Music: Quantic

Will Holland is Quantic

The extraordinarily prolific former Brighton resident Will Holland has just released yet another album, this time under the Quantic moniker, and once again via the Brighton-based Tru Thoughts label.

It is, apparently, his 17th album, and he is only 34 years old.

Magnetica sees him revisit his roots as electronic producer, having spent the last few years exploring his love of vintage funk and then cumbia music. This is his first album since 2006 where he has used the Quantic name, a byword for ‘fusion’. Here he combines elements of everything he has ever dabbled in: cumbia (which originates from Colombia and Panama), highlife, reggae, soul, funk and even folk. The album was recorded in Colombia (where he had lived the last few years before recently relocating to New York), and with a cast of native musicians with whom he released albums under the Combo Barbaro name. With a much wider net to include the styles, sounds and languages of music from around the world, Holland continues to be a modern-day musical pioneer. As he has said: “Working more with Ableton live (a music production software programme) and synths and beats, after quite a long time away from it, it was refreshing and fun to jam out with some electronic instruments.” In effect, he has combined new-school technology with traditional instrumentation, acoustic and electric.

Long-time collaborator and friend, the Brighton-based queen of soul-funk Alice Russell, makes a guest appearance, as do a number of other vocalists including Ethiopian Dereb the Ambassador, Brazilian Iara Renno, Colombian Nidia Gongora and reggae star Shinehead.

Holland recently told The Guardian: “There is one corner of Afrocentric, English-language blues and soul music that we as English people gravitate towards. It’s New Orleans, it’s Jamaica, it’s what rock stems from and is what our popular culture is based on. What I saw in Colombia is all these guys who are from the same diaspora, and have that same rawness and musical history, but have produced something radically different.”

A music obsessive, particularly on vinyl, he has also wholly immersed himself in the world of musicians and instrumentation, many of which are practically unknown here, and many of whose instruments you haven’t seen before. But, as always, it should be a party atmosphere wherever he plays.

Coalition, Saturday 24 May, 7pm, £15

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