Best known as an original member of the Sugar Hill Gang, playing in Living Colour and working with the likes of Mick Jagger, Jeff Beck and Madonna, as well as the Industrial Funk band Tack>>Head, bassist extraordinaire Doug Wimbish has recently released a new solo disc entitled, CinemaSonics (NovaSound Records). A widely eclectic and avant-garde release, Wimbish goes from Hip-Hop flavors to Superfly Funk and all points in between, while creating all sorts of ambient sounds and setting different moods.
Wimbish states, "I'm not JUST a bass player, I'm a sound system". And with that you have an insight into what Cinemasonics is all about. Filled with electronica, bass virtuosity, and Wimbish's now signature ambient soundscapes, CinemaScopes showcases some nice melodic songs with Trance like textures. Tracks like "Swirl", "Trance (Make My Own Reality) and the Curtis Mayfield tune, "Homeless" are standout tracks. Besides playing the bass on CinemaScopes, Wimbish handles vocals on 4 songs, plays some guitar, keyboards and also served as arranger of all strings and horns on the record, as well as serving as the executive producer. Wimbish also enlisted some help from of his friends with the likes of drummer Will Calhoun of Living Colour, British producer Adrian Sherwood, Bernard Fowler, and the legendary keyboards of Bernie Worrell helping to round out this effort.
CinemaScopes shows the songwriting skills of Wimbish, as well as some sharp arranging talent by taking songs with an Urban feel, a '70's Funk feel or even an experimental Jazz vibe and making them all work within structure of a 5 or 6 minute song. The songs are not too overly self indulgent and with the ever present ambient sounds free flowing through out each track you are taken on a ride of your own aural senses. This is sometimes a tad taxing and a little boring in spots, but this is one of those headphone types of records. CinemaScopes is a good representation of the career of Doug Wimbish and is full of off the beaten path music and tones, while still being a stylish document of Wimbish's career.
Track Listing
1. Revolution
2. Trance (Make My Own Reality)
3. Scary Man
4. Homeless
5. Danger
6. Rockin' Shoes
7. Silent Footsteps/ Minor ''D'' Eparture
8. Swirl
9. Broadcasting
10. I Wanna Know
11. Special Request
12. No Release, No Surrender
13. Easy Philosophy
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