The cover of To All Things What They Need seems
highly symbolic of Gerald Simpson’s career, as
he is caught walking alone on a vast desert space, following
the tracks of a car. The only difference being that,
over the last fifteen years, Simpson has been leaving
tracks behind him rather than following that of others.
One of the most important, yet discreet, members of
the Manchester scene, Gerald Simpson first came to the
attention of most as one of the founding members of
808 State in the
late eighties, with whom he recorded an album, Newbuild,
as well as the seminal Pacific State and a
handful of other tracks, some of which were included
on the recent Prebuild,
before going his own way as A Guy Called Gerald. His
first single, Voodoo Ray, was one of the defining
moments of the then burgeoning acid house scene.
Born in Manchester of a Jamaican family, young Gerald
grew up listening to his father’s ska, blue-beat
and Trojan reggae records. In the first half of the
eighties, he progressively got involved with the jazz
funk club scene that was flourishing in Manchester then,
leading him to start experimenting with tapes. He then
joined local band Scratchbeat Masters before siding
with The Hit Squad, which would later change their name
to 808 State.
Since, Simpson’s reputation as a forward thinking
musician hasn’t stopped growing. Leaving behind
acid house and Detroit techno for more hardcore forms
of music, Simpson’s third album, Black Street
Technology, released in 1995 on his own Juice Box
Records, defined new boundaries by laying the ground
for the explosion of jungle and drum’n’bass,
influencing a whole new scene including the likes of
Goldie, Photek, LTJ Bukem and many more.
Four years after his last album, Essence, the
first recorded for Berlin-based !K7, Simpson returns
with another strong collection of compositions. On To
All Things What They Need, A Guy Called Gerald
revives the sonic spaces opened on its predecessor,
injecting some elements of Detroit sound and breakbeat,
yet characteristically adapting them to suit his vision.
To All Things... is before all an album of
moods, a journey through atmospheres. At times looking
back at his early years (To Love is especially
reminiscent of early 808
State material, while Meaning wouldn’t have
gone amiss on a B12 album), while at others looking
toward the future (Call For Prayer on which
he blends deep electro vibes, Middle Eastern percussions
and evocative vocal sample to create one of the most
haunting and unique tracks on this album), Simpson once
again pulling the strings by freely experimenting with
a wide palette of emotions. Here, he recruits Philadelphia-born
poet Ursula Rucker and Finley Quaye to give some more
substance to Millenium Sanhedrin and Strangest
Changes respectively, serving an urban beat-paved
blanket for Quaye, a long-time friend and regular collaborator,
while Rucker is provided with a more gentle, yet darker,
backdrop to hang her words onto.
Perhaps not as instantly genre defining as Voodoo
Ray or Black Street Technology, To
All Things What They Need remains ahead of the
competition by a long shot. The soft-spoken Gerald Simpson
lets once again the music do the talking, yet, he retains
complete control all the way through, steering moods
and soundscapes as expertly as ever.
4.6/5 |
