Everett James - 120 EP

The concept for this project began while running. I was in need of something uptempo to get my heart rate pumping. I'd find myself going to the club seeking out DJ's that pushed the tempo. I wanted to find away to give others an escape through the music.Theres a healing quality to the tempo 120 and the frequencies in this music. Its my way of offering peace in a time of need.

It took me 4 days to put this together. I could not sleep well due to all of the stresses of the world. When I felt weighed down instead of falling in to depression i decided to create using healing frequencies and dance my blues away. 

written, produced, engineered and performed by Everett James Harrell for 735 Music @ Electronika Studios ATL.  ©2016 All Rights Reserved. 

Everett James - I Dare You (inst)

Everett James - Lover Boy

When I first started writing and producing music we were dead in the middle of the gangster rap era. I remember working with MC's and it was all about being hardcore. When I would write love songs and the homies would clown me. One MC in particular would call me "Lover Boy" and tease me saying, "one day you going to be a R&B singer". I'd laugh it off but love has always been one of the topics I revisit time and time again. Plus, I missed R&B music.

Over the past year I found myself really exploring the topic with a different mindset. I guess you can call it a deeper understanding with wisdom. I think heartbreak, lust, passion, romance, and all the other feelings that come with love are essential. You have to experience and express these feelings. Its what makes humanity different from all other creatures on earth. The ability to love is sacred. These songs are metaphors straight from the heart. They are personal and have lived with me for the past year. I am opening my heart and sharing them with you.

Playing Games

This was one of the last songs I wrote for the project. The album was complete but I felt that a few songs were weak so I made cuts. While making cuts I would be in the club listening and watching the girls play games. I think I made the song in about 15 minutes at about 4 am when I told this girl to stop playing...it was like.THATS IT. Oh...the other note about the composition came from a challenge my pops gave me to create more changes in my music. So I flipped the whole second half of the song...

Weekend Love (Hanging On)

The album was originally going to be called East Point. I was experimenting with trap sounds and doing my thing with pitch correction when I abandoned my plans. I don't even really remember writing this song it came to me so quickly. Its minimalist composition is no accident. The bass line on this song is the glue that holds it all together. I freestyled a lot of the lyrics on this album and this one is no exception. I remember listening back the next day and being like...damn. "Like a puppet on a string. I'll do anything. Hanging by a thread." Ever had a crush like that?

Blows My Mind

I grew up on Prince. I am not ashamed to admit that Dirty Mind totally f*cked me up. Its all about being able to express yourself primitively when it comes to sex. Sometimes metaphors just don't get it right. Compositionally, this is more Kraftwerk than Prince. I played Kraftwerk's "Robots" album for my kids and they loved it. Because they dug it so much I went on a binge and went through their catalogue. They have always been a huge influence on my art. One of the first records I ever owned was Numbers with Computer Love on the b-side.

Break Free

I was at the end of my rope and my intuition sent me a message through this song. I composed the song and I didn't scratch out a single word when I wrote it. I did the vocal in one take. I intended the song to be deeper than surface level so when you go back to it you start to notice details hidden in the layers. This is another one that when I listened back the next day I was like...damn. This song is also one of the hardest ones for me to let go of. It might have been the second song I wrote for the project and took the longest to get the mix right. It still ain't right if you ask me but you know artist can be.

Heartless

I had my homie in the studio to witness this one. The majority of the album was composed and written in solitude in the wee hours of the morning. This came after another adventure in the clubs when I over heard gossip with my name all in it. The sad thing about showing love is dealing with the hate your going to get anyway. Its much easier to be like f*ck it and to give up. It was done in a freestyle in one take. When I was done, I played it back for the homies and they were like...don't f*ck with it. Its right.

Wanted

I don't know why this is my favorite song on the album. I think its because its the only real love song on the album. The other subjects are more about lust, attraction, and reactions to love. This is about how bad we want love of our own. This is another example of my minimalist approach to composition and has a heavy Kraftwerk influence. I wanted to use my signature tuned vocal sound but get more humanity out of it. 

