"Remy and I have always been interested in electronic production based music. Something about growing up in the 90s has given us a special connection to Bjork, Radiohead, Aphex Twin or anything with programmed drums and scratched vinyl. Though we moved to NY in 2004 to play jazz, you might think otherwise if you looked through our iPods," explained Pascal.
The brothers feel that electronic music is a natural progression and a logical next step in their creative lives. "I noticed that the electronic music community seemed to grow out of the digital recording era through 'remix' collaborations. Although electronic production is generally a solitary process, electronic artists have managed to develop a community by revamping and building upon each others' ideas via remixing, mash-ups (mashing two songs together), re-works (re-composition using the same process as remixing), etc. I see this as similar to the way in which jazz musicians recorded jazz versions of show tunes - so electronic producers are developing remixed versions of today's standards. Many within the jazz community share this passion for electronic music and are 'closet DJ's'. Le Boeuf Brothers Remixed is about bringing to light the growing underground community of electronic musicians associated with the jazz community and the huge potential for remix collaborations," said Pascal.
Le Boeuf Brothers Remixed opens with "Red Velvet". "On our 2011 release, In Praise of Shadows, the production for this tune was largely inspired by Q-tip's approach to Kurt Rosenwinkel's 2003 album Heartcore. This version was then remixed by L.A.-based IDM/electronica artist, 'Yellow Then Blue' (a.k.a. Justin Deming)." - Pascal. "I first became acquainted with Justin through Myspace in 2007 and have been deeply into his music ever since. We kept in touch over several years until the opportunity came to collaborate in 2011 with our Remix project." - Remy.
"For Every Kiss"- Kissy Girls Remix. The electronic duo, Kissy Girls is the brainchild of Pascal and singer/songwriter Emily Greene. "We met at summer camp when we were 15 while eating ice cream with forks and reconnected in 2007 to write songs based on a mutual respect for each other. When Remy and I started our remix project, Emily and I were in the process of finishing the first Kissy Girls EP and we decided to remix "For Every Kiss" as a throwback to the new wave synth ballads of the 80s." - Pascal.
"Around/Fire Dancing - Pascal Mashup". Remy explains, "I remember when I first heard Louis Cole's music; I was hanging out with several friends after playing a jam session in Harlem and we were sitting on the couch playing songs for each other off our iPods. Louis' music came up and we listened to almost the entire album. I realized later that Pascal and I were good friends with his Canadian cousin, Spencer Cole, who is also a drummer." Louis later joined them for a Le Boeuf Brothers performance in Los Angeles in 2010 where they learned about his project with Genevieve Artadi. When Cole and Artadi released their 2nd album, Think Thoughts, in 2011, the Le Boeuf Brothers approached them with the idea of making a mash-up of the song "Around" from Think Thoughts and "Fire Dancing" from In Praise of Shadows. Pascal explains, "Making this track was a lot of fun because of the sounds used to create it. I added the 'clink' of a small plastic test tube that fell over while I was recording (enters at 1:13). This tiny plastic tube was perfectly pitched to a 'C' and became a huge part of the track. Also, using Louis' sampled drum sounds to play Henry Cole's original beat from 'Fire Dancing' was fun to show to Henry afterwards." - Pascal.
"Everything You Love Intro"- Armand Hirsch Remix. "I first met Armand when he was still in High School through the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts' youngARTS program. I learned that in addition to his amazing guitar chops, he is also a great recording engineer. We've since had the pleasure of collaborating on various projects and it was only natural to develop a collaborative track for this remix album." - Pascal.
"Everything You Love" - Lucky Luke Remix (AKA: Luke Moellman), "is largely responsible for my becoming an electronic producer. In 2007, a mutual friend showed me Luke's electronic music on Myspace and I consequentially abandoned NYC for 2 weeks to study with him in Miami. I continued to visit Luke for years until he moved to Brooklyn in 2011. We have since collaborated on other remixes. When Remy and I started our remix project, Luke was already in the process of developing a remix for my solo project and he decided to remix 'Everything You Love' for this one." - Pascal.
