Captures the essence of music

Although there are many ways in which both critics and fans measure the value of music, they all essentially boil down to two distinct camps. On one hand, there are those who believe in the study of music and the mechanic of how it works, and then there are those whose merit is given to the aesthetics of music and how effectively it reaches people. Yet very few artists can bridge the camp between the two with such high esteem as Richard Russell has.

Despite such success in the music industry, Richard Russell remains humble, referring to himself as “a student of music” as opposed to an artist. “The more I come across, the more I realize there’s so much I don’t know about. But I find that quite stimulating because if you really have a passion for music, you’re never going to be bored,” said Russell in a recent interview. This eclecticism is thoroughly embraced on Richards latest release, Everything is Recorded.

Everything is Recorded is a powerful mesh of artistic musical compositions and commercial aesthetic appeal. The album draws on elements of hip-hop, R&B, and house and then blends it with minimalist electronic production. The result is an album that is not only eclectic enough to reach the highest level of mass appeal, it seeks to redefine what we all know music to be.

Richard Russell wastes no time getting to this idea on the project, with the opening track taking a diverse sample of various songs on the album and then layering them onto a minimalist electronic background. It then eases into its soulful essence on “Close But Not Quite.” This is most apparent in the vocal production which captures that soulful, Motown sound.

The album then segues into the realm of hip-hop and with renditions of traditional American rap and UK grime. The UK grime track “Wet Roads Looking Roads,” is probably the stronger of the two, but “She Said” packs a punch of its own right. Next Russell tacks a step back to the soulful roots of the album and then blends it with house-based elements. The track “Show Love” shows Russell taking this blend and then once again layering amongst minimalist production. The songs feature powerful vocal contributions by popular artists such former lead singer of The Internet, Sydney Bennett.

The seamless flow between the various influences that are present on Everything is Recorded comes to its peak on the tracks “Be My Friend” and “Everything is Recorded,” which are the last to tracks on the album. The album comes full circle with the same vocal sample used to open the intro used once again, signaling the album’s completion.

Everything is Recorded is a strong statement in favor of the notion that Richard is a “student of music.” It speaks to those who are both music enthusiasts and critics with such a voice that had garnered Richard Russell acclaim from both sides.