An eclectic whirlwind of Electronic Jazz, Hip Hop, Funk & Techno grooves, smooth vocals and incredibly lush textures lay out Producer, Percussionist & Synthesist Eddie Mackel's tour-de-force debut disc.

12 MP3 Songs
ELECTRONIC: Techno, HIP HOP/RAP: Alternative Hip Hop



Details:
The brainchild of electronic musician Eddie Mackel, "Middle Passage" is a collective of musicians and vocal artists who perform music conceived, written, arranged & produced by this super talented percussionist and synthesist! The first CD, "Diaspora", released in 2002 on BOCEPHUS Records, features such hits as "Deep, "Reparation", "Ansari", "Free" & "Ordeal". This great CD is just the beginning of some very cool music to come. The second CD, "Stone Jungle" is soon to be completed and promises to be another tour-de-force! The synthesizer work alone on both these gems is enough to warrant a good listen. Eddie Mackel has finally brought his musical vision to the masses!

The Middle Passage Story:
As anyone who knows Eddie Mackel can attest, he's been known primarily as a percussionist in the Chicago music scene. His reputation as a drumming prodigy goes way back to his pre-teen years, having played with many of the city's best musicians. But these days it's more of a recording thing with him.

"In the studio I'm able to work with the players I admire most as artists without interference and with utmost confidence", says Eddie. He began playing samplers and synthesizers several years ago as a new way to express himself musically and sonically. Having a pretty good knowledge of the keyboard it was a natural progression. A lot of what you hear on "Diaspora", was created using synths, samplers, controllers, guitars, ethnic percussion, effects, vocals and a Mac computer.

"I also wanted to make sure the drums on this recording represented my own drumming style as much as possible, yet, I didn't want this to be just a drummers record". "I wanted to make a recording that represents my musical mentality at the time".

The name "Middle Passage" originated as a term given to the slave trade routes by slave ship captains. The word "Diaspora" is an ancient Hebrew term meaning "the scattering of a people". The reasons for naming the band "Middle Passage" and this first recording "Diaspora" are significant and culturally relevant. As a sort of slave trade still exists in the world today depending on how you look at it. Musically, it's a reflection of the many influences of a true music visionary!