For The Love

I dug up my trumpet one day and it reminded me just how much I loved music. I got this trumpet at 11 years old and it reminded me of just how far I'd come. I wanted to see if I still had it so I pushed out the melody that became the vocal line. I guess you can call this a steppers tune. I have to admit that I was heavily influenced by Marvin Gaye's "Here My Dear" album. Marvin was dealing with the subject of love too and you hear him all through the album talking faintly in the background. Dropping knowledge and sharing wisdom. 

International Game

This was not intended to be on the album and probably will be removed from the track list. However, it was so funky I had to drop it. Its a freestyle done in one take. I was vibing out to the Jones Girls "Nights Over Egypt" when I was thinking...I been around the world and I never seen a thing like you. Sampled off vinyl, looped on the ASR-10, and recorded through analogue audio chain. It sounds like butter on hot bread...

All songs written, produced, engineered, and performed by Everett James for 735 Music @ Electronika Studios ATL. ©2016 All Rights Reserved

Everett James - Black President Mixtape

Back in 2008 we were confronted with the idea that there was a possibility that we would elect our first president of color in the history of the United States of America. At that times the concept was as foreign as seeing a space alien. I remember thinking, "we will never have a black president" but when the momentum gained in favor of Barak Obama I couldn't help but become inspired. This energy spawned the Black President Mixtape. 

I dug through hours of footage and countless records to find clips of others who spoke on the concept. Some of the voices you will hear are Fela Kuti, Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor, Nelson Mandela, Malcom X, Martin Luther King. They all spoke and joked about the subject but never imagined that day when they'd live to see it. The composition of these beatdown mixtape was chopped and sequenced (as always) on my vintage Ensoniq ASR-10. It takes me back to how I started making beats when I use to dig through my pops records in the basement. 

In honor of black history month I offer you the opportunity to revisit the Black President Mixtape. 

BEATS BEATS BEATS BEATS BEATS!!!!

I have included a Spotify playlist that takes you through the samples found on the Black President mixtape. Digs include Parlament, Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, Willie Hutch, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations...

Everett James - Playing Games

from the album LOVER BOY
coming soon...

written, produced, performed, and engineered by Everett James for 735 Music @ Electronika Studios ATL. ©2016 All Rights Reserved.

I see you choosing me so whats it gonna be
we can't keep our hands off each other you like what you see
I know you came with your n*%$@
I can put that lame out the picture
are you down to ride
are you down
are you coming with me?

don't play no games
don't be playing them
don't play no games
don't play

now we grinding on each other out on the dancefloor
they way you drop it on a n*gga makes me want more and more
now I don't see nothing wrong
all the haters watching while we get it on
let me be the one
let me be the one that takes you home...

don't play no games
don't be playing them
don't play no games
don't play

Everett James - Break Free - Video

A Video Self-Portrait Directed by Everett James

AVAILABLE WHERE EVER YOU GET YOUR MUSIC 

BANDCAMP - SPOTIFY - ITUNES - GOOGLE PLAY - SOUNDCLOUD

Its much more than physical. 

Can't get you out my mental. 

You come to me in my dreams 

when I awake things ain't how they seem. 

Tired of the all silly games 

trying to pretend like this is how is supposed to be. 

I know theres levels to this 

but I made up my mind its time to break free 

And theres no holding me 

and theres no stoping me 

cause I made up my mind 

and now its time to break free. 

Sometimes my mind plays tricks on me. 

Illusions like make believe. 

I ask the lord for signs to see 

when the truth could be right in front of me. 

The truth can be plain as day 

so I blaze to make the pain fade away 

up in a cloud of smoke 

push on to tomorrow 

and there no stoping me 

and theres no holding 

cause I made up my mind 

now its time to break free. 

Quick to classify build me up just to crusify me. 

Don't you know we are free 

at least in our minds if we want to be 

I ask myself who am I 

We can make it if we try. 

Burning down all the lies. 

Can you see the fire in my eyes? 

And theres no holding me 

And theres no stopping me 

cause I made up my mind 

and now its time to break free.

credits

written, produced, performed and engineered by Everett James Harrell

 for 735 Music @ Electronika Studios ATL. 

©2015 All Rights Reserved.