Artist: JOHN BELTRAN Title: AMERICANO Label: exceptional Format: CD/2 x VINYL Cat. no.: EXCD0201 / EXLP0201 Release date: 10 June 2002
The NME once reckoned there was a clock inside John Beltran's head stuck fast at 5 am. It was because his music appeared to inhabit a pre-dawn state between the dancefloor, the soon to be sex or dream-soaked duvet, a special area where soft rhythm and tickling sensuality were neatly intertwined. Tracks from his earlier albums regularly turn up in freestyle and chill out sets from DJs like Mixmaster Morris, Gilles Peterson and Andrea Parker, whilst Patrick Forge listed Beltran's "The Cry" (recorded under Beltran's Placid Angles pseudonym) as second in his chart of all time classic albums. Based in his hometown of Lansing, Michigan he leads a quiet but athletic life. John makes music influenced by his attitudes towards life and listening habits plus trace elements of dancefloor experiences both past and present. So far he's produced four LPs and earned himself rave reviews and a cult following amongst those ready to look for something beyond the dance within so-called dance music culture, although the beats, breaks and bass of the floor usually bubble up through his tracks no matter how reflective they might initially seem. John's musical inspirations are wide ranging. He was surrounded by jazz, latin and classical music as a child, and hearing Derrick May playing early techno at the Music Institute in Detroit turned him on to more electronic music. Receiving a cheap synthesiser as a present as a teenager helped propel him towards producing music which led to his first release as Open House on Carl Craig's Retroactive imprint. It was Beltran's debut album on R&S - 'Earth and Nightfall' that established him as a producer with his own unique and beguiling sound. Incorporating elements of jazz and funk in his compositions, his latino ancestry often comes though in his rhythmic sensibilities and the deft plucked guitar work that is one of his trademarks. Due to John's tight production and sonic sculpting it is often impossible to define the source of his sounds, are the strings synthesised, sampled or real? This ambiguity can help to draw the inquisitive listener into the Beltran world of sound. It is not just his melodic content that is of note - his cut up drum programming has caught the ears of leading lights in the drum and bass fraternity, LTJ Bukem has released John's music on his Good Looking imprint and he has been sampled by Photek. As John says "I like simple things, simple pleasures. I don't need a lot of money. I'm not looking to have that mansion. I like sunsets, the morning light, chilling at my window in my bedroom or going out with my friends, drinking some wine and it really doesn't get any better than that for me, my music really is my life." These simple pleasures are reflected in the beauty of the album, its as if he is trapped in the pleasant version of Groundhog day, that 5 am feeling can be stretched out, it does not have to disappear as the clocks race by. The new album, 'Americano' opens with the sultry blues of 'Dreamin'', where deep jazzy keys are supported by a low slung groove. This is followed by the contrasting 'Caboclo' - a more uptempo number that still manages to sound dream-like. It was supported by the likes of Phil Asher when it came out as a single at the end of 2001 and the melodic theme is revisited later in the album as an ambient interlude. 'Siesta Key' should unlock the door to anyone's quiet inner sanctum, its long drawn out textures help strip tension out of the listener. 'Bossalude' sees John updating the traditional bossa sound with deft electronic processing and flourishes, helping make it more accessible to a modern dancefloor. Greg Chin's vocal and lyrical contribution to 'Lost (without you)' is neatly incorporated into the body of the track, being treated more as a musical instrument than a vocalist riding over the top of the music. 'Soul Sketching' drips Detroit soul (both the old and new varieties) with its warm keyboard intro. The pace of the track is delivered by a drum and bass break whilst live keys hang and fill the spaces between the beats. 'Watercooled Dreams' releases the pressure, with its lilting keyboards lapping away any tension. 'Expecting Rain' continues the aqueous theme; the treated vocals become the chant of a medicine man incanting for the life supporting liquid. The impact of September 11th is still reverberating through the American psyche, and on 'A Better Place' one can hear John's tribute to the victims and survivors of the tragedy. 'Generations' features a host of guest musicians including Jeremy Ellis (aka Ayro from Omoa music) and Amel Eiland on vocals and demonstrates how the musical knowledge of the past can and should have effect on the present. The album closes with the sweet lullaby refrain of 'Dreamin'' (by book-ending the album this way it makes it perfect to leave on repeat to give the impression that it never ends!) As John says "Americano is special to me - I've achieved some new textures, melodies, and rhythmic concepts I've always be into, but had previously been locked into a particular genre or record labels vision of what I should be producing. Now in this new eclectic age in electronica it all seems to coincide with my visions, past, present, and future where listeners, critics, artists, and the lay person know where the *#!? I'm coming from finally. My influences on Americano range from House, Latin, Brazilian, Techno, Acid Jazz, and so many sub genres in electronic music - labels like Compost, and Ubiquity records put me in love with modern music again, and Americano is a product of this more diverse and deep world of music. I hope you feel Americano , and the love I put into it." --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
