Dego / 2000black
New York City, New York, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
Dego (4Hero) drops his début album under his own name titled "A Wha' Him Deh Pon?". A must have album. Hunt it down and buy it. - NME
Forging the way in the breakbeat and hardcore scenes of the '90's, 4hero's Mark "Marc Mac" Claire and Dennis "Dego" McFarlane haven't been content to lay dormant in these years, continuing to release records that explore the sounds of nu jazz, soul, and hip-hop. Now a resident of New York City, Dego focuses much of his energy on his 2000Black label (appropriately named after the Roy Ayers song) where he shares Ayers' auspicious hopes about the black community's future with a roster of future-minded artists. Dego's role in 4hero not only positions him to play curator to the next generation of influential artists, it obviously makes him an excellent, crate-digging DJ. Dego's recent mix for SpineTV has these talents on display, adding particular insight into Dego's awareness of what's current in the UK electronic music scene. Young hopeful James Blake makes an appearance, alongside new tracks from Martyn and Wiley, fleshing out an eclectic mix that spans Dilla to McCartney. A tracklist and link to the mix are below.
Tracklist:
1. Benny Golson - Always Dancing to the Music
2. Paul White - My Guitar Whales
3. Just-Ice - Cold Getting Dumb
4. J-Dilla - For Gods Sake
5. Wiley - The Elusive Intro
6. Mono-Poly - Oil Fields
7. Oriol - Shay-Lo
8. Keno Duke - Some Other Time
9. Kurt Rosenwinkle - Interlude
10. The Invisible - Spiral
11. Gretchen Parlato - Weak
12. James Blake - CMYK
13. Martyn - The Only Choice
14. Kaidi Tatham - 2001Dem
15. Paul McCartney - Secret Friend
16. Andreya Triana - Lost Where I Belong'(Flying Lotus Remix)
17. Ravi Shankar - Temp
18. Stanley Clark - Concerto for Jazz-Rock Orchestra Part 2
19. Soul Litchfield - Floppy 9
20. Jean Grae & 9th Wonder - The Time Is Now Ft. Phonte
21. The Upsetters - Chim Cherie
22. Burning Spear - Civilize Reggae - XLR8R
In the latter half of the 90s, the British duo of Dego and Marc Mac, collectively known as 4hero, were undoubtedly pivotal in the drum-n-bass scene with their soulful creations like 1995's Parallel Universe LP and 1998's Two Pages LP. Throughout the years, Dego would be on the forefront of futuristic soul music with projects like DKD and Silhouette Brown. Recently, Dego released his own solo album A Wha’ Him Deh Pon? on his own 2000black imprint. The album is a journey into various realms of soulful dance music and a culmination of Dego’s musical career until know. The British producer now takes residence on this side of the pond in New York, and The Loop Detroit was able to chat with Dego recently about the new album, life both in London and New York, and his experiences in Detroit. - The Loop Detroit
Afrokinetic has done us all a real favor with this one: A multi-genre master, free, at a Brooklyn bar. As part of 4Hero, London's Dego has shaped jungle, drum and bass, broken beat, and beyond, from the druggie hardcore of "Mr. Kirk’s Nightmare" to the experimental "Two Pages," the proggy "Creating Patterns," and the jazz-reconstructions of "Play with the Changes." - Village Voice
Taylor McFerrin chats with Dego of 2000black/4hero on CentricTV - CentricTV
Dego
'A Wha' Him Deh Pon?'
Summer calls for records that can do double duty, chilling us out during the impending Carmageddon and infusing our backyard barbecues with enough energy to combat the enervation our (blessedly few) sweltering days bring. We got you: Impossibly prolific producer Dego's debut solo album carries you through fire and brimstone on supple, soulful grooves and coolly futuristic funk. Fly away on the magic carpet of "Interlude." Just don't take your eyes off the road while dreaming of the party. - LA Weekly - Music -
The endlessly inventive musical creator known as Dego will release his own solo debut “A Wha’ Him Deh Pon?” this summer in 2011. Having recorded several seminal albums with his previous musical collectives 4hero, 2000black, Silhouette Brown and under the moniker, Mr. GoodGood, “A Wha’ Him Deh Pon?” marks Dego’s continuing musical evolution, integrating his past as an avatar of electronica, jazz, dub and soul, while blazing a new path forward beyond convention and expectation.
Dego has composed a love letter to the subtle sonic textures of vintage keyboards, the musical intelligence of fusion jazz, and the farthest edges of progressive soul. The album reveals Dego’s profound love for the simple physical pleasure of a perfect beat, but also his boundless curiosity for reinventing the most sophisticated elements of classic funk and electro.
