BasilicaMusic --- Independent Record Label ---

There are not too many people out there who release an album as something of a prequel to a book but Soul Connection is one such project put together by the fertile mind of Paul K (Paul Kirkpatrick) serving as a companion piece to his forthcoming book Soul Connected.

Soul Connection is an instrumental album that welds together electronic textures, soundscapes and beats with more organic instrumentation such as piano, acoustic and electric guitars and haunting strings to create a dense thought-provoking soundtrack that leads the mind on an epic journey of self discovery. Each track conjours vivid images that are further enhanced by subtle vocal samples that are littered among the twelve tracks.

A Calling To Prayer features wordless chants that had my mind whirring in a multitude of directions bring visions of native tribes and religious congregations. Elsewhere Jorma's Ship mixes up simplistic piano with electronic beats and waves of guitar to create a stunning vision, Hanoi Blue is a stunning combination of half whispers, plucked strings and tinkering electronics that segues effortlessly into the lush soundscape of If I Could Dream, a floating space like track that for some strange reason made me think of floating high above the clouds watching the earth revolve, night becoming day, day becoming night. Coming Home continues the dream-like theme combining lush piano with subtle chiming guitars, whilst in direct contrast Oceans offers up a rockier influence to Paul K's sound with his standard electronica clashing with chugging, crunchy guitar riffs to form a harsher more industrial landscape.

Each and every track on here makes the mind and imagination work overtime, Paul K has managed to create a visionary album that evolves with each spin, Soul Connection is an album to submerge yourself in, if you want an album that will really challenge your mind I suggest you grab hold of a copy of this, turn the lights down low and allow yourself to be carried off by the lush inventive sounds contained within.

Rhythm & Booze Rating 9

www.myspace.com/paulkirkpatrick

www.paulkirkpatrick.co.uk

Soul Connection is the first solo album of the producer and songwriter Paul K. The album is based mainly on electronic background. Individual parts are rich in sea of sounds, a combination of acoustic and electric guitar, synths and even classic piano. This is adding mysticism to the music. The music included in 'Soul Connection' should encourage you to sink into the sounds, listening to the music in your own way, looking at and considering the thoughts and feelingsThanks to this kind of music it's possible to float far and think that this is the key to the main goal of Paul K. The musical style of this artist is compared to some of the music composed by TANGERINE DREAM or KAFTWERK. After listening to some of the pieces I am personally inclined to find links with DEAD CAN DANCE for example "A calling to prayer" mostly probably because of the female vocalsObjectively considered, Paul K combines sounds and electronics creating calm and in places mystical music, opening sometimes even black corners. I think that for fans of this kind of music this could be quite a promising looking hit

Opener ‘Long Hair Bald Heads’ couldn’t be more hostile; a juddering mash of LDN-brand hip-hop, gruesome gabba beats and (come the chorus) a scream akin to Seputura’s Max Cavalera being dragged through a field of coals (tied to a moped). Things don’t give up from there, Tusken’s world is clearly as enamoured with Hardcore DIY ethics as it is with G’s and hand grenades. ‘Cobra Meeting’ is all low slung submarine bleeps and phat 80’s snares; the type we though time had sadly forgotten, whilst ‘Base Existence’ illustrates a life of drug-addled gloom. Closer ‘Exit Strategy’ sees them winding down over a spiraling, cold electro loop, depicting a life of being “washed up in obscurity and shit out of luck”. A UK Hip Hop record that provokes emotions, then. and even if at times negative, it’s surely better than a generation of bling-chasing pimp wannabees.

Paul K-Soul Connection