The steel drum is perhaps the Caribbean’s most instantly recognisable musical export.
Taking the area’s re-cycling ethic to its logical extreme, the steel drum is the perfect mixture of percussion and melody, invention and necessity.
Ideas that most of us can relate to. Life is getting harder, not better and rumours that Britain may plunge back into recession are made real almost every time you step outside the door. Times are hard, for sure, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the music has to be tougher.
One of the country’s most respected steel pan musicians (referenced by Soul II Soul, Doug E Fresh and more) Fimber Bravo adds a very modern edge to the art form. Gaining the respect of crate diggers such as Optimo and Micky Moonlight, Fimber Bravo seems to have that sacred ingredient known as soul rippling through his playing.
‘The Way We Live Today’ certainly has plenty of soul. A collaboration with Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor, it matches his beautiful, keening vocal to the simplest of arrangements. Stripped down music for a stripped down age, the video opens with Fimber & Alexis busking on the Southbank before taking them around the capital.
A uniquely moving piece of music, the single is out now on Moshi Moshi but you can watch the video first on ClashMusic below.
http://moshimoshi.greedbag.com/buy/con-fusion/
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/con-fusion/id578296908?ign-mpt=uo%3D4
