Go Bang

Every week or so I get reminded of how pumped I am for the upcoming Arthur Russell documentary. Arthur is one of those rare musicians that never seems to disappoint (with the possible exception of the dated lounge-soul instrumentals of the First Thought Best Thought 2xCD), and whose reputation as one of NY's most luminous art-funk angels has been a major selling point for everyone from epicurean club boppers to thesis-toting disco scholars. And while most famous for underground disco hits of the early '80s like "Is It All Over My Face" and the Francois K re-mixed "Go Bang", Father Russell left behind a vast terrain of experimental recordings that are being slowly harvested by the meticulous folks over at Audika Records. Their diehard releases cover both out of print and unreleased material, and contain frequently illuminating liner notes and photographs. They're also behind the aforementioned documentary to be released sometime in 2008.

Probably the best starting point is the World of Arthur Russell compilation released on Soul Jazz a few years ago, which contains pretty much all the disco smashes, plus some of his langourous music for voice and cello. If it turns out you really like the tranquil side of Arthur Russell, definitely check out World of Echo, one of my favorite albums and sure to be the subject of its own post in the near future. It's a sprawling love-space of wandering cello and abstract prose, and comes with my highest recommendation.

Oh, and do yourself a favor and pick up the Springfield EP. Not only is all of its jittery proto-house downright essential, but it contains a club-killing remix of the title track by the DFA. Plus this dreamy slice of funk:

Arthur Russell - Corn #3 from the Springfield EP

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