Mr. Hudson & The Library
Until Mr Hudson realised that he\'d look ridiculous, The Library were nearly a rap band. As it is, they combine the production techniques of slick and sexy RnB with the try-everything sentiments heard on underground hip hop mix tapes with crazy keyboard playing, deft use of steel drums and good old fashioned indierific songwriting techniques. A good thing too, as Mr. H would look very silly rapping with that hat on.
Eclecticism ain\'t the half of it, as every member of the band brings something disparate to create this glorious, curious whole. Take Maps on bass with his evident seventies dub influence, Wizard on drums with his penchant for loops and electronic beats, Joy\'s mastery of all things percussion (including that lovely, warm steel drum) and the inimitable Torville \'TJ\' Jones on keys, whose abilities on said instrument had rockfeedback\'s jaws at the last Basement Club scraping the floor. The marvellous feeling that anything could and will happen is very much present in their sound.
The only recorded presence the \'Library have in the world as yet came in the form of last October\'s \'Bread & Roses EP\', a delightful collection of songs housed on fellow Londoners Deal Real records, and limited to a run of 500 non chart eligible CDs and seven inches. Tough to get your hands on, that one. Luckily for 2007 however, they\'re now hard at work on what is likely to be one of the most refreshingly free-sounding debut albums in recent years, and before embarking on a regular romp around the country, they\'re heading on a more peculiar tour of - where else? - libraries, in an attempt to get kids and young adults back through their doors.
MR HUDSON AND HIS MYSPACE: Four songs, a clip to stream of the band rocking out on Jools Holland, plus the opportunity to download the first Mr Hudson and the Library Podcast, this profile positively screams \'we are so up to date with all this new fangled music-related technology, kids!\'.
MR. HUDSON & THE LIBRARY OFFICIAL SITE: Looking like something from the Cluedo DVD you didn\'t want but ended up being given for Christmas all the same, this Flash(y) site features blogs from each supremely talented band member, a lovely cinema to watch some moving pictures in, and in the shop, a free mix tape of the band\'s authorship to download. Oh, and truck loads more.
DEAL REAL RECORDS: Home to the band\'s first extended player, \'The Bread and Roses EP\', Deal Real is one of the foremost hip-hop centric labels operating in the UK today. And if the Library have taught you nothing else, it\'s that this is something to be investigated, absorbed, and used as an influence on classic songwriting. No better place to start than with these Carnaby Street based pioneers.
THE BASEMENT CLUB #34: As support to the Magic Numbers, Mr Hudson and the Library were first band on stage at our most triumphant of sixth birthday celebrations. The love affair began here, and has no end in sight.
\'BREAD & ROSES\' EP REVIEW: Before signing to Mercury, the band released this charming little teaser collection. Man, has that keyboard player got mad skills or what?