Between the Beats

It has finally been released, the debut album A Strange Arrangement by US-soulmusic-sensation Mayer Hawthorne. The white wunderkind from suburban Detroit/Michigan is presenting an album full of unbelievably superb soul music, in fine tradition of Isaac Hayes, Leroy Hutson and Curtis Mayfield. Exactly these artists plus Smokey Robinson and Lamont Dozier were named by the 29-year-old as his biggest influences.

The Album has been released by the underground-label Stones Throw, founded in 1996, which is better known for its HipHop and Funk releases and artists like Madlib, Breakestra, Dudley Perkins or James Pants. The label’s huge repertoire includes many more great artists, musicians and bands.

The most remarkable issues concerning Mayer Hawthorne’s album are perhaps the facts that he recorded, arranged and produced it all by himself as well as our belief that he really made the spirit of soul-music of the late 1960s and early 1970s his own.

After listening to no more than two of Mayer Hawthorne’s songs, he wanted to sign the very talented American, head of “Stones Throw” Peanut Butter Wolf explained. Famous interceders and fans are for example Gilles Peterson, Mark Ronson and Justin Timberlake. Definitely a candidate for the “album of the year”.

Here you find some soundfiles from his songs and please check youtube for the lovely “Just ain’t gonna work out” and several other videos.

Tags: Detroit, Isaac Hayes, Madlib, Mayer Hawthorne, Soul, Stones Throw

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