Quentin Harris - No Politics, released 7th April
At five he was teaching himself the piano. At thirteen he was making music in his uncle’s recording studio. As a young man he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Eminem, Jay Dee and Slum Village before anyone even knew who they were. And at 20 he was recording sessions as a trumpeter with Aretha Franklin. Prodigy doesn’t even start to cover it when it comes to Quentin Harris. Now, this enigmatic and handsome producer presents a sublime slice of New York culture with his debut album ‘No Politics’.
Quentin Harris is a musician, DJ and producer, a leader and innovator in the field of soulful and deep House; the prominent sound of underground New York.
He came to renown through a string of club hits including his own, ‘Let’s Be Young’, and remixes of Donnie’s ‘Cloud 9’ and Mariah Carey’s ‘Don’t Forget About Us’ and has twice been voted Re-mixer of the Year by his peers at New York’s Underground Archive awards, having worked that Harris magic on tracks by artists ranging from Justin Timberlake to R.E.M during his 15 years in the industry.
His style is heavily influenced by his Detroit upbringing. He grew up immersed in early techno, blues, funk, hip-hop, soul and Motown and assimilates all these types of music into his work has made him one of the most distinctive and versatile artists of our time. “I have a very diverse following,” he says. “It comes from all of the different musical backgrounds I have; I just incorporate them all into what I do.”
Since 2001, Quentin’s career has spiralled to dizzy heights. He has worked for a plethora of major US record labels; producing, remixing and creating original work. The track ‘Let’s Be Young’ established him as a major-player in the European House scene and his records are at the top of dance charts and DJ play-lists from Japan to South Africa, with his music exerting a powerful influence on his many fans. “The one thing that touched me the most since I’ve been doing this was when I did an album release party in Japan in 2005. This girl came up to me and said that, ‘Let’s Be Young’ had stopped her from committing suicide! What do you say after someone says that to you? I was speechless; I couldn’t say anything. I was a bumbling idiot.”
House music is not typically known for carrying a message but the title of Quentin’s album, ‘No Politics’, reflects a desire to rid music of niches, divides and genre boundaries: “I have this analogy – and this belief – that nothing is new. Everything’s been done before – we’re not re-inventing the wheel. I just like all music and what I make just so happens to sound like what it sounds like.” But despite his desire for music to be politics-free Quentin cites his own album as an example of current concerns. “There were disagreements between the American record label and Japan,” he explains. “It’s complicated but it became very political; that’s when I decided the album should be called, ‘No Politics’.” When asked what the album represented for him he enthusiastically declared “No Politics is a small window into my crazy mind. And my mind is only going to get crazier,” he warns.
When talking about Quentin it is impossible to overlook his love of the legendary New York club Shelter; it has become a second home to him. It is here that he met the notorious producer Timmy Regisford; an artist and DJ that would provide him with great inspiration. In recent years he’s been experimenting with parties of his own there. “Recently I started a party called ‘Kiss My Black Ass…’ You laugh – that’s what the name was intended to do! I think people take themselves too seriously in music. I just wanted to create a night where people could come as they are; you hear it all the time, ‘Come as you are!’ But no, people were coming to my party really as they were; some girl had a lamp-shade on her head, I was like, ‘Oh, fine.”
Hard-working and visionary, Quentin is respected by peers and fans alike. Three new singles are set to be released in the coming year from this album – ‘My Joy’, ‘Joy’ and ‘Can’t Stop’; and though you can never quite tell what Quentin will come up with next, you can always tell, without a doubt, that it’s going to be mind-blowing.
Tracklisting:
1. No Politics
2. Gotta Do
3. Hate Won’t Change Me
4. Reason For Love
5. My Joy
6. Can’t Stop
7. U Don't Know (Big Room Mix)
8. Haunted
9. Beautiful Black Women Come From Brooklyn
10. Travelling
11. Joy
12. Political Interlude
13. Poor People
Quentin Harris 'My Joy' (Strictly Rhythm) Digital Single out 7th April
Full album available on CD, 3x12” and digital download
www.strictly.com
