Kenny Dixon Jr aka Moodymann
Related: Norma Jean Bell - Detroit techno - American music
Silent Introduction (1997) - Kenny Dixon Jr
[Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]This piece of electronic soul is a true masterpiece of music in any way, shape or form. Moody Man is actually Kenny Dixon Jr, one of the 'new school' of techno producers, and A Silent Introduction is his first full length album as an artist. The cover has a weird photograph of Kenny himself, looking like some sort of Afro-John Lennon(!), -- Aaron Goldberg, Nov 1999 for Perfect Sound Forever
Biography
Kenny Dixon Jr also known as Moodymann is a techno/house musician based in Detroit. He creates a thoroughly hybrid form of techno/house dance music via his innovative use of reworked riffs, samples and grooves taken from that city's historically influential jazz, soul and funk scene (1950s through 1980s?). He offers a friendly wink backwards at the innovative early 1990s rave scene musicians through his extensive use of old movie sound track samples, mainly culled from the old soft porn and b-movie genres. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moodymann [Oct 2005]
CDs
- Silence in the Secret Garden (2003) - Moodyman [FR] [DE] [UK]
Silence in the Secret Garden by Moodyman has been released worldwide in June. I was lucky enough to have been given an advance copy (thanks Philippe!) and I have played it regularly.The second track wants to make you believe that this is a dancefloor stormer but from track 3 it moves into ambient mood, where it stays until track 10 (Sweet Yesterday) where the vocals reappear. Essential listening for 2003.
Basically, if you enjoy what Moodymann did before, you are going to like Silence in the Secret Garden. All amazon outlets carry it but only France had a review, which is below. Oh and yes, you can listen to snippets at the amazon.de site.
- Norma Jean Bell - Come Into My Room[UK] UK only, very good Detroit House release on Peacefrog.
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Black Mahogani (2004) - Moodymann [Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]
1. Holiday 2. Roberta Jean Machine 3. I Need You So Much 4. Runaway 5. I’m Doing Fine 6. Shades Of Jae 7. Riley’s Song 8. Back At Bakers (On Livernois) 9. Mahogani 9000 10. Black Mahogani
The enigmatic Kenny Dixon Junior, aka Moodymann, is one of the Detroit sound’s leading architects. Black Mahogani is the definitive Moodymann album, featuring the rarest & most sought after tracks from his early KDJ outings as well as some incredible new future classics.
The album features Amp Fiddler on vocals for "I’m Doing Fine", which is arguably Amp’s finest moment. Also featured are two Detroit jazz & soul legends; Norma Jean Bell and Roberta Sweed.
The pure soulful genius of this album will give it a more universal appeal than just Moodymann’s usual fans and should bring in an audience from a wide variety of genres including jazz, soul and R&B.