Dog With A Rope', released 13th July in USA and 19th July in the rest of the world on Tru Thoughts, is the second album from Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno, the tropical dub/reggae side project that Quantic introduced to the world with 2008’s highly acclaimed 'Death Of The Revolution'. With the Flowering Inferno, Will ‘Quantic’ Holland brings dub and reggae flavours to the Latin American and African sounds that he has been chasing round the globe since he first started collecting records.

 An album inspired by soundsystem culture but widened out far beyond just reggae and dancehall styles ‘Dog With A Rope’ is a Tropical soundclash - encompassing a heavy bass and reggae aesthetic alongside the Tropical dance-orientated music from Cuba, Puerto Rico and Colombia. While lots of DJs are currently playing both classic and obscure old reggae, funk and Cumbia, Holland noted that not many people are currently making new music of this type and building on these styles in a modern way, so with his signature combination of faith in the past and hunger to push forward, with this album he strove to make the connection. He recorded the album in his Sonido Del Valle studio in Cali, Colombia, the city he has called home since his relocation in 2007.

A true musical obsessive, Holland’s insatiable drive to create new sounds has seen him record and release fourteen full albums under various guises in less than ten years, selling well over 100,000 records in the process and gaining worldwide acclaim as one of the leading lights of the leftfield dance music world. His last album, 2009's 'Tradition In Transition' by Quantic and his Combo Bárbaro, scaled the official European World Music Charts, gaining heavy radio and tastemaker support and rave reviews in the likes of Q, MOJO, The Guardian, The Independent On Sunday and many more publications worldwide. High profile tours of the UK, Europe and America followed, including festival headline sets; and this March saw Quantic DJing for the hordes at SXSW.

While it is essentially a solo project, Quantic has called on the finest musicians in their fields to create the rich tapestry of sound on 'Dog With A Rope'. These include the pianist Alfredito Linares, a Peruvian legend who appeared on Quantic's last three albums; and Nídia Góngora, who you may also remember from 'Tradition In Transition', not least as the writer and singer of the beautiful single “Un Canto A Mi Tierra”. Jamaican born, UK based drummer Conrad Kelly was a key part of the British West Midland reggae scene, playing with the likes of UB40 and Steel Pulse and to this album he brings, in Holland’s words, “that heavy Jamaican sound we all know and love”. Markittos Micolta, who sings on a number of tracks, was the frontman for the Colombian band Peregoyo y su Combo Vacana, one of the first groups to combine Descarga and Cuban sounds with Colombian folklore, having many hits on Fuentes records in the 60s and 70s. Also beginning his career in the Peregoyo ranks, Buenaventura born percussionist Wilson Viveros went on to become a highly sought after session percussionist in Bogota, recording on countless legendary Colombian releases, and now brings his unique skills to Quantic's latest venture.

Jazz sensibility with future dancefloor orientated grooves, deep funk, tough drums and tropical rhythms.
Will Holland, aka Quantic, is one of the most talented and prolific artists in the world of alternative dance music today. Recording under various guises, (Will’s musical projects also include The Limp Twins, a duo he formed with sometime DJ partner Russell Porter on vocals, and his unmistakably savvy production completing the magic), it is under the Quantic moniker that he has blazed a trail where others have followed, enjoying consistent acclaim and success, with solo work leading to live bands the Quantic Soul Orchestra and more recently Quantic and his Combo Bárbaro, plus the intriguing Flowering Inferno side project.

Holland released his first Quantic album, ‘The 5th Exotic’ in the summer of 2001 on Tru Thoughts, when he was just 20. It was picked up on by some of the most respected names in underground music. Richard Dorfmiester, Mr Scruff and LTJ Bukem all raved about it, not surprising when tunes like “Common Knowledge” and the near classic “Life in the Rain” had blazed across dance floors all over Europe. With elements of jazz, funk and Afro blended with tight breaks and distinctive production, ‘The 5th Exotic’ proved irresistible and won many plaudits.
Building on this acclaim, the release of ‘Apricot Morning’ less than a year later dispelled any talk of “the difficult second album”; his sound seemed to expand in every direction and he became the first Tru Thoughts artist to collaborate with Alice Russell as well as recording with MC EQ and Bristol’s freshest hip hop crew, Aspects. ‘Apricot Morning’ is a perfect snapshot of everything happening at the jazzier end of underground music in 2002, as proved by Gilles Peterson who ranked it amongst his albums of the year.

The release of the album ‘Mishaps Happening’ in 2004 saw Quantic continuing to work with Alice Russell as well as recording two tracks with the legendary Spanky Wilson (with whom he went on to collaborate on a tour and an electrifying album for his Quantic Soul Orchestra…but that’s another story). Quantic released a two-disc ‘One Offs, Remixes and B Sides’ album in 2005, which featured Mr Scruff and remixes by Pilooski and Seiji; and his fifth long player, ‘An Announcement To Answer’ followed in 2006, cementing his reputation as a 21st Century Quincy Jones.

Quantic regularly DJs across the world (and we mean the World not just America, Europe and Japan) spreading the unique Quantic sound with each set. His music has been featured on countless compilations and TV soundtracks, and he has a busy schedule of remixes and collaborations across the board; his track with Nickodemus, “Mi Swing Es Tropical”, soundtracked Apple’s worldwide summer iPod advert.

In 2007 Will Holland relocated to Cali, Colombia, where he has had a studio built and is continuing to create exciting music at a characteristically prolific rate, taking inspiration from the heady mix of rhythms and sounds on his doorstep. This inspiration saw a new project come to life in 2008, under the moniker Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno, a summery dub and reggae-inspired affair with an authentic tropical vibe. The album, ‘Death Of The Revolution’ came out in July 2008 featuring Holland on various instruments with contributions from a host of Latin American musicians, including the legendary Peruvian pianist Alfredo Linares. This album pricked up the ears of many tastemakers and fans alike, including Gilles Peterson and Mark Lamarr (BBC Radio 2), who were excited and curious about the new musical progression - and impressed that it sounded as stunning and original as any Quantic album to date.

Over the years, Quantic’s amazing catalogue of releases has been peppered with highly acclaimed albums by full live band The Quantic Soul Orchestra, and the big story for 2009 was the formation of Quantic and his Combo Bárbaro, a handpicked band of internationally renowned musicians (several of whom featured on the Flowering Inferno project) to take over from The Quantic Soul Orchestra in realising the next stage of Holland’s musical vision. The highly acclaimed album, ‘Tradition In Transition’ reached No. 4 in the official European World Music Chart and garnered rave reviews and features in publications across the board, from world music titles to hipster lifestyle magazines. It was accompanied by a beautiful and intriguing film by renowned photographer/director B+, capturing the rhythms of life in Cali. A tour of the UK and Europe included a headline set at the Big Chill, a sold-out show at London’s Roundhouse, and proved to be an electrifying live experience.
Quantic continues to spread his crate-digging magic with regular DJ tours, and the Combo Bárbaro are touring the UK and Europe again in June/July 2010, with major festival sets including Glastonbury; you can also look forward to a new Flowering Inferno album, ‘Dog With A Rope’ in July.

Contact

General contact: info@tru-thoughts.co.uk
Distribution: dist@tru-thoughts.co.uk

Downloads

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