Paul White (One-Handed Music)

& Mork (Rush Hour, Amsterdam) & DNZ (Fat Fenders, DD)

PAUL WHITE
‘THE STRANGE DREAMS OF PAUL WHITE’
(ONE-HANDED MUSIC)
June 09

Paul White proudly presents his debut album, The Strange Dreams Of Paul White, a magic carpet ride of crate-digging psychedelia that takes in film soundtracks, hip-hop, reggae and his beloved prog rock. The resulting record matches the hazy ambiance of Boards of Canada with the spontaneity and ruggedness of the RZA or Madlib, showing just why the South Londoner is so widely admired by his peers in the increasingly fertile 'beats scene'.

From the moment the neck-snapping opener Cheese Special & A Draw kicks in the ideas come thick and fast: fragments of sound and snippets of dialogue jostling one another for attention amongst the hyperactive compositions and ensuring that the greatest rewards are reserved for those who listen closely. Highlights amongst the 21 tracks include the soaring grandure of City Bright Lights; lushly anthemic The Punch Drummer; Sugar Free Airlines' understated funk, and the spine-tingling banger Burnt By The Sun. The curtain closes on the autobiographical Can’t Sleep Make Music, a woozy testament to the witching hour genesis of the majority of this material.

A peculiarly-talented library producer with BBC and Channel 4 credits to his name, Paul White crafts these rich, humorous vignettes within his South London rooftop studio, The Skylight. Paul’s earliest transmissions took the form of a series of mesmerizing beat tapes: rapid-fire scrapbooks of rough-edged artifacts passed between small circles of music-loving friends and aficionados. A couple of sought-after 7"s and a handful of remixes later and Paul's was the name to drop amongst the cognoscenti, from old-schoolers such as Ashley Beedle and Danny Breaks to new kids on the block like Gaslamp Killer. Amongst his most vocal champions is Mary Anne Hobbs, while Benji B and Gilles Peterson have also broadcast his skills - the latter featured Paul in his ‘Beat Generation’ special amongst the pick of the new breed.

In print, Dazed & Confused enthused that he “embodies all that is good about a new generation of producers” while FACT magazine have tipped Paul as a key practitioner in the renaissance in instrumental hip-hop. This last phrase is perhaps a key to distinguishing Paul from much of the pack: while he appeals to lovers of prog rock, of electronica, of a multitude of bass-heavy hybrids, there's something unmistakeably 'hip-hop' in his approach and his sound

The Strange Dreams... is the first album to be released on the One-Handed Music imprint after a string of noteworthy singles, including a pair each from Paul and his much-lauded friend Bullion.

A limited early run of albums will feature lovingly hand-stitched and hand-printed sleep-inspired cotton packaging.

For dreams and more info please contact Ben Harris at Run Music: 020 7485 1141 // ben@runmusic.co.uk