For Ear Sake

Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx -

We're New Here (2011)

Genres: Conscious, Dubstep, Electronic

We're New Here is an album by Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx, and it's not only a shocker, but it's incredible! The album features original Gil Scott-material, but backed with an Electronic instrumentals. Jamie xx laces each track lovely; giving an exploding sound behind Gil's voice. This release truly helped Gil on his comeback.

"It's too dangerous to question either the necessity or the motivation behind such a project-- 22-year-old wunderkind cinches cred with resurgent iconoclast, perhaps?-- but it will come up. Do your best to ignore the impulse, because the residue of death that lingers on I'm New Here is wiped clean from We're New Here. It's replaced with brightness, an energy, and a historical milieu. Smith samples older Scott-Heron songs and works them into these newer songs. He takes a rare moment of singing, recorded for but not included on the initial album, and turns it into the Kieran Hebden-indebted "My Cloud", a gorgeous and redolent centerpiece. He turns a broken man into a recombinant diva." - Pitchfork

Many people are aware that Gil Scott-Heron was homeless and was also a struggling drug addict, but repent if you ever counted him out. He's made a big comeback with his solo album "I'm New Here". Before the release of the album, there was an 18 year dry spell between his albums, and boy did he come back harder than most artists that stray away from their craft. "I'm New Here" has a dark feel to it; it emulates the harsh reality of a man that lived a harsh life. On the contrary, Jamie xx shines light on the darkness of Gil in "We're New Here", and brings a refreshing approach to the raw subjects Gil Scott-Heron is known for reciting.

"We're New Here" is recommended to everyone that not only appreciates Electronic music, but people that also appreciate the works of Gil Scott-Heron. This release is the true definition of bridging the gap, and I pray that more artists are open to doing it. Turntable Lab still has copies of album (here), so be sure to show support by grabbing yourself a copy. I've also included my favorite track from the album below, so check it out!

Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie xx - Running