Even within a single song, Dego manages to take listeners on a journey across time. “Late Night Fright,” for example, begins by harkening back to the heyday of dub and drum ‘n’ bass, the club oriented music of Dego’s youth, before slowly dissolving into a dreamy jazzy soundscape, mirroring Dego’s own musical evolution. Elsewhere on the album, Dego joins forces with a carefully-selected roster of singers and instrumental collaborators. “We Are Virgo” is a collaboration with jazz multi instrumentalist Kaidi Tatham, that blends several time signatures, drawing on a rich palette of analog synthesizer sounds.
A funky tangle of old-school acid house arpeggios, mixed with a bouncing soul groove, featuring vocals by up and coming British singer Obenewa, “All That She Knows” is a song about someone caught in a spiral of self destructive behavior, and struggling with the fear that glues them to the habit.
“The Monarch” features an array of vintage keyboards layered like sonic filigree. The drums have a raw, breakbeat edge: a ragged high hat and crispy snare provide the frame against which a descending chord pattern alternates with a more upbeat section that evokes a mildly hallucinogenic mood of good cheer. “Start A New” surges with celebratory funk vocals, and a sense of a life endowed with a joyful mission. “Right From Wrong” begins with a cool, throbbing pulse, like a Japanese woodblock tuned up a few octaves and popping away in syncopated counterpoint to a fat rubbery bass-line. – Dimitri Ehrlich - MundoVibe
As one half of legendary drum n’ bass/nu jazz/broken beat pioneers 4Hero, Dego has helped craft a cadre of avant-garde-ness that has spawned numerous imitators and admirers. He has been perfecting the combination of vintage soul arrangements and futuristic dance beats for years, but I keep tryin’ to tell y’all that the future really is now! Look no further than A Wha’ Him De Pon?, a glimpse into the mind of a man on a constant path towards the perfect groove. Listening to this gives me a greater appreciation and keener ear for his contributions to groups like 4Hero, DKD, Silhouette Brown, and 2000black.
If you happen to be in the New York area check out Dego at Submercer on June 24th
The album drops on June 20, 2011. - CouchSessions
Having recorded a number of seminal albums under various monikers and collectives, Spine TV favourite Dego returns with his own solo debut 'A Wha' Him Deh Pon' on 2000Black.
The LP offers an amalgamation of what we come to expect from one half of 4hero, fusing together electronica, dub, jazz and soul whilst reinventing the most sophisticated elements of classic funk and electro.
'A Wha' Him Deh Pon' drops on 2000Black next Monday, 20 June. Until then, enjoy the beautiful 'Monday Blues' below.
You can also download a Dego tape mixed by DJ Brainchild for free from here. Enjoy! - SpineTV
Discography
toooooooo many to list!
Photos
Bio
Dego is an award-winning producer, a widely recognized artist and one half of the internationally acclaimed 4hero. After years of boundary-pushing work during which his restless musical vision heavily influenced the evolution of underground electronica and electro soul, Dego is name- checked as the pioneer of drum ‘n’ bass and the prophet of the nu-soul/jazz movement. He has worked with the likes of Jill Scott, MadLib, Goldie, Georgia Anne Muldrow, J*Davey, Ursula Rucker, Digable Planets and jazz legends Roy Ayers and Larry Mizell.
Considered a cornerstone and revered by many to be one of London’s most progressive musical visionaries all the while heavily influencing the evolution of dance music. Dego has recorded in almost every musical style imaginable, pushing the boundaries steadily from the past to future.
He is also a songwriter, musician, DJ and founder of the 2000black label and equally named mu- sic group 2000black. Other artists on the label’s roster include DKD and Silhouette Brown, who have toured worldwide. The label’s latest release includes Dego’s highly anticipated debut solo LP “A Wha’ Him De Pon?,” a collection of songs reflecting his range of musical loves from hip-hop and techno to dub and jazz.
In addition Dego is also known as Mr. GoodGood, he founded the club night Co-op with his partners I.G. Culture, Mark Force, Phil Asher and Demus in 2000. Co-op quickly became home to sounds of progressive soulful and bass music while dominating London’s nightlife for five years.
Today, Dego lives in New York and continues to be at the forefront, producing forward-thinking music unrestrained by genres and tempos while exploring all realms of music. He widens in al- most every style imaginable blurring genres to create innovative and compelling new musical amalgams. Whether drawing on jazz, electronica, or soul, Dego’s music always has a common thread: an irresistible groove.
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