike many DJs and producers that loop the entire 3-4 second sound, I like to find particular sounds to build a track around. In this track I found a simple horn sound, a simple beat, and began to build the song around those elements. This song has more of a Smooth Jazz sound, but tinged with that Neo Soul sound.
Track 4, another sample-based song called "That Dream", is an equal favorite of mine. I was able to "chop" some really cool flute sounds around a simple beat and created a very 'live" sound with this track. The song is simply about a romantic dream that seems so real that you want to make that dream your reality.
The next track, "The Life", was created and inspired by the joys of living. With a spiritual overtone and accentuating computerized sounds to sound more live, I wanted this track to sound very polished and live. I also invited two friends onto to the track to make it more enhanced. The rapper Mr. Miller gave the track a modern feel with his powerful lyrics, and my dear friend, who passed away, Rocky Ree added some awesome live guitar licks on the track to make The Life a phenomenal track and experience.
Track 6, "The Way it Goes", was another cool sample-based track. This track is very laid-back and jazzy. Great sexy story-line and the sexy sampled french lady carries the song. One of my favorite well-produced tracks on the album. Each sound is well-placed, and the vocals are equally set within music pallet. Love how this song is mixed.
Track 7, "Boxed", is a favorite for many of the fans of Neolistic. The song is basically how our lives are lived trapped in so many ways. You can take this song literally or figuratively, but in some way we are all boxed. The computer sounds are hype,k the beat keeps you dancing, but the message carries this one!
Track 8, "Caint Control Myself', is a danceable and fun track. It has all the elements of a cool Neo-Soul track. Its sexy, fun, and the 2-steppers will immediately hit the dance floor. The beat is hot, the bass is pumped, and the vibe is nice. Very hot track.
Track 9, "No Rush", is another fan favorite. It also follows the simple beat and bass rules of the classic Neo-Soul vibe. The chords and beat carry this track and that bass is undeniable. The vocals and lyrics are in your face, and the song is super poetic. This was one of those tracks that took on a life of its own. Very proud of this one.
Track 10, "Private Party", was another hype and fun track. This one is definitely for the grown and sexy, so put the kiddos to bed. It's all about putting that spark back in the relationship and doing something freaky and out of the ordinary. This track was also created with computer-generated samples combined with computer-generated instruments. A crowd-pleaser for the lovers!
Track 11, ""Tell Me True", has a very different flow than the other Neo-Soul tracks. This one has that New Orleans laid-back flavor wrapped around a story line of a girl named "True" who has decided to leave the relationship. The sad horns carry the song. The bass drums thumps steadily in the background, while the chords hum a humble melody. This is cool example how I use all computer-generated sounds into a live feel instead of the robotic sound.
Track 12, "The Grind", is another awesome example of what one can do as a computer-generated producer. Neo-Soul has no rules, and I decided to create a Jamaican-Styled track highlighting the plight of the incarcerated who are many times forgotten in our society. Its both a danceable and message track. The guitar licks are on point, the horns highlight the rhythm and melodies, and this is one that you will hum and repeat for years.
Although created in 2011, you can tell, Neolistic is one of my favorite albums. For reading this post and taking a journey back in time with me, please download a free copy of Neolistic here: NEOLISTIC
Enjoy and Love and Life
Dray