Various – The New Gold Standard 2

Posted by admin on Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The New Gold Standard 2 is the sequel to Fort Knox Recordings’ 2006 hit compilation, The New Gold Standard. Selected and compiled by the Fort Knox Five, this new release features 15 freshly-minted sounds from the Fort Knox Five, International Velvet, Speedy Consuela, Liftoff, See-I, Empresarios, and Nappy Riddem.

All of the artists from the original label compilation return on The New Gold Standard 2. The Fort Knox Five, deliver four new tunes, each with its own distinctive flair and twist. Longtime vocal collaborator, Rootz of See-I, gets things started with some funky, dance floor business on the opening track, “What Make Ya Dance.” Over Inauguration weekend, the Fort Knox Five teamed up with electro-funk innovator Afrika Bambaataa and Mustafa Akbar to create the funk anthem “Shift.” Saxophonist Frank Mitchell (See-I, Thievery Corporation) takes center stage for, “The Sax Pusher,” a quintessential Fort Knox Five instrumental banger. And, on the sitar & bass monster, “Bhangra Paanch,” the Fort Knox Five and Beta G make a foray into Indian territory armed with a heavy dose of dub breaks. International Velvet, the brainchild of Fort Knox Five member Rob Myers, brings out the psychedelic funk on the anthemic “Sitargazer” and drops some sitar flavoring into a deep reworking of the Gordon Lightfoot classic “Sundown.” Speedy Consuela, the family affair of Steve & Johnna Raskin alongside Steve’s sister and brother in-law Joyce & Matt White returns with their distinctive, indie-pop sound. “On Our Way”, and “Number One Fan” a spunky genre-bender that crosses the lines of trip-hop, and Mod. Rounding out the old-school Fort Knox Recordings roster, Liftoff launches their unique brand of psychedelic electronica on “Marshmeadows,” an atmospheric tribute to the power of flowers.

The New Gold Standard 2 also showcases the new roster additions to Fort Knox Recordings. Hometown roots reggae rockers and longtime Fort Knox and Thievery Corporation collaborators, See-I, lay down some seriously hard-rocking reggae vibes on “Homegrown,” the studio-version of the See-I live-standard that immortalizes their hometown. And the soulful, “How Could You,” gets remixed by Rodney Hunter into a wicked up-tempo skank. Empresarios, a group co-formed by Fort Knox Five and See-I collaborator Javier Miranda, makes their debut with two sizzlers. “Sabor Tropical,” featuring the vocal stylings of Francisco Rosado and Felix Perez, crosses the boundaries of Latin funk and reggaeton while “Cumbia” drives further south with a red-hot Latin trip-hop groove. Nappy Riddem, the new super group featuring Fort Knox Recordings stalwarts Rex Riddem and Mustafa Akbar, along side Thievery Corporation live-band bassist, Ashish “Hash” Vyas, show the breadth of their new sound. “Rastar” incorporates Prince-like vocals, melded with skank reggae guitars, and an infectious dancefloor hook. “One World Sovereignty” closes out the album with a conscious ballad featuring Asheru (Unspoken Heard, “The Boondocks Theme”), providing the perfect ending to an epic compilation.

Tracklisting:

Fort Knox Five - What Make Ya Dance
Nappy Riddem - Rastar
Fort Knox Five - Shift
Fort Knox Five - The Sax Pusher
Empresarios - Sabor Tropical
Fort Knox Five - Bhangra Paanch
See-I - How Could You (Rodney Hunter Remix)
International Velvet - Sitargazer
See-I - Homegrown
International Velvet - Sundown
Speedy Consuela - On Our Way
Empresarios - Cumbia
Speedy Consuela - Number One Fan
International Velvet - Sundown
Liftoff - Marshmeadows
Nappy Riddem - One World Sovereignty