CJ Burken‘s latest full-length album, “My Third I“, is a musical saga in two halves, an aural recount of his own life experiences and struggles to make sense of a world in chaos around him. The financial meltdown of the end of the decade and an earthquake in early 2010, deeply shook the core of his foundation, greatly impacted his family and spun his life out of control. Faced with an inescapable fall into despair, CJ Burken took refuge in his music and poured all his emotions and struggles into the notes, melodies and rhythms that shape a well-balanced electronic and deep house album for the new decade.
Influenced by his Caribbean roots, drums and african-zouk melodies serve as the backdrop for deep, sometimes slow and lazy grooves that resonate in one place in particular: your lower hips, center of your sexual chi. On tracks like “Gotta Get To You” – where exquisite vocalist La Veda seduces your senses with her sultry invitation, “Mahal Mal” – an ode to an angry lover and “Purgheaventory” – a human plight for liberation, they all deliver rich layers of contemporary deep house grooves imbued with darker tones and strict minimal drum sequencing.
“Droid Push” – definitely the more frenetic and boisterous track on the album – is a well rounded and nicely woven techno track in its purest form. It foibles, throttles and buzzes in all the right places and will definitely stir any crowd to a whipped frenzy. On “Paradise“, CJ Burken unleashes what is arguably the central piece of his creation: a dark bass-heavy track backing haunting vocals courtesy of Lou Peoples that bookends the first – and arguably darker – half of the CD.
Newcomer The Infamous Quest delivers a bone-chilling yet sweet and heart-warming vocal performance on “My Life” – a decidedly tame acid-ridden techno track that pulses and undulates under Quest’s ad-libs to a liberating echoed ending. From then on, the rest of the album is typically Burken at his best: deep, musically lush, vibrant and pulsating deep house tracks of various bpm’s and lead instruments but they all basically showcase this producer signature sound. “Salvation-Eye“, “Inside” and “Perfectionista” are all single-worthy standouts and will find their way easily in any deserving deep house DJ’s record bag. Last on the album – and not to be forgotten – is the treasure gem “Startanu (my friend)” about new beginnings, hope, about a vibrant future, delivered by as yet-discovered singer/vocalist, Kevin Ray. His almost child-like delivery of the tender lyrics end up completely embracing and enveloping you by the end after detouring through an unbelievable breakdown of ordered chaos and noisy symphony delivered with only 1 or 2 instruments at a time and the syncopated phrasing of Kevin Ray; definitely something worth waiting for through the 12-track journey.
To fully understand and grasp the fullness and the richness of this album, it helps if you are a deep house lover, aficionado or familiar with the mechanics and audience of deep house music in general but it is guaranteed that anyone and everyone who picks up this album will find something to cling to or a chorus to sing along or a message in either the music of the lyrics.
Available beginning April 21st, 2011, exclusively at a handful digital distributors (Bandcamp, iTunes, Audiobliss and Traxsource), CJ Burken’s “My Third I” is slated for worldwide release on May 19th, 2011 at all the major digital stores and the major CD retails stores and boutiques.
For more information and to schedule interviews or meetings with CJ Burken, please contact Harlem Station Recordings and keep up-to-date with the latest news and happenings with the label, and this album in particular, by signing up to our RSS feed, our email newsletter or promo list.
The album will also be available in “exclusive packages” on bandcamp.com that will feature tons of additional digital goodies – such as liner note booklet, digital posters, music videos, mobile-specific multi-media and even a limited-edition package offering a unique chance to spend a whole day with CJ Burken in his studio where you could live “his” life and even record a song or a track with him while in the studio or ride along as he shoots a music video. As the icing on top of this limited-edition package, CJ Burken will even perform an intimate DJ-set privately for you and 20 of your closest friends, with beverages and light snacks sponsored by a major local market operator.
www.harlemstationrecordings.com
www.cjburken.com
http://cjburken.bandcamp.com
www.audiobliss.com
Harlem Station Recordings
Yes, you read it here first! One track a week for free (320kbps Mp3). There is no need to register or fill out any form: Simply go to CJ Burken’s website at http://www.cjburken.com and right on the front page, you’ll be able to click and download the track.
