Thuli Dumakude's SENZENI NA? (Remastered): Pre-release announcement and offer!

Here it is kids! I am extremely excited to announce the first in the Anthr-O-Tone series of remastered collaborations between myself and some of my closest long time musical partners in this nutty, vibrant World myoozic realm:

Thuli Dumakude - SENZENI NA?

 

This is the long overdue (!!!) re-release of Thuli Dumakude's and my ground-breaking work from 1992. It is the first project (of many) that Thuli and I worked on together and we *knew* from the minute we hit the first session together, that this album was going to be totally unique and, as Thuli always put it: fierce.

      I'll tell you more about how this all came together as well as the long-time creative partnership this album engendered in another blog, but I want to get this thing MOVING, so I'm just going to give you a few tidbits for now... . 

Ema and Thuli Live 2005

Thuli and I produced and created this work in its entirety - Thuli writing, arranging and performing all of the stunning vocal work, while I wrote, arranged and performed all of the instruments (and programming). For all of you tech trivia buffs: we recorded the whole album in what was the first rather sparse and cramped iteration of Ikhaya Studios in Weehawken, NJ, on a Tascam 388 - 1/4" 8 track machine (!) in the 10' x 13' control room. Thuli managed to create those magically lush and emotionally lofty vocal-scapes by standing in a claustrophobic 3'x3', makeshift moving quilt vocal booth for hours (sometimes days) and singing with a range and energy I had never experienced as an artist...I'll never forget those first chills... . One more little esoteric tech tidbit for you deeper audio geeks: we had to stripe one of the tape tracks in order to sync up the very primitive midi sequencer, so we actually only had 7 tracks on which to record (keep that in mind as you're listening to this)! OK enough trivia for now; on to the subject at hand.

Re-mastering "Senzeni Na?"

The new, remastered version of Senzini Na? will drop at midnight on October 23, 2011. It will only be available as a premium digital download for now. But if we get enough requests we'll consider pressing CDs and offering them up through CD Baby and Amazon. 

RIGHT NOW we are offering it as a pre-order premium download special for $10 at www.thuli.bandcamp.com With the preorder purchase you will instantly receive a download of track 3. Emsebenzini and then when the album is released, you will receive an email with the download link for the entire album. You can use a credit card and you DON'T need a Paypal account

We're working hard to have it prepared for the drop on the 23rd (see "weary engineer" pic above), but why wait?! GET IT NOW and you can be jivvin' to some horn driven mbaqanga right now!!! NCA!

A Pinnochio story: ANTHR-O-TONE RECORDS becomes a REAL label (sort of)

Told you I'd be back soon! 

So let me state for the record (no pun intended), I am NOT (dramatic pause) and have NO interest (another one) in becoming a record "mogul" or "exec" and I have NO plans to eventually take over  and dominate the music industry with my gigantipithicus megacolossus of an art-crushing-extruded-mush-vomiting-uber-media--conglomerate of a "music group" (a laughable term to be sure but I digress). No sir (or mam). Let it be known that I created the Anthr-O-Tone label simply to have an identifiable brand to associate with Ownership and all other subsequent albums that I record and release - something to put down in the "label" category when you're filling out all of those distribution contracts and web forms...quite simply, a label, more in the literal sense ya know? BUT: there's a new development.

     Over the years I have had the good fortune to find myself collaborating with some remarkably creative partners, writing, recording, producing and releasing some really exciting and fullfilling projects (of which I am extremely proud) . These projects have all been reified in different mediums - ranging from vinyl, to cassettes to CDs - and they've all had varied trajectories, levels of success and interesting stories attached to them - ranging from soulfully gratifying to tragically comical. Some of them were released and distributed independently and some actually picked up by record companies (ack I just threw up in my mouth a little bit). Some had a good run but "ran their course" while others continued to chug along over the years, sometimes slowing down and other times picking up steam (an oscillation that manifested no change in the dismal royalty accounting on my quarterly statements...and I use the term "quarterly" loosely...again I digress...).

     So anyway, I frequently get emails from fans, friends and friends of friends (and resourceful esoteric collectors) asking about some of these albums - "are they stilll available anywhere?" and "if yes, where?". The answers up to this point have been either flat out "no" or "yes if you live in South Africa (or a territory where it's been sub-licensed like Norway or something). Well I realized that enough time has gone by now that there's no reason why these albums shouldn't be readily available in the US. All rights of ownership of these works have reverted to me and my creative partners. So all that is needed now is a distribution mechanism. 

     So I'm happy to announce that over this fall (and holiday) season, I will be rereleasing these fine works here in the US under the Anthr-O-Tone label. We'll start with digital downloads and if we get enough of a response for them we'll press CDs. 

     I am now in the process of remastering (where necessary) and will be announcing a pre-release offer of the first album shortly (and I KNOW many of you are going to be verrrry happy about this one)! So stay tuned!

Uxolo,

Ema

Autumn Pre-announcements Teaser

Yeah yeah I know, I know: my "handlers" have already harangued me about my woeful lack of attention to my blog: "You haven't posted since you started the House Concert Tour in February!!!"
Well, I like to think that that indicates how successful the House Concert Tour was! It kept me "chin just above water" busy which meant  some of my other duties in the PR realm were ignored: like blogging (see what I did there bringing it back around full circle?).  Anyway, the tour has come to a close with an "all boosters firing!" show back home in North Jersey (I'd say with a BANG! but that was two shows prior down in VA.), a new season is upon us and all the burners are heating up for some new developments in several categories. Some of it's coming real soon and I'll be making several  announcements and updates over the next couple of weeks; so stay tuned.

Before I sign off, let me say what a huge GAS it was to do the House Concert tour. I just love the format - the differences in spaces; the diversity of audiences; the intimacy... I made many new friends and fans as well as received such gratifying support from "old" ones. Thank you to hosts and attendees alike for making the whole thing so successful and so uniquely exciting. Let's do it again next year. But now I'm anxious to play out with other musos again (oops don't tip that hand yet).

So until the next "announcement"...
Uxolo,
Ema