Kingston Love Generation, par Bob
Sinclar
Bob Sinclar has always been hopelessly nostalgic. Even now, as a DJ of
worldwide renown, the star of clubs all over the planet, he has never
ceased to be that curious adolescent transported by music, building his
universe from rhythms that take him to another place.
Over two decades he has shared with the public his devouring passion for
both rare grooves and dancefloor tempos. The hits kept coming, the
public image was forged through a string of hit club tracks and
brilliant remixes. But Chris isn't just Bob Sinclar, star of the
discotheque. Above all, he is mad about sound, thirsty for discovery.
So, to start 2010 on an original note, Chris decided on a change of
scene.
“I remix my tracks every year, and I thought it would be a good idea
this time to go back at look at them differently. Nowadays, music is so
electronic, formatted, and I always like to surprise people,” he
explains. So, next stop Kingston, where a crack team - including those
responsible for Serge Gainsbourg's classic dub album Aux Armes etc. (and
several others) - were waiting for him.
“I was a big fan of Serge Gainsbourg. He made his production style
evolve over the years and came to work in Kingston with two of reggae's
living legends, Sly & Robbie,” explains Chris. “So I went to
Kingston in search of positive vibes that I could share with people.
The Sly Dunbar/Robbie Shakespeare rhythm section, Robbie Lyn on
keyboards, Sticky Thompson on percussion and Mikey 'Mao' Chung on
guitar: the crème de la crème of old school reggae present for an
authentic one drop renovation of modern tunes such as “The Beat Goes
On”, “What A Wonderful World”, “World Hold On” and “Love Generation”
with a reduced tempo and added celestial backing singers. The majority
of the original vocals remain, notably those of Steve Edwards, Gary Pine
(on “Give A Little Love”) and Tony Rebel (on “Jamaica Avenue”). Others
have been added, such as those by Queen Ifrica, discovered on Bob's last
album, Born In 69. Plus - an amazing surprise - Grace Jones, on her way
through Kingston, expressed her admiration for the reggae version of
“Kiss My Eyes”, a homage to Nightclubbing, the 1981 album she also
recorded with Sly & Robbie.
“What I'm doing is anti-club,” says Chris bluntly. “I'm a DJ and I'm
passionate about dance music, but I wanted to try and open it up to a
different style.” True to his wishes, not dictated by fashions or
formats, Chris has rebuilt his world through the prism of old school
reggae. The result? A heartfelt, exciting album of rare originality. The
album of a man passionate about his art, choosing to surround himself
with the best in the business in order to reinvent himself. The album of
a man who loves music. The album of someone hopelessly nostalgic, in
tune with his passion. Kingston style.
Olivier Cachin
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