|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
CD
|
|
KYNEX 003CD
|
For the first time in more than a decade, Paul St. Hilaire (AKA Tikiman) presents a solo album -- 100% Tiki. Over his 30-plus year career, St. Hilaire has become one of dance music's quietly legendary figures. Born and raised in Dominica, he moved to Berlin in 1994 and has lent both his voice and his musicianship to some of the most iconic electronic music from the German capital -- and beyond. Renowned for his collaborations with Moritz von Oswald and Mark Ernestus (AKA Rhythm & Sound), he has also appeared on records with Deadbeat, Rhauder, Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers and Stereotyp (G-Stone Recordings), amongst others. However, few know the extent of St. Hilaire's compositional and technical mastery. From his home studio in Kreuzberg, which includes an extensive collection of vintage hardware, self-built instruments and notebooks scribbled with endless lyrics, he has created a vast archive of material spanning ambient dub, avant-jazz, lush techno, and lovers rock. Tikiman Vol. 1 is a heady, downtempo tour de force of patois metaphors on education, displacement, and personal vs. global histories, as is evident on slippy album opener "Bedroom In My Bag": "Mister, mister / Where are you going? / I'm heading for a faraway land / What are you having in the bag in your hand? / Help us to understand / He said, I've got my bedroom in my bag." Overall, the album's lyrics reflect on life between Berlin and Dominica, specifically St. Hilaire's hometown of Grand Bay, where he has worked with various musicians famous for the island's different genres of carnival music. St. Hilaire himself always favored the island's more "discrete" music, developing a sonic synergy between two different geographical strains of groove and minimalism, and combining them with foundational Caribbean mixing techniques, which provide the basis for his songwriting and distinct baritone. Tikiman Vol. 1 offers a rare insight into St. Hilaire's complex artistry, from the eyes-down grooves of "Little Way" and the guitar-heavy digi dancehall experiment "Keep Safe," to the subtle hypnosis of "Ten To One" and the softly crashing synth waves of closer "Three And A Half," evoking not only beaches but also coasts and borders. It's a fitting expression of both the breadth of St. Hilaire's work, as well as his history as one of the few black, Berlin-based artists who, despite remaining largely overlooked, has influenced the city's electronic music culture since its beginnings. Digipak.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
2LP
|
|
KYNEX 003LP
|
For the first time in more than a decade, Paul St. Hilaire (AKA Tikiman) presents a solo album -- 100% Tiki. Over his 30-plus year career, St. Hilaire has become one of dance music's quietly legendary figures. Born and raised in Dominica, he moved to Berlin in 1994 and has lent both his voice and his musicianship to some of the most iconic electronic music from the German capital -- and beyond. Renowned for his collaborations with Moritz von Oswald and Mark Ernestus (AKA Rhythm & Sound), he has also appeared on records with Deadbeat, Rhauder, Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers and Stereotyp (G-Stone Recordings), amongst others. However, few know the extent of St. Hilaire's compositional and technical mastery. From his home studio in Kreuzberg, which includes an extensive collection of vintage hardware, self-built instruments and notebooks scribbled with endless lyrics, he has created a vast archive of material spanning ambient dub, avant-jazz, lush techno, and lovers rock. Tikiman Vol. 1 is a heady, downtempo tour de force of patois metaphors on education, displacement, and personal vs. global histories, as is evident on slippy album opener "Bedroom In My Bag": "Mister, mister / Where are you going? / I'm heading for a faraway land / What are you having in the bag in your hand? / Help us to understand / He said, I've got my bedroom in my bag." Overall, the album's lyrics reflect on life between Berlin and Dominica, specifically St. Hilaire's hometown of Grand Bay, where he has worked with various musicians famous for the island's different genres of carnival music. St. Hilaire himself always favored the island's more "discrete" music, developing a sonic synergy between two different geographical strains of groove and minimalism, and combining them with foundational Caribbean mixing techniques, which provide the basis for his songwriting and distinct baritone. Tikiman Vol. 1 offers a rare insight into St. Hilaire's complex artistry, from the eyes-down grooves of "Little Way" and the guitar-heavy digi dancehall experiment "Keep Safe," to the subtle hypnosis of "Ten To One" and the softly crashing synth waves of closer "Three And A Half," evoking not only beaches but also coasts and borders. It's a fitting expression of both the breadth of St. Hilaire's work, as well as his history as one of the few black, Berlin-based artists who, despite remaining largely overlooked, has influenced the city's electronic music culture since its beginnings. Gatefold; includes download card.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
CD
|
|
FTD 002CD
|
