With roots planted very much in the early jazz and soul influences of his formative years, ‘A Man With No Past Originating The Future’ is the latest album from Osunlade, one of the most creative and versatile producers and artists of his generation.
Released earlier this year on vinyl (twice sold out following an initial repress) but now finally seeing a digital release, ‘A Man With No Past Originating The Future’ has been a long time in the making. Recorded over the course of three years, the project originally started out as an “ambient experiment” but changed direction over the album’s incubation. “The initial influence of the album was my love for ambient music” says Osunlade of the project “putting textures together that were ambient based. But of course soul and jazz came into play during the making of it. The premise of it was just to make something that was a bit more ethereal and ambient in sound, but it took another turn as I started working on it.”
As a complete album, it’s difficult to sum up its ambience; as overt as some of its influences at times are, it’s also a completely unique listening experience, each track contained therein bearing Osunlade’s unmistakable mark. His voice, as ever, has a strong role to play, whether breathily harmonious (‘Quiet Departures’) or subtly, mechanically manipulated (‘Human Beings’) it is as distinctive as ever, and lends a cohesive quality to the whole.‘A Man With No Past Originating The Future’ is the next evolutionary step in the musical career of a true original and further proof, if any was needed, of Osunlade’s seemingly endless creative talent.
Osunlade 'A Man With No Past Originating The Future'
1. Osunlade ‘The Realm Of Difference’
Written & Produced by Osunlade
Instruments by Osunlade
Percussion by Christopher Flueck
2. Osunlade ‘Eclipse’
Written & Produced by Osunlade
Instruments by Osunlade
Trumpet by Emanuele Coluccia
Guitar by Francesco Chirivi
3. Osunlade ‘Human Beings’
Written & Produced by Osunlade
Vocals & Instruments by Osunlade
4. Osunlade ‘Quiet Departures’
Written by Eberhard Weber
Produced by Osunlade
Vocals & Instruments by Osunlade
5. Osunlade featuring Supreme ‘Sour The Plan’
Written by Osunlade & M. Davis
Produced by Osunlade
Vocals by Supreme
Instruments by Osunlade
Percussion by Christopher Flueck
6. Osunlade ‘Luna Moth’
Written & Produced by Osunlade
Instruments by Osunlade
7. Osunlade ‘Camera Shy’
Written & Produced by Osunlade
Vocals & Instruments by Osunlade
8. Osunlade ‘Vessel’
Written & Produced by Osunlade
Vocals & Instruments by Osunlade
Guitar by Francesco Chirivi
9. Osunlade ‘Satellite Beneath The Stars’
Written & Produced by Osunlade
Vocals & Instruments by Osunlade
Percussion by Christopher Flueck
Saxophone by Emanuele Coluccia
10. Osunlade ‘Goddess’
Written & Produced by Osunlade
Instruments by Osunlade
Flute by Emanuele Coluccia
Cello by The Yoruba Soul Orchestra
11. Osunlade ‘Conversations With Myself’
Written & Produced by Osunlade
Vocals & Instruments by Osunlade
Trumpet by Miles Bonny
Guitar by Dwayne Carter
Cello by The Yoruba Soul Orchestra
12. Osunlade ‘Looking Through The Crowds’
Written & Produced by Osunlade
Vocals & Instruments by Osunlade
All Tracsk Recorded & Mixed @ Oya’s House, Imerovigli by Osunlade
Sound Mastering by Martin Iveson in The At-Lab
All Tracks Published by Yoruba Peoples Music (ASCAP) / Sony ATV Music except ‘Quiet Departures’ Published by ECM
All Tracks P&C 2012 Yoruba Records