"Do The Work" by Riizbo
ReviewI'm most pleased to be able to inform you of the debut single by Riizbo: "Do The Work" and it's his vocal debut too.
As you might expect from this talented & imaginative musician who crops up playing with so many of the grooviest and creative groups and projects around our area (many of which we have reviewed and featured on "Hot Music Live Presents"), the track isn't what you might call mainstream but seeks to venture into new & interesting musical areas without losing its audience nor forsaking accessibility. You are required to think to follow it & that's hardly a bad idea.
Harking back perhaps to the late 1970s (New York centred) "No Wave" movement, "Do The Work" plays with a varied toybox of sounds, both harmonic & discordant (and I stress the playfulness) of which the vocals are just one element: they sit in the mix at the same level of importance & prominence as the other elements. Not unsurprisingly therefore, the tracks displays a fair amount of variety along its length without too much repetition of what is offering you at any point.
Like the "No Wave" pioneers, the song is actually a good dance track despite its refusal to cling to (m)any of the conventions of dance music. Providing you are an imaginative dancer with a penchant for mutant moves, this one should get you up.
"Avant garde" for sure but not (as George Harrison was inclined to pronounce) "avant garde a clue": I think Riizbo knows exactly what he is about: it's just for us to figure it all out & that for many of us is half the pleasure of new & challenging music. It certainly beats Oasis or Adele pastiches in my book……