Mark de Clive-Lowe - Tide's Arising
It was at Auckland's Cause Celebre back in the day, when after a few shakers and a smoke or two, I approached Mark de Clive-Lowe (who was murdering his way through a groove on an old juno-6 keyboard) and asked him exactly how I could make those same crazy sounds from the juno-6 I had recently acquired - "just experiment" was his abrupt two word response. Alright, sweet bro, thanks, I was gutted that he wasn't more forthcoming. But looking back on it now, it was the perfect advice and I imagine, a philosophy that has helped shape his career thus far.
On Tide's Arising, Mark's 5th solo studio release he's still experimenting but this time he's got all the combinations right. Keys are less of a factor on this album than any other , which allows our boy to sit back in the production chair and start crafting. The man does a monster job. There is an assured feel to all of this, no flashy solos, no 'check out what I can do', it's more like 'hey, listen to how well that fits with that'.
The serious vocal talent is used subtly, combining to make harmonies that create textures, fusing with the slick production underneath. There are melodies galore, drifting over hip hop and broken beat and African rhythms, yet somehow it never gets too much.
Mark brings along the great Pino Palladino on bass (Common, D'Angelo), who lays it down on the 'old school' groove of 'Pino and Mashi', and Bembe Segue who does great things on 'State of the Mental' and my favourite cut off the album, 'Heaven'. 'Travelling' with Capitol A (Jazzanova) and Bembe again is a great tune, as is 'Slide and 'Quintessential', where Abdul Shyllon gets to shine. The title track is a little too straight up for me after being wooed and spoiled by the spark of the first half of the album, but hey, you gotta have a single.
So in Tide's Arising we have a highmark in the career of one of our great musical minds, an album where Mark de Clive-Lowe matures, stands up and sees eye to eye with his peers. Hope he gets a nod for the Tuis this year, probably not though, eh?
Mr President
