I just returned from Germany's first soul weekender which was held in the beach resort Weissenhäuser Strand from Friday, March 23, to Sunday, March 25, 2007.
It featured about 15 live acts and over 50 DJs who performed on four dance floors.
My personal favorite was the wonderful Roy Ayers. He did one of the most exciting live performances I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot ;-) ). At times, he and his amazing band were as funky and raw as Parliament/Funkadelic; with some added jazz thrown in. Additional shots of Roy Ayers at Baltic Soul
Another great find was soul veteran Ann Sexton who - contrary to her predecessor on stage, Marva Whitney - sounded as great as ever.
You can get there with various low-cost airlines. The venue is close to Lübeck airport (aka Hamburg-Lübeck) which is serviced by Ryanair. From Hamburg airport (serviced by Germanwings and TUIfly), it's a 90-minute car ride.
Finally: I just started the Baltic Soul Weekender group. Stop by in case you visited Weissenhäuser Strand and want to discuss it!
For those who don't know what, why or who some explainations upfront: Moloko is/was (who knows?) an electronic/trip hop/dance/whatever group from Sheffield, England, consisting of singer Roisin Murphy and producer Mark Brydon.
Murphy and Brydon teamed up in 1995 for their debut release Do You Like My Tight Sweater? and split up after the release of the fourth studio album Statues in 2003.
Moloko are probably best known for Boris Dlugosch's Remix of their song 'Sing it Back', which became a hit in '99 in the UK and put Moloko on the (mainstream-)map.
Now you might say: "Nice song, ugly dress, but didn't really sweep me off my feet." But wait. There's more to Moloko. First of all, this song is somewhat unusual for Moloko, because Moloko are the exact opposite of 'usual' (at least that's the impression you have after listening to any of their albums). And even if you're not impressed yet, you're probably already hooked on Roisin's voice, without even knowing it...
For a long time they were seen as trip-hop party weirdos with an intersting approach to music, at best. But with the song 'The Time is Now' they proved that they were any time capable of producing a timeless classic. A danceable beat, a recognisable bassline, cleverly arranged strings and vocals that'll blow your mind (am I overselling this?).
"time takes too much time..."
It's just one of those songs you never get tired of...
Now here's my prescription for everybody who is sick of mainstream, sick of indie, sick of everything sounding the same, sick of those who try to sound different or generally sick of listening to music: The complete version (7.22 min) of 'Forever More' (2003, Statues) once a day and you'll be fine. To me it's one of the most intelligent songs ever made. One of the very few songs that can rightfully claim to get better with every second of runnnigtime. The build-up makes it stand out and keeps it interesting, even after 100 spins. In the beginning there is absolutely nothing that indicates the orgasmic climax it reaches in the last third.
Now here's the comprimised, shorter (4 min.) video version. The video is great as well, but remind yourself to not just watch the video but to listen to the music ;-)
Feel free to listen to it once again...
Considering the fact that Moloko got better with every album, it's a pity they chose to go seperate ways.
They evolved from an underground trip-hop to an innovative dance and electronic group.
In 2005 Roisin (pronounced 'Rosheen') Murphy released her solo debut 'Ruby Blue', which can easily compete with her former work. Maybe because it follows a similar style Moloko had persued; unpredictable, off-mainstream & experimental. Not only did Ruby Blue prove that Murphy is more than just the voice of Moloko but it also indicated that there's a lot yet to come... (so announced for spring 2007) Here's 'If We're In Love'
Just recently a 'best of' compilation of Moloko ('Catalogue') was released. I can highly recommend this one, since all the 'essential' songs are included. But if you already enjoy the likes of Massive Attack (especially Tricky), Portishead, Morcheeba or Thievery Corporation should consider looking into the complete albums (incl. Murphy's Ruby Blue), if you didn't already do so.
For those who wanna dig a little deeper, here are some links to other vids:
Moloko, Familiar Feeling - I didn't quite get this song when I first heard it. It felt like two songs that did not belong together mashed in one track. But once you understand this song, the only way to get it out of your head is a brain transplant. I dare ya' :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE2KLN5xsWA