U-gene
Nocturnes In Return: Beats By Aardvarck (2lp)
Waaghals and Multiversal are proud to present U-Gene's long lost first solo album, made in collaboration with legendary Dutch DJ and producer Mike Kivits, better known as Aardvarck. While Aardvarck attainted a worldwide cult status with his DJ-sets and freeform beat orientated production, U-Gene became an in demand live and studio musician, providing his vocal and keyboard skills for Dutch greats, such as Urban Dance Squad and Candy Dulfer. Their unlikely collaboration started out in the early 2000's, after Kivits sought out U-Gene and began sending him beats. U-Gene soon started recording his vocals and keyboards over Aardvarcks' production, transforming the abstract beats into full developed songs, creating an unique musical tapestry of broken-beat fuelled neo-soul and modern funk. The production shows Aardvarck on an interesting crossroad, somewhere between broken-beat, hip-hop and beatdown house. His raw computer beats, combined with U-Gene's soulful touch, create a dynamic that either results in the nastiest funk or the deepest soul.