Deep Soul Deities
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Music
Press
Deep Soul Deities are serving up a heaping helping of that funky chicken grease tonight at Sauce -- and please, leave your tired loops at home.
That's right, Garageband geeks. The Twin Cities' newest hip-hoppers get surprisingly fresh by kicking it old school. Backed by a live band including drums, bass, sax, flute, and guitar, MC Automatic Earth flows his kicked-back flow across five sexy numbers on the group's debut EP, Strange Brew. Tracked with all members performing together live, the package relies not on heavy production but deep grooves and flighty horn sections to make your hips swang.
Standout tracks include "Parlour Trick," which demands to be heard from the back seat of a convertible on a sweltering summer day. Funk, dance, and jazz all make appearances as Automatic Earth spits literate lyrics reminiscent of De La Soul or Tribe Called Quest. "3sters" builds its nighttime aura around a slow soul burn that would make Prince blush, fleshed out with languid guitars and breathy flutes.
The Deities seed was sewn in 2008, originating as a three-piece recording experiment, and has since doubled in size and, presumably, funkiness. The crew preaches unity and love from the opening track; "Dead Lung Lounge" features Automatic Earth upping his tempo over a groove that promises to be a live crowd pleaser and culminates in an uplifting group chant.
It is clear throughout Strange Brew that Deep Soul Deities believe there is room for one more in the bustling Twin Cities hip-hop scene, and one listen proves them right. The ego-free rhymes and unassuming production, the sheer melody of the thing slides the Deities comfortably into their own niche, one that is likely to have wide demographic appeal. The music would make sense at a sweaty summer festival or a downtown cocktail party.
Those looking for the perfect musical accompaniment to a perfect summer night are well advised to check out Deep Soul Deities as they officially welcome their debut record onstage at Uptown's Sauce Spirits and Soundbar. With PRPLzebras, Parallax, and Kredentials joining the bill, it promises to be a long night of funk, soul, and smooth. - Gimme Noise - Will McClain
Discography
"Strange Brew" (debut EP) - June 2010
Photos
Bio
Deep Soul Deities took shape in Minneapolis in 2008 combining the visions of multi-instrumentalists Dan Zamzow & Jake Staron with the vocal stylings of Tim Edstrom, aka Automatic Earth. The trio started the project on a laptop, toying with diversity in multiple soundscapes, layering Automatic’s free-verse raps over string bass, electronic beats, and haunting guitar work- producing a collection of hip-hop, funk, and Afrobeat songs ready to speak to a new generation.
As time passed, their visions laid the groundwork for expanding the music into an intricately orchestrated collaboration of instrumentalists. Jake and Dan welcomed their classically trained University of Northern Iowa classmates Rachel Price to play alto sax, Kyle Novak on flute and tenor sax, and Dave Tiede to provide drums in the sweeping, multi-genre project taking root. Automatic’s hooks began to be animated with brilliant, swelling sonic imagery and the balance of sounds proving to be an infinite creative outlet for the musical tour de force in the Midwestern music scene.
Performing at regional venues and universities, the band has been building a diverse fan base, often appearing with a wide variety of musical artists. Witnessing the band live invokes involuntary dancing and generates acclaim from all schools of critique, where the average fan ends up having no easily identifiable persona. Given the spectrum of music covered it can be said the band is a swirling mass of rhythms and solos- merged into a single outspoken entity. Nostalgic to the senses and endless in combinations, the band is sure to start a metaphorical fire that will be re-calibrating the existing global music catalogues.
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