The Rude Mechanicals
R-MEX a sound in search of a genre a music that can't be labelled.
Its not Jazz but it sounds jazzy, its not reggae but it has a reggae feel, its not trip hop or break beat but it has beats. It’s too up beat to be ambient too laid back to be dance. Definitely electronica but of a very mellow kind. Oh why can’t they just conform to a genre?!
This is a unique sound that comes from its own roots and has defined itself as 'space reggae jazz' a slightly psychedelic mixture inspired by jazz reggae and a host of other styles. Inhabiting the chill zone but with quiet energy and infectious toe taping rhythms, a bubbling stream of consciousness weaving simple threads into a shifting soundscape tapestry that soothes, delights and inspires. Desiring a music that that can remain nourishing while being endlessly repeated not a disposable short lived candy. Music is for moods - when you are in the mood R-MEX is the music.
R-MEX are a figment of digital technology manifested into sound capable of being captured on CD.
R-MEX have been CD Micro Releasing since December '99.
From the mid eighties on Phillips Compact Cassette
R-MEX Created by YZD (say 'wise zee dee'). Written performed and recorded by YZD
Had been listening to various kinds of music, Frank Zappa, Soft Machine, The Grateful Dead, Steely Dan, Todd Rundgren, Miles Davis, George Duke and lots of Reggae 12 inches. Could hear in imagination a kind of reggae but couldn't find the sound on vinyl so decide to try and make it. Started out with a second hand Casio CT102 Keyboard an ordinary domestic tape recorder and an early Walkman had a Spectrum computer with a Cheeta Specdrum Drum Machine. Overdub technique consisted of recording onto cassette then play back thru Walkman whilst adding another track onto cassette and repeat to add as many tracks as sounded good. The battery powered Walkman ran slower than the cassette so it went out of tune a bit but never the less it was a working process.
Nope.
Frank Zappa, Soft Machine, The Grateful Dead, Steely Dan, Todd Rundgren, Miles Davis, George Duke and Reggae 12 inches, Tribe Called Quest, Arrested Development,
The master keyboard is a Rhodes MK80 a Celeron 500 PC forms the MIDI link via Cakewalk to Kawai K4, Alesis SR16, Roland U220 and EMU Orbit 3 plus Akai S2000 sampler a Spirit Folio F100 mixer feeds the Akai DPS12 digital 12 track recorder. Outboard = Behringer Composer, Modulizer, Virtualizer & Duel FX. A Behringer Euro rack Mixer helps out with extra inputs. Boss RV10 Half rack Reverb and RPD10 Delay. 2 X AKG C1000s Studio mics and a T.E.V. Vocal mic. There is also an early DAT machine but that doesn't get used much these days. Plus loads of home made percussion rattles and shakers, a pair of Bongos and a pair of Congitas (like small Congas). Mix down from 12 track to Soundforge for topping and tailing and additional editing. Then burn to CD with Adaptec CD burner software.
May Infinite Compassion Transform The Suffering of All Beings