"In the Shadow of Your Silence"- Remy Remix. "Although silence, like shadow, is an absence in its essence, it can be substantively felt--at times very powerfully-as a restive pause, an awkward moment, or a gaping distance. On a purely musical level this song does nothing with silence, as for the emotions and intention behind it, I'll leave you in the shadow of my silence . . ." - Remy.
"Everything You Love"- Wolff Parkinson White Remix. "When Remy and I joined Nineteen-Eight Records, we were floored by the work of our label mate, "Wolff Parkinson White" (AKA: Jochen Rueckert). I had been a fan of Jochen's work as a jazz drummer ever since I first heard him on Henry Hey's Watershed but had no idea he created glitchy electronic music. After enjoying his first album for a few weeks Remy and I approached him to remix a track for our album. We're glad to have him on board!" - Pascal.
"Calgary Clouds"- Tim Lefebvre Remix feat. Louis Cole. Like "Wolff Parkinson White", the brothers got in touch with Tim after joining Nineteen-Eight Records. They had seen him perform as a bassist with various bands around New York but didn't know he produced electronic music until Henry Hey suggested they contact him. Tim also works with Louis Cole & Genevieve Artadi as a guest on "Think Thoughts" and included some of Louis' driving drum beats in his track.
"Fading Apart" - David Binney Remix, Feat Nickel Killsmics and Nina Geiger. "Remy and I have always enjoyed David Binney's compositions and approach to music.
When we were just getting into electronic music, he introduced us to a number of bands (such as Telefon Telaviv, Prefuse 73 and Tycho) that broadened our perspective and drastically changed our approach to making music. When Dave began remixing 'D2D' he included a hook recorded by the wonderful Nina Geiger. He also asked if we knew any good rappers, and after a year of performing regularly at Smoke Jazz Club, I got to know Nickel Killsmics (AKA: Mike Winnick), a phenomenal rapper with a talent for improvisation and crossover with jazz musicians." - Pascal.
"Green Velvet"- Pascal Remix. This simple song is the first of a number of "Velvet" compositions named after the brothers' velvet furniture from their childhood home. It was recorded at the same time as In Praise of Shadows, but didn't make the album simply because they didn't have time to add electronic production elements. Here it is fleshed out. All individual instruments are as they were originally performed.
The Le Boeuf Brothers are best known for their innovative compositional projects, which span as broadly stylistically as they do collaboratively. Over the course of their careers, they have collaborated with artists as diverse as Ambrose Akinmusire, Linda Oh, Nir Felder and the Myth String Quartet in genres ranging from jazz to contemporary classical to electronica.
In addition to being the youngest person ever to receive the ASCAP/IAJE Commission in honor of Quincy Jones in 2004, Pascal has garnered several Independent Music Awards for Best Jazz Album & Best Jazz Song in 2006 and Best Dance/Electronica Song in 2012. In 2011, Remy received a New Jazz Works grant from Chamber Music America to write a piece for the Le Boeuf Brothers and the Myth String Quartet based on a the short story "A Dream" by Franz Kafka. Additionally, the brothers received an Astral Grant from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts in 2008, and were awarded 1st place in the International Songwriting Competition in 2010.
The Le Boeuf Brothers have also toured internationally and performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival, Montreal Jazz Festival, the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and Jazz @ Lincoln Center.
On their prior album In Praise of Shadows the Le Boeuf Brothers expand upon the jazz tradition by continuing to sculpt their compositions after the initial recording process, using modern production techniques, sampling, and layered arranging/recording methods. The album also takes the "enhanced CD" concept to the next level, allowing listeners to manipulate the tracks on their computers and make their own remixes. This new direction lays the foundation for the next decade of jazz innovation, and for the Le Boeuf Brothers new album, Le Boeuf Brothers Remixed.
Also available on Nineteen-Eight Records on May 28, 2013, Pascal Le Boeuf's Pascal's Triangle, featuring Linda Oh and Justin Brown.
www.leboeufbrothers.com
www.nineteeneight.com
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