It has been eleven long years since Urbs dropped his last album
which was called 'Toujours Le Meme Film'. Back then, the musician,
DJ and producer created the soundtrack to a fictitious Film Noir,
which was released on Kruder & Dorfmeister's G-Stone Label, but
after touring Europe he almost completely retreated from public life.
He does not consider his creativity as being his career, but rather as a
part of his life which rarely is subject to concrete planning, and that is
why Urbs quite consciously took his time to create his latest -untitledalbum.
Urbs: 'A lot of people totally appreciated my last album 'Toujours Le Meme
Film', and over the years I've learned that it really means a lot to some of
them. Which was a burden, because, obviously, you do not want to
disappoint these people. By now, I think enough water went down Danube
river to perhaps surprise some of them with something completely new.
Those who know me know that I've always simply produced dope hip hop
tracks.'
This time, as a consequence, this is no all instrumental album but a
collection of 12 soulful hip hop tunes that feature some handpicked vocalist
of the international rap, dancehall and soul scenes. On the album right next
to EMC's Wordsworth or R.A. the Rugged Man from New York, you will hear
Ward 21 from Kingston, Jamaica, Voice Monet from New Orleans, One
Self's Blu Rum 13 from Washington DC, as well as long time companions
like Skero from Vienna or Blabbwona from the group Abstract Art, who now
lives in Munich by choice.
With a wink of the eye, Urbs replies to the question what it felt like recording
an album together with vocalists after having released several instrumental
albums: 'Generally speaking, letting go of the songs and surrendering
myself to the MCs gave me a hard time. You spend a lot of time with a song
and build a certain kind of relationship. The music creates pictures in your
mind and often its meaning is hard to grasp for the producer. And then, an
MC starts rapping over it and it is a little bit like your older brother's rude
friends turn your child's room in a mess - in your presence.'
There also is a simple answer to the question of why the album has no title:
'This album, so to say, is my competitive exhibition in this field and owing to
the endlessly long ripening process it is wonderfully and intensively boiled
down and on point. Therefore, no intros, no interludes, no title, no
gimmicks, simply 12 good songs - period.'
Besides the album, two Remix EPs will be released with re-works by
Retrogott, Brenk Sinatra, Visoneers (Marc Mac of 4 Hero), Peter Kruder,
Cookin' Soul, J*Star, Flip (Texta) and others.
