World of Echo

England's Soul Jazz label did the music world a tremendous favor in 2004 when it released THE WORLD OF ARTHUR RUSSELL, a collection of 11 essential tracks by dance music scientist Arthur Russell. Having worked with Allen Ginsberg, Philip Glass, and Ali Ahkbar Kahn, cellist Arthur Russell seems like one of the least likely candidates to have revolutionized disco music; yet under the various monikers Dinosaur L, Loose Joints, and Indian Ocean, among others, Russell created some of the most unique and challenging dance music ever made. Informed by his background in classical and experimental forms as well as a love of New York City's club culture of the late 1970s and early '80s, Russell took the essentials of disco--a basic funk groove and an irresistible hook--and ran them through the avant-garde blender. Tracks like "Go Bang" and the classic "Is It All Over My Face" immediately compel the listener to get up and move, while "Pop Your Funk" and "Let's Go Swimming" (often referred to as the only dance track that you can't actually dance to) show an artist attempting to deconstruct and transcend everything pop music is about. In addition to Russell's dance tracks, WORLD OF also contains several of his gorgeous solo cello/vocal pieces, such as the hauntingly expansive "A Little Lost" and the minimalist, almost ambient "Keeping Up." Arthur Russell was a complex, fearless artist, and this collection is an essential introduction to his singular body of work.