Apollo
Brown's first
instrumental album since "Clouds"
(2011) plays like an Original Instrumental Soundtrack for an early 80s
technicolor cop show that might have made HBO. Tinged with 70s soul, Apollo
works to create a timeless warmth throughout the record that invites memories to
flow forth on-top of the easy Detroit Sundown
soundtrack.
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Detroit producer Apollo Brown announces
his first new instrumental album since "Clouds” (2011). The
new album titled Thirty Eight will be released May 6th, 2014 on Mello Music Group. The LP’s first single, “The Answer,” was
premiered by Massappeal.com. Those who-pre-order Apollo Brown’s Thirty Eight will receive “The
Answer” as an instant download.
Apollo Brown’s Thirty Eight is a contemporary throwback, inhabiting
the realm of reverent reinvention and innovation. It deftly bridges the gap
between ‘70s Blaxploitation soundtracks (e.g. Curtis Mayfield or Marvin Gaye)
and the hip-hop records that sampled from them.
The tracks on Thirty Eight are presented in
gritty, heavily saturated Technicolor, the scratches and cigarette burns as
purposeful as they are happily accidental. These are suites sounding from long
barrels held by lone men lurking in grimy project hallways. Tinged with revenge
and regret, shrouded in thick tendrils of hollow-point smoke, the songs have all
the makings of an epic gangster tragedy. They’re also great when paired with
anything Raymond Chandler.
Crackle and sample hiss run like electric current
throughout, charging the record with a retro feel and resonant warmth. Yet these
qualities are only secondary to Brown’s impeccable ear for instrumentation. Thirty Eight is full of funk, soul,
jazz, blues, hip-hop, and everything in between. The bluesy guitar twang of
slow-burner “Black Suits” and the lush, orchestral strings of “The Warning” are
just two examples of the depth and diversity Brown brings to the table.
All singing on the album comes in the form of brief
samples, some high-pitched and sped up, others left untouched. Taken together,
they amount to glimpses of an emotionally affecting narrative, enabling the
listener to fill in the plot and words between the booms and baps.
Brown enlists New York mercenary Roc Marciano for the
soundtrack’s two features. With the sharpest of eyes and the frostbitten wit of
a Polo clad hustler slanging in the dead of winter, Marciano delivers his best
verses in recent memory, his vivid narratives perfectly suited for Brown’s
soulful production.
Each CD comes packaged with 5" inch vinyl featuring the
aforementioned Roc Marciano tracks. Quite possibly the first time a CD and 5"
inch record have ever been sold together, cop yours before they’re gone. For
fans who desire the full analog experience, we’ve pressed up 180-gram vinyl.
Each vinyl copy also includes a 45 featuring two bonus instrumentals.
Whether you buy a physical copy or download Thirty Eight digitally, DO NOT call
it a beat tape. With this project Brown has created an expansive cinematic
composition for the theatre of your mind. Listen, envision, and enjoy the show.
Listen to the first single, “The Answer,” from Apollo
Brown’s Thirty Eight here:
Pre-Order Apollo Brown’s - Thirty
Eight
iTunes
PreOrder gets instant download of the first single "The
Answer"
CD
(Hardback Cover)
w/ special
5" Vinyl (feat. two new songs w/ Roc Marciano)
180 gram
Black Vinyl
w/ bonus
45 (feat. two exclusive
Apollo Brown instros)
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