With his first self-produced album Unspecified, published in 2003 on his label False Tuned, Dominca Island's Paul St. Hilaire proved how profound and relaxed and at the same time vigorous and vibrant electronic roots reggae can sound nowadays -- beyond pure dub or classic band formats. It is this approach which he follows up forcefully on his album A Divine State of Mind by refining and perfecting it. "Check some dub style," it says right in the beginning of the impulsive "Little Song" -- and gives a hint to St. Hilaire's mastership in using dub as a production method. Reverb, echos and diverse sound effects have grown to musical modules, letting classic one-drop-riddims float in the air to widen the space of electronic pulsative beat. You have guitar licks and organ sounds, palaces of echos, more conventional tunes ("Black Mosesor," "Jah Live Over The Hills") social-political commentary ("Fortunate") and religious poetry ("Praise"; "Jah Love"), while oscillating basses work your speakers and many other sounds. The binding brace of it all is St. Hilaire's sublime singing, which always leaves space for the listener's own associations. Electronic and analog instruments, song and track, singing and deejaying, roots and Futurism merge on A Divine State of Mind and, rather atypically within the reggae landscape, Paul St. Hilaire once again demonstrates his skills as an all-round musician, composer, singer, instrumentalist, and producer.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
12"
|
|
FTD 005EP
|
Released in 2005. "Paul St. Hilaire's new 12' release 'Peculiar' for his label False Tuned sets the mood from the start: a punchy riddim, yet taken at an almost casual if not nonchalant tempo. Backed up by a heavily accented bass in the title track, Tiki's music is as always relaxed and pulsating, yet demonstrates a remarkable interplay between instruments and voice. Of course this feeling is one instantly recognisable from past musical works with Rhythm & Sound for Burial Mix and for False Tuned. By the time one gets to 'Office,' Tiki's energetic and smooth dubby style just gets to one's inner feelings -- the version escalating into a heady nearly psychedelic dubwise brew. This unusual scenario persists onto side two as a short kaleidoscope of sounds serves as the intro to 'Jah Love,' and proceeds to a fine one-drop vocal dub song. This is reggae and dub of the highest grade, with meticulous production and mixing standards with plenty of room for wandering and taking in the subtle underfloor sounds. New songs from an artist with an upful and positive glimpse into the future of reggae and dub." --Boomkat
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
12"
|
|
FTD 004EP
|
Released in 2004, now available again. "Paul St. Hilaire presents Dr.'s Degree the fourth release on his proudly self operated and independently run label False Tuned, an outlet for his most personal musical adventures. The opening tune 'Guiding You' presents St. Hilaire's wide voice range in full effect on a smooth floating and tricky dubbed out backing track with seductive deep main vocals in spoken word style while St. Hilaire is backing himself with sweet soulful singing. This is not just an impressive showcase for his well-developed singing skills, but also a great work by a producer who is aware of the rich history of classic roots reggae and easily avoids the 'digi-dub-trap' while he is not fearing what modern technology has to offer. The following 'Dr.'s Degree' is a deep, smoked and unusual dub rhythm texture with rare spoken word vocals and full of psychedelic tripping sound effects taking you into the depth of FT's studio."
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
CD
|
|
FTD 001CD
|
2003 release, available again. "Important news spreading from False Tuned: Tikiman, its founder, will release and perform in the future under his given name Paul St. Hilaire -- to ban finally all claims on trademarks. And with Unspecified the artist formerly known as Tikiman presents his first CD. Eleven tunes are gathered here, astonishing, vibrant, deep tracks out of the very peculiar fusion of roots reggae/dub/experimental that became the characteristic of the promising Berlin record smithy. The sounds of western metropoles melt with the tones of the artist's Caribbean home island Dominica. In the center of each tune: the unique voice of Paul St. Hilaire talking to us about the up and downs of our private lives and our all involvement in world politics. Poetic and political at the same time, Unspecified is committed to the Caribbean tradition of handmade, human and spiritual music. This CD opens up a window to the reggae of tomorrow."
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
12"
|
|
FTD 002EP
|
2001 release, available again. "False Tuned launches its second 33 rpm release after the great success of Dub It Wittaattiude. Side A features 'Drifting Along' and 'Drifting Dub.' Solid down the road drifting roots reggae/dubs with the peculiar qualities of the artist. On side B is a smooth rough 'So Sure' and its dub version. Produced by Tikiman. Excellent sound quality also adds to the freshness of these recordings. What a difference our sound makes -- False Tuned -- the groundation sound."
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
12"
|
|
FTD 001EP
|
2001 release, available again. "Berlin's newly-formed False-Tuned label launches its debut 33 rpm release with songs from Tikiman, its founder. Side One features 'Dubitwittaattitude' and 'Witta Dub,' solid down the road drifting dubs with an appealing bass line and which truly presents the peculiar qualities of Tikiman's voice. On side two is a fusion-jungle song, 'Dis Day' and its dub version. Produced with additional arrangements by Bernd Jestram, this side displays another aspect of the artist's expansive abilities. Excellent sound quality also adds to the freshness of these recordings."
|
|
|
|