Si Tew's Review: When The Clouds Ran Away

Today I bring to the table something a little different, not your regular dose of house information etc but an album that is going to capture a great deal of attention, admiration and respect.

Introducing Si Tew to the floor....

Biography:

Si Tew, songwriter, producer & performer started his career in the spa town of ‘Leamington’. A then bedroom DJ and underground producer playing at gritty clubs and outdoor festivals drawing in large crowds of clubbers, by his late teens he soon saw his own potential and took a professional attitude to his musical output. Simon attended University where he pushed his abilities as a producer running radio show broadcasts, recording vocalists & performing his ever popular DJ sets in venues across the midlands. Simon graduated University after being awarded his BSc hons. in Music Technology and went on even further snatching up the BBC Urban Music Bursary in 2005 for his outstanding talents.

Whilst he was deeply involved with the BBC Urban Music Bursary he met label Boss Martin Iveson who offered him an internship at his studio in the nearby city of Derby. Si Tew moved to Derby in 2007 setting up his own studio at the label headquarters. Here he began writing and recording for film and television whilst continuing to develop his own style as a fully fledged audio professional.

With Martin aka ‘Atjazz’, Simon began his first collaboration under the moniker ‘Mist Works’ where he found himself being able to express his musicality professionally with no boundaries and with an end game being a ‘record release’. During this collaborative project he found himself pulling together his own songs and productions and since then has built these pieces of work up into what turned out to be his Debut album ‘When the clouds ran away’.

The Album

When The Clouds Ran Away mix by Si Tew

So on to the really exciting stuff, opening the album is a track called "Silhouette" which has the sultry vocals of 'Shanade', who's emotional tone sets the mood over this some what melodic combination of synths, strings and new age heartbeat drums.

Moving on you are swiftly directed into "One Percent" an exciting up beat marriage of strings and moody synth stabs, which elude almost being quite emotional by clever and catchy drum programming leaving a state of profundity.

Then both "Reflections" and "Hard Look" seem to have a slight ode to syncopation with slick and intelligent drum programming alongside what I like to think of as conscious music. Of the two "Hard Look" just goes that extra mile to make sure you fully absorbed into Si Tews mentality.

You are then ushered into a tea break with "Black and White" which is almost like an intermission that wouldn't go amiss in and amongst the soundtrack of American Beauty. "Black and White" prepares you for "Independent Light" which has a massive UK crossover appeal not only in the lyrics but in its musicality, featuring the soul provider 'Dwayne Hayden' and the lyrical talent of 'Jack tha Lad'.

'Pete Simpson' then appears on "Need to Grow" a song about the evolution of love, a stellar performance from Pete accompanied by a very well produced song reminiscent of some dope 80's rare grooves with a modern day lick.

"All You Need", "Cold Day", "Vaguely Fading" and "Why" are almost like Si Tews answer to classic Prefuse 73 mixed with some Avalanches and given a UK twist of love and emotion..

This is a wonderful body of work for me "silhouette" and "Hard Look" are the stand outs and with out question and will be rocked the hardest in my car stereo.......

For me this is an outstanding album and Si should take a bow for birthing this creation and in return we will greet him with genuflection.

ALSO LOOK OUT FOR: Si Tews ALBUM LAUNCH PARTY