Confucius - Newsoundlanscapes
In the place called New Soundland, everything is expressed in music, the language of the soul...
Confucius · Newsoundlanscapes · Loop Recordings Aot(ear)oa · 2004
Music fills your head with surreal yet familiar visions, newsoundlandscapes... through quieting the tongue and learning the inner language we converse with all creation; bass speaks to the earth, the middle frequencies to the waters and the high frequencies to the heavens... when all three meet in harmonic union, the result is pure cognition... Anything you want to say can be expressed in a simple melodic koyen, encapsulated in a funky rhythm, saying little but speaking volumes...
Borrow my old soulmobile and take a drive out east, out to the peninsula, beyond silence, where thoughts roam free in the hills, then you will understand this new language... ease on back, get skunkafied, forget all else and explore the secret overgrown lanes of your psyche, fill your head with those silent treasures... Then no matter where you go you'll always be flying high...
We've arrived, a small empty bay far out on the Peninsula, beyond memory now, no school but an old brown school hall where filtered sunlight streams down through dust... Music from the back of the hall calls soft jazzy echoes into the rafters, notes like thoughts chase each other lazily through the sunlight.. A solitary figure is hunched over a crackly old Rhodes, laying down some deep and thoughtful philosophy on those softly clunking keys... It is you, surrounded by groove antiques, an age from now, you are performer and audience, guru and disciple, and this is your solitary inner voyage...
You carry these discoveries back to your home in the urban infinity... You remember these lessons wherever you go... feet in the street, soul in the sky, gliding down endless streets like a natural born pimp, or staying home and travelling by couch, back to that place... You see your brothers and sisters and you exchange knowing smiles... That's right, we've all got some freaky shit going in our heads, our own head music...
So keep the funk...
LOOP Recordings are proud to present the latest album of musical philosophy from Christchuch's own Nava Thomas, aka Confucius
Nava began making music at age 11, when he got his first guitar. After many years of teaching himself music theory (blues, jazz, folk, funk, and classical) and playing in various bands, he invested in a small amount of studio gear and has been steadily building, morphing and developing his sound ever since.
His first release in 1999 - a self-titled 6 track ep - featured 2 tracks, Maceo and Shanti Riddim that were extensively playlisted throughout the bnet. His second album, In The Seventh House, was released in 2000, and contained an eclectic mix of dub, jungle, electro and funk. Tracks from the album were playlisted on radio stations throughout Aotearoa. Glimpses and a new version of Shanti Riddim got the attention of LOOP, who included them on their LOOP Select and Gathering compilations. A video of Glimpses resulted from the album, also raising the profile of Confucius around Aotearoa. 2002 saw the release through Festival Mushroom of the deep & dubby To The Control Tower from Dubwizemeetsconfucius.
Not content with that, over the last few years Nava has also collaborated with his Junglist brother Mysterious D, created beats for Sheelahroc and started the live funk band P-bass Expressway with Ariel White.
Fast forward to 2003, and Confucius' latest album newsoundlandscapes showcases his broad ,ranging musical vision.
Sheelahroc, (featuring Ladi6 - part of live R&B/Soul band Verse 2 - and Vudu Child) add their vocals to standout track back to the basix for a rolling, radio-friendly slice of hip-hop cut through with Spanish guitar.
a drive out east is an downtempo, soulful, funky & melancholy track featuring the stunning vocals of Charmed 1.
There's plenty for the drum & bassheads, with the electro-tinged, noir-ish i start to move, featuring vocals by Michela C, who recorded Glimpses and Do As I Say, both hit tracks that had high rotation on b net throughout 2002. The awesome selectaversion morphs from a dubby skank into racing breakbeats. i got something is a smoother take on jungle, with jazz-flecked chords & skittering snares .
Confucius' love affair with the deep, dark spaces of dub also continues on this album with tracks like creation iration, lavinia's dub, and immortal lion.
Then, just in time for summer, ease on back is a funky, flute-led hip hop instrumental with an old school feel, guaranteed to put a big fat smile on your face. round the bays comes in two parts, both phat cut 'n' paste hip hop tunes to keep the B-boys happy, and featuring some superlative scratching from Christchurch turntablists Daneja & Stickyfingaz.
With the combination of guests & Confucius' own production skills newsoundlandscapes is an organic album that takes you on an inspired & eclectic musical journey. Past the dark heart of drum & bass, through deep dub territory to the warm jazzy shores of breakbeat. There's something here for everyone: something for the heart, the headz & the dancefloor. Take your own trip through newsoundlandscapes. You won't be disappointed....
To celebrate the release of the album, Confucius will be playing the following dates:
Carbon, Christchurch 20th November
Sandwiches, Wellington 14th November
Subculture, Queenstown 29th November
"Great CD" , DJ Sweet, FIRM 107FM "Killer album !" , Felix Five, Active 89FM
Catalogue number: LP016.
Distributed by Border Music
Released: November 13 2003