Young American Primitive CD Young American Primitive breaks the dance mold in dramatic fashion with an original tribal trance sound, buzzing with an hypnotic electro-funk brilliance.
"A CURRENT OF TRANCIFIED ENERGY FILLED WITH MELODIC, SPACEY AMBIENT SYNTHS, DEEP TRIBAL PERCUSSION, AND SPORADIC SLOWED-UP GROOVIN' BREAKBEATS ALL LINKED UP BY OCCASIONAL SOUNDBITES." - TRIP MAGAZINE
URB MAGAZINE June 1993
YOUNG AMERICAN PRIMITIVE
Named for a line in "Rope," an old Alfred Hitchcock movie, this album lifts off with a ten second sample of the line that planted the seed into the mind of our young, sheepish wunderkind. Immediately upon stating the word "primitive," the bristles of our electronic paintbrush are poignant yet poetic in the form of this futuristic prose. This continuous hypnotic flux of the first few songs transpires itself into a mournful yet mysterious energy, exhibited in the title track, and single, Young American Primitive . Whoosh! We're moving now into a bit of a tornado, led by our well tuned craftsman YAP. Proceeding songs: Ritual , Sunrise and Daydream take us to where all of this recorded beauty really began, with Over and Out, the song that got YAP signed to San Francisco label Zo_Magik, and tweaked the ears of label-head and fellow visionary Bryan Hughes. Where are we now? Aww who cares, just breathe a sigh of relief, and trust. We have These Waves and Monolith Parts One and Two to keep us company. Just relax. YAP will lead us into our own mind museum and a very positive future.
In the liner notes, words of thanks go to other visionaries as varied as DJ Sasha, Dave Kimball, label mates Tasti Box and even the Beach Boys. If you figure they're all part of YAP's kaleidoscope of natural influences, his sheer brilliance is found some where between recorded and natural sounds. ---Meredith Chin
YOUNG AMERICAN PRIMITIVE
Trance. Groove. Tribal. Ambient. Each says something about YOUNG AMERICAN PRIMITIVE, but none of them really says enough. Back in October 1992, Mixmag called Young American Primitive's self-titled debut 12" "Probably one of the best American releases this year, superb sounds, creating a brilliant atmosphere".
Superb, indeed. Just the sort of transcendental tunesmithery you'd expect from the chaotic psychic center of America--San Francisco--and Young American Primitive has become the city's favorite cosmic son. Plundering the wealth of SF's musical lore, combining it with his own trance vision; the results already have Europe's club elite begging for more. Young American Primitive debuted at a stunning #3 on the Mixmag Buzz Chart.
And what about the young man who is Young American Primitive? The undeniably young face behind the keyboards is also a shadowy one, raised in the netherworld between the bucolic dreams of California and the cobalt-tinged realities of the industrial music scene. He tried collaborations early in his career, but at the time musical relationships, as YAP says, clearly weren't the answer; "I was never totally happy. There were always one or two elements that didn't quite work for me....I suppose I had a different level of dedication". And of course, once you understand the rules, there's nothing left but to break them.
The obvious answer was escape. A move to the northern refuge of San Francisco meant surrounding himself with an urban landscape that borders on the surreal, and a variety of like minded souls at the Zo_Magik label. Total immersion has given YAP the freedom to indulge his instincts. "For me, the key is what I'm saying musically," he concedes, "Emotionally, sonically, through dance energy, and with enough energy to sustain it all."
With the success of the Young American Primitive track in Europe, YAP has expanded his talents to remixing; his influence can clearly be heard on "A Taste Of Your Own Medicine" from Elements of Trance. And then there's the debut album, a full length foray into the endless possibilities of ambient groove.
Wake up, America! There's a new dawn on the blissed-out horizon. Primitivism is about to become the future. _________________________________________________________________
YOUNG AMERICAN PRIMITIVE
Cover and inside art; design. Randall Erkelens/photography. Rob Bager
Artwork concepts by Y.A.P. and Bryan Hughes
Liner notes from Young American Primitive:
1. Intro 2. Trance Formation 3. Flux 4. Young American Primitive 5. Ritual 6. Sunrise 7. Daydream 8. Over and Out 9. These Waves 10. Monolith Part One 11. Monolith Part Two
Written, produced and recorded by Y.A.P.
THANKS Bryan and Jim, Patti, Vince, Dave, Richard, The Beach Boys, Mike and Amy, Tasti Box, Jeremy/BPM, Stace, Kimball, Sasha, Twitch, ICEE and Nikki.
And to my family, especially my brother Matt. A very special thanks to Keith Wechsler for all his wonderful help during mastering. Digidesign ProTools engineering by Richard D. Titus at Surfman Digital Location Studio Final Mastering at Rocket Lab by Kenneth Lee _________________________________________________________________
To order call 1.800.767.4748 (Ordering Info) City of Tribes Communications. 3025 17th Street. San Francisco, California 94110