Neil Sparkes, Renaissance dubster, poet and painter does not stop moving.
His restless journey started the moment he found himself onstage poeticising over the dub alongside Linton Kwesi Johnson, Jalal and Jean Binta Breeze. Since then there's been Real World Recording Weeks, Transglobal Underground, the Temple of Sound project, solo albums like the resplendent Cuban dub vision of 'Burning Mask'....and that's not even most of it." - Max Reinhardt, Straight No Chaser Neil Sparkes is a musician, producer, visual artist and poet whose work resonates through both artistic and popular cultural worlds. Neil is co-writer of tracks with Peter Gabriel including "Burn You Up, Burn You Down" on the huge selling album "Hit". Sparkes has also produced/written for Natacha Atlas, Los de Abajo, Rizwan Muazzam Qawwali and Batucada Sound Machine and done remixes for Jah Wobble, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Banco De Gaia, and Jah Wobble, Claude Challe and the Fatback Band.
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Neil Sparkes(composer, vocalist, percussionist and producer) latest project is Loungeclash with Sam Dodson (Loop Guru/ Slipper/ Transmitters). Loungeclash debut album "Dread Time Story" (Warlock Records) is released in the USA on Feb 19th 2008.
Neil Sparkes produced the debut album "Rhythm And Rhyme" by Batucada Sound Machine at The Lab Studios in Auckland,New Zealand in July 2007; the amazing group made a huge impact at WOMAD festivals last year.
Neil will be returning to the UK and MCing at this years WOMAD Festival at Charlton Park in Wiltshire.
Neil Sparkes worked in Mexico City in 2006 producing the debut album by new Mexican artist Fero with Fernando De Santiago, legendary Mariachi producer and arranger for Pepe Aguilar.
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MUSIC
Neil Sparkes is widely known as vocalist and percussionist with Indie dance group Transglobal Underground with whom he toured the World from 1992 to 1996. He appeared on all of TGU's commercially successful albums for Nation Records and Sony.
Neil's collaborations include work with Peter Gabriel as co-writer on his single "Burn You Up,Burn You Down" on the massive selling Best Of album "Hit". Neil first worked with Peter Gabriel in 1991 at the inaugral Real World Recording Week, held at Gabriel's recording studio's in Wiltshire, UK.
Sparkes has worked with Peter Gabriel, The Stranglers, Jah Wobble, Natacha Atlas, Los De Abajo, Batucada Sound Machine, Rizwan Muazzam Qawwali, Omar Puente, Fernando De Santiago, Fero, Simon Emmerson (Afro-Celt), Little Annie, Billy Childish, Loop Guru, Slipper, Zion Train, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Jeff Nuttall, Michael Horovitz, Pete Brown, Alan Barnes, Hossam Ramzy, Shooglenifty, Dodgy and Adrian Sherwood amongst many others.
Neil Sparkes first solo release was the "Achtung Salaam!" EP, released by 2KOOL Records in 1996 while Sparkes was still a member of TransGlobal Underground. Released as a Ltd edition collectors item Picture Disc featuring Neil's paintings and images, this was the first of a series of three 12" Dub plates:1996 - "Achtung Salaam!" - Ltd Edition Picture Disc/ 12"/ CD; 1997 - "Saturday Night Shiva" - 12" Etched Vinyl and 1997 - "Friday Night Shango" - 12" Orange Vinyl released on 2 KOOL Records.
Neil's debut solo album "Burning Mask" was released to wide acclaim ("A Musical Education" 5/5 - Pathaan, DJ Magazine) by Interchill Records. Recorded between extended visits to Cuba, where Sparkes lived for 6 months, returning regularly throughout the late 1990's; the album's release was followed by a British Council sponsored tour in Canada in 1999. Live shows in the UK featured UK saxophone Legend Dick Heckstall-Smith and Cuban Violinist Omar Puente (including BBC Music Live event on the South Bank, London). Other Interchill releases include remixes of Ekko on the Ekkocentric album; "Miramar" on the Chill Out album "Floatation"; "Talisman(Dub Praises Mix)" on the album "Talisman" which features Neil's paintings commissioned by Interchill.
Neil's ten year collaboration with legendary saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith is featured on the CD and book "Grandchildren of Albion" (New Departures). The duo's performances together from 1991 to 2001 include Ronnie Scott's,London; Literary and Music Festivals throughout Europe and the UK.
