... Stupefaction ...: Stupefied: The Gary Asquith Playlist

May 21, 2013

Stupefied: The Gary Asquith Playlist

This week's edition of the Stupefied playlist is from one my all time favorite frontmen, Gary Asquith, best known as a member of London's provocative and dubby Renegade Soundwave. Gary has long been involved with a bunch of interesting (no matter what, they're always interesting) projects beginning with early post punk efforts MASS, and Rema-Rema, moving on to Renegade Soundwave, and most recently with the Lavender Pill Mob, and some other more underground things.

Here's what Gary had to say: This was harder than making a record in my opinion. I want you to know that Nat King Cole is my favourite singer of all time - I grew up listening to my father playing his albums and he's god in my house. That's it. It could all change at the flick of a finger.

I worked on Mikkim's Offbeat Rhapsody album last year which won the Andel prize for Best Reggae and Ska album (an Andel award is like a Czech grammy - it means "angel" in Czech). I did three songs for the album: a reworking of "Probably A Robbery," "Air Hostess" (an old RSW track that vanished around the recording of Soundclash), and "Heaven Be Upon Us." I shall also be promoting the album by playing live with Mikkim at Glastonbury this year.

I've been recording with Japanese musician Takatsuma Mukai for his new album - a track called "The Store" - called Sunya (which is sanskrit for zero or void), and I've recorded a dubby-styled 45 under the name Renegade Connection called "I Surrender" for my Le Coq Musique label. I'm also I'm also currently working on the remixes of Rema Rema's original recordings.