Humanimal by The Beatroot Road
“Humanimal” is a collection of 10 heartfelt songs, each taking a sideways look at a different part of being human. Seems like enough people are arguing about who is wrong and why just now, so this album is a time out that doesn’t take sides - trying to find some sympathy for everyone who feels joy and pain, in songs about human experiences. It's an international internet collaboration of "post-genre" music, with artists from Austria, Canada, China, Kenya, Korea, Jamaica, Moldova, Nigeria, Punjabi, Türkiye, UK, USA, and Venezuela.
This isn't ‘world’ music featuring specific cultural traditions though - we’re from a world where most people have grown up with influences from lots of different cultures – it’s for those of us that don’t comfortably fit behind any of the current social media fuelled polarizing picket lines.
The tracks themselves are experimental in mismatching instruments and genres, and each has levels to the music and lyrics, but all have accessible dance music at the heart if you don’t want to dig deeper than that. Although they're all different, the works are held together with the same left-field rhythm section of bodhrán, rhythm fiddle, bass and organ.
All of this music is performed by humans on musical instruments and sung (without auto-tune) in 13 different countries, then edited and processed at Laboratory X Studio near North Vancouver in BC to make the finished work.
The title track “Humanimal” is a potential review that humans might get from an internet AI - all the things we can do that it will never be able to - good, bad and ugly. Seems there is room for improvement. The other songs take indirect views on different human conditions including love, hate, wisdom and culture, with the album ending on “Payday” - a track about the meaning of life. In the middle is a passionate plea to young, creative artists to fight harder against the rising homogenized slop to keep originality alive in music: ‘cos if you don’t there might be no one left for you to dance like this with’….
Tracklist
| 1. | Humanimal | 3:39 |
| 2. | Underground Roots | 2:57 |
| 3. | Arlington | 4:58 |
| 4. | Milte Hi Ankhen | 4:30 |
| 5. | Morbid Love | 3:48 |
| 6. | Confusion Inland | 4:51 |
| 7. | Sombre Reptiles | 4:28 |
| 8. | Dance, Sinners Dance | 4:26 |
| 9. | It's a Laugh in the West | 5:25 |
| 10. | Payday | 4:22 |
Credits
Humanimal
Written and Produced Mark Russell
Sophie Smith (Vocals)
Mark Russell (Bodhrán, Tambourine, Cabassa, Bass)
Hazel Fairbairn (Violins)
Underground Roots
Written Demmy James and Neil Harris
Produced by Mark Russell
Mark Russell (Bodhrán, timbale, conga, cabassa, tambourine, bass, guitar and synth)
Lucinia Karrey (vocals)
Fuki-Anditi Julson (backing vocals)
Hazel Fairbairn (violins)
Arlington
Written by Nicky Mehta
Produced Mark Russell
Deborah Holland (Vocals)
Sophie Smith (BV)
Mark Russell (Bodhran, Tambourine, Bass)
Peter Clark (Guitar)
Hazel Fairbairn (Violins)
Milte Hi Ankhen
Written by: Nashuad Ali and Shajeel Badayuni, bass line by Lee Scratch Perry.
Arranged Mark Russell.
Producer name: Mark Russell
Mark Russell (Bodhran, tambourine)
Hazel Fairbairn (Violins)
Dee Dee Hoptone (Bass)
Sharan Kaur (Vocals)
Sledge (Vocals)
Morbid Love
Written by: Demmy James, Mark Russell and Apes
Producer Name(s): Mark Russell
Mark Russell (Drums, Bodhran, Tambourine, Bass, Keys)
Katie Burke (Vocals)
Hazel Fairbairn (Fiddles)
Richard 'Titch' English (Guitars)
Harvey B (Motorcycle Cog)
Confusion
Written by Demmy James and Mark Russell
Producer Name: Mark Russell
Maddie Session (vocals)
Ramy Zhang (backing vocals)
Mark Russell (drums, Bodhrán, tambourine, bass,organ and piano).
Hazel Fairbairn (rhythm fiddle and violin effects)
Stuart Atkins (piano solo)
Also featuring Cambridge Samba band, a tuned cranial bone saw, and a cow
Sombre Reptiles
Written by: Brian Eno
Bassline by Bill Mc Cormick
Producer Name Mark Russell
Mark Russell (Bodhrán, tambourine, bass)
Sledge (Vocals)
Kia Kadiri (Spoken Word)
Hazel Fairbairn (Violins)
Stella Song (Haegeum)
Dance
Written by Mark Russell, Demmy James and Apes
Producer Name Mark Russell
Musician Names/Instruments
Fuki-Anditi Julson (vocals)
Emage Way (vocals)
Alicia Zapata (vocals)
Mark Russell (Bodhran, Tambourine, Congas, Keys)
Dee Dee Hoptone (Bass)
Hazel Fairbairn (Violins)
Ian Putz (Sax)
Laugh In the West
Written by: Demmy James and Neil Harris
Producer Name Mark Russell
Mark Russell (Bodhrán, timbale, conga, cabassa, tambourine, bass, guitar and synth)
Hazel Fairbairn (violins),
Sophie Smith & The Trueheart Choir (vocals),
Ian Putz (Tenor Sax)
Payday
Written by Roger Kingsley Wilson
Producer Name: Mark Russell
Mark Russell (Bodhrán, timbale, conga, cabassa, tambourine, bass, guitar and synth)
Sophie Smith (Vocals)
Fuki-Anditi Julson (BVs)
Hazel Fairbairn (Violins)
Ian Putz (Sax)
License
All rights reserved.
An international, intercultural collection of works that have beats at the core, all showing deliberate disrespect to genres and conventions wherever possible. Having grown tired of the same line-ups doing the same ever decreasing variations within fixed styles, this project combines the wrong instruments and the wrong styles with the right intentions.