July 2005

Undo Records bless us with a truly soulful release courtesy of The Shadow Kings and featured vocalist David Walker. The original take is spreading an organic live feeling through the instrumentation that includes guitar and saxophone together with a deep and funky baseline, with the passionate lead and background vocals creating an incredible feeling. Richard Earnshaw's interpretation makes just subtle changes to it by adding a jazzy piano line and a smoothly stompin' groove, while the Native New Yorkers use a deeply stormin' groove together with melodic keys and a wicked guitar riff.

no.15/vol.3 MAY 2002

The SHADOW KINGS: Get Strong (Chez) [3.5 stars]

A label that always gets the palms wet when the envelope is opened and reveals that striped Chez logo. The bottom end is driven by the ol’ faithful Roland Jupiter 8 keyboard (a la ‘Can You Feel It?’ by Mr Fingers, Trax Records) and how wonderful this durable piece of kit still sounds. Here he drums steam ahead whilst a spoken vocal swimming in echo talks of the struggle that the Afro-Americans have endured through history. “They broke you like oxen, they branded you, they made your women breeders and swelled your numbers with bastards, they taught you the religion they disgraced”, recalls the male vocalist with sorrow. Little keys whisper thin chords up to that Jupiter 8 and then we are off and running, funk with a lot of bounce ensues as the Jupiter 8 races along. A keyboard solo is played, possibly live because of its simplicity, and the same could be said of the longer key board generated flute solo. Nice slice of drivin’ underground house from Boston.

no.86  JULY 2002

The SHADOW KINGS: Get Strong (Chez) [5 stars]

A quality label, Chez are also throwers of one of the best Miami parties. I don' t know who the Shadow Kings are, but the spoken work speaks wisdom about slavery and injustice in Amerikkka, underpinned by deep, jazzy, Detroit undertones. Buy it.

DEC/JAN 2002/03

The SHADOW KINGS: Get Stronger (Troublemen Remix) (Chez)

What with the French Troublemen, the equally French Troublemakers and Troubleman, who’s not French at all but actually Mark Pritchard out of Global Communications, you have to keep your wits about you these days. Anyway, the troublesome lot on the mix here are the French deep housers who strike a rich seam of repetitive gold by repeating the title ad infinitum over a sharply syncopated groove. Nifty

no.87/vol. 2 APRIL 2001

The SHADOW KINGS: Catch The Sun / Anything (Chez) [3 stars]

These days New York is grooving to a different beat, and Chez's particular beat is deep, sultry and suffused with warm weather vibes. 'Catch The Sun' is especially deep and trundles along in amorphous fashion without leaving any deep impact except a vaguely comfortable and soothing feeling, like taking a long bath after a hard day. 'Anything' has a little more bite, with pretensions to coming on like Mood II Swing (it does it well), with one of those languid baselines, some moody keys and a little sprinkling of female spoken work in French. Don't wait for it on Now Dance, because it won't be there