We’re not sure how many people remember Arthur Russell, the extraordinary music maker from New York?
Russell was a classically trained (and quite avant-garde) cellist who also loved disco.
Some people say that, under the alter ego Loose Joints, he made the best disco record ever made… Stand up, Is It All Over My Face?
Most people think that his tune Go Bang (here as the brilliant Francois K mix) is the ultimate in “disco, not disco”, although we like his Wax The Van just as much.
Whilst he was alive Russell also focused on his avant-garde compositions with his group the Flaming Hearts including a 48 hour long composition which has been saved in fragments as Instrumentals, and that avant-garde spirit informed his cello and reverb pieces like Our Last Night Together.
And if that wasn’t enough he also turned out to be OK as a singer songwriter too.
Russell sadly died of AIDS related illness in 1992, leaving not enough music behind But now someone in the Red Hot series has put an album together for him.
The album includes the likes of Devendra Barnhardt, Sam Amidon, Scissor Sisters, Alexis “Hot Chip” Taylor, Robyn, Sufjan Stevens and Blood Orange (who’s Is It All Over My Face? is the one we are excited about most).
Hopefully it raises some money, exposes him to a new audience and as a result gives him some more (much deserved) love.
Stream it in full below and if you’re playing for keeps head over to iTunes or your local record store.
-TH
