Slakah The Beatchild @ Revival

If you've ever frequented this site, then you know that I'm not overly picky when it comes to indie rock. Sure, there are artists that I like better than others, and mediocrity runs rampant at times, but I can usually find something good in most of the bands I cover around the city. When it comes to soul, R&B and hip hop however, I'm a totally different creature altogether. I don't cover this genre all that often here, but it's not because I don't like it. It's because my tastes are very specific when it comes to da funk. Stevie's Innervisions, Dusty's In Memphis and the mighty mighty Marvin's What's Going On are a few of my favourite albums of all time, but when it comes to the modern day, it really does take a lot to garner my attention. Artists like Oh No, Madlib and Shad K have restored my faith in hip hop, and I do enjoy doses of Raphael Saadiq and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings as well, but most of my soulful exposure comes from what the kids are listening to these days and I hate to sound like a crusty old curmudgeon, but I just don't get most of it.

This is why an artist like Slakah The Beatchild is so refreshing to me. His new release is entitled Soul Movement Vol. 1, and the title is very appropriate since that is exactly what it is: a movement. The album flows seamlessly from track to track, meaning that it's most enjoyable when played as a whole. Although there are hooky songs and several catchy moments, the album is mostly about establishing a vibe, and it's the instrumental snippets and segues of beats and atmospheres that are interspersed between the songs that make it such a successful musical journey. Slaks continued to keep the vibe front and center when he brought his CD release party to Revival last week.

Like the album, Slakah enlisted the help of some of his friends for the show, including the beautiful voices of Ayah, Melanie Durrant and Divine Brown, as well as the soulful stylings of Ray Robinson and the charismatic rap of Tona, and Slakah's Art Of Fresh counterpart D.O. (Sadly, there was no Shad K. as I was anticipating, but it's all good, although his rhymes on the song Now A Daze is definitely one of the album's highlights.) Slakah is an excellent performer, exuding a sweet balance between humility and confident showmanship. After a hilarious intro by comedian Jay Martin, Slakah took to the stage wearing shades and looking like a star. Some of the highlights were his slightly slowed down take on Enjoy Ya Self which is a chilled out number with a retro 70's vibe. The Answer is a song that I only mildly enjoy on the album, but this duet with Melanie Durrant works exceptionally well on the live stage as Durrant proves that her amazing pipes are not simply a result of studio wizardry. He asked the audience to clear some space on the floor during his rabid performance of B-Boy Beef, where a member of the Ground Illusionz crew busted out some stellar breakdance moves. Crate Love (By Your Side) was another solid performance featuring Ray Robinson (dang that voice is smooth) and Divine Brown, whose vocals were beyond impressive, particularly during the breakdown at the song's coda. Divine also performed her hit single Sunglasses, which was also produced by Slakah, whom she declared as "Canada's best kept secret." That performance was probably the audience highlight of the evening. My personal highlights were the moments when D.O. joined Slakah onstage. Their performance of the Art of Fresh's Out This World was electric, and that D.O. is one charismatic and hilarious performer who I found impossible to keep my eyes off of.

Although it was clear that the audience was pumped for an encore, they were relatively reserved when it came to showing it. I suppose this is why Esthero took it upon herself to jump up to the mic and blast us all for our lack of appreciation. Harsh yes, but entertaining nonetheless. The crew came back out and did a couple more songs, ending with What's This Feeling, stripped down with Slakah playing the acoustic guitar. Mesmerizing.

There's a lot to be said for broadening one's horizons. Much like when I took a chance on seeing God Made Me Funky last year, it was hard not to leave the show in a celebratory mood. Regardless of genre, music is always good when it's presented with honesty and accompanied by sheer talent and a desire to explore. Using that criteria, Slakah The Beatchild is as good as it gets.

Memoirs of Anesha also has a review of the show here.

Photos: My shots of Slakah The Beatchild @ Revival are on flickr.
Myspace: Slakah The Beatchild
Video: Enjoy Ya Self on youtube
Video: What's This Feeling on youtube
Video: Out This World on youtube