A long term preoccupation with synthesising his multi-medic talents led to the formation of Neil's latest group Temple Of Sound with Count Dubulah. Temple of Sounds debut album "First Edition" was released by Wagram Music in 2002. "First Edition" contains twelve tracks written and produced by Sparkes and Dubulah. Sparkes also providing the painting and original artwork that graces the cover and inside booklet.
As producers and remixers, Temple of Sound have made the album "Peoples Colony No.1" for Peter Gabriel's label Real World, with Rizwan Muazzam Qawwali (nephews of the late great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) in 2001 and "Shout At The Devil", an album co-written and produced with Jah Wobble for 30 Hertz Records in 2002. In 2005 Temple of Sound produced the album "LDA v The Lunatics" by Los De Abajo in Mexico City at the studios of grammy award winner Pepe Aguilar. The album is released on Peter Gabriel's Real World label. 2006 saw the release of Natacha Atlas new album "MishMaoul" on Beggars Banquet featuring tracks produced, performed and co-written by Neil Sparkes and Count Dubulah. The album was nominated in the BBC radio3 World Music Awards.
As a poet and performer, Sparkes has read and performed widely in the UK ,Europe and Internationally; as well as alongside Michael Horovitz and Jeff Nuttall in the The Jazz Poetry SuperJam and Billy Childish's Hangman Poets. His work includes several collections of poetry published by Billy Childish, "All Metal And Other Mens Wives" (1989), "Rumba Rumba (Jazz From Hell)" (1990), as well as numerous appearances on BBC Radio.Magazines and anthologies include "Velocity" (Black Spring 2003); "Gargoyle" (Black Spring1999 ); Critical Quarterly" (1996); Grandchildren of Albion" (New Departures1992); Popular Front of Contemporary Poetry" (Apples & Snakes 1992), and the Hungarian/British collection "Fragile Continent" (Princes Trust 1991). A new collection "Drums In The Rain (New and Selected Poems & Drawings 1990 - 2005)" is to be published by Billy Childish's Hangman Books .
PICTURES
Sparkes studied on the Foundation course at Maidstone, K.I.A.D. and then the B.A. Fine Art course at Goldsmiths College, London. A contemporary of Damien Hirst and the YBAs, his work has been exhibited in the UK and abroad. Neil's pictures have been sold to many Private Collections.
blessings and greetings to Neil Sparkes from ganja yaaaaard. check out my new tune concrete and steel on the prisonbreak riddim megamix and leave a comment :-) happy holiday season for you and yours
After you've finished here, you may like to hear this folk-carol on myspace... Poem 230 of 230, WalkaboutsVerse (see my blog for details): CHRISTMAS SUNG SIMPLY
As gospellers have said, Beneath signalling skies, On land dusty to tread, A trough in a stable Was the strawy first-bed Of a divine baby - The forgiving Godhead.
A season for new hope - There then and here now; The yuletide of goodwill - There then and here now.
In respect of this chance, Beneath bright or dark skies, Faith's the star that we glance Attending Christ's churches And trying to enhance, With singing and ritual, Our God-loving stance.
It was such a culture shock to have my daughter start school and for us stand in one place all year but it's been a massive healing time for everyone and just as well we did stand still considering what has been manifesting!! It may seem so very hard at times but the difficulties are the mirror for the beautiful possibilities inside of us and between us! I appreciate it when you share warm fuzzies and updates about your own experiences and ways of being. You can be a teacher and an inspiration. x x x
SOUK SOUND Ethnomusica Electronica A night of cutting edge electronic music with a roots iration and World Vibration.. Line up: >> Russ Jones > The Hackney Globe Trotter >> Natema (LIVE) >> ZeJ (LIVE) Dj set CousCous and Dreadnaut finish off an all star lineup of some of London's most upfront explorers in modern World n' Bass music! 12.12.09 The Empowering Church Hackney Central, London E8, Corner of Westgate St and Mare St. £6 b4 11 £8 after
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Not to be missed INNA DI DANCE upcoming events in Hamburg Saturday 12.12.09 COOL RUNNINGSä feat special guest from Zürich ALI BABA SOUNDSYSTEM Location: WAAGENBAU - Max-Brauer-Alle 204 Hamburg //DOORS: 11pm //
INNA DI DANCE PRE CHRISTMAS DANCE Monday 21.12.09 Straight from Jamaica STONE LOVE (For the first time in Hamburg) Supported by Bramma (Live on stage from Jamaica) Talawah Sound Josha (Bushfire Sound) Location: WAAGENBAU - Max-Brauer-Alle 204 Hamburg //DOORS: 11pm //
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