well it'll be 2014 now (maybe a mod change to the thread title, including the album title?) but HERE WE ARE
KELISANNOUNCES SIGNING TO NINJA TUNEAND THE RELEASE OF HER NEW ALBUM ‘FOOD’ON APRIL 28, 2014
Ninja Tune are proud to announce the worldwide signing of Kelis, and her new album, ‘Food’.
Entirely produced by Dave Sitek (founder of TV On The Radio and producer for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars and Foals amongst others), the album is a homecoming for Kelis: a soul record that's as raw and alternative as it is classic. Ninja Tune were blown away by the record, and leapt at the chance to work with a legend that's always had a forward-thinking sound and oozed style.
'Food' is a startling combination of Kelis' most frank and vulnerable vocals to date, and Sitek's inimitable sonic imprint. Littered with transcendent, Spector-esque lift, warm bottom ends and vast depth, the music is the perfect backdrop for Kelis’ unique voice. The latter has only improved with time and experience, and the album candidly explores pain, happiness and everything in between.
Kelis says of the signing: "I'm really happy to be partnering with Ninja Tune on my new record. This is the album I've wanted to make for a long time and I want the team around me to be as excited and energetic about it as I am. I'm also very happy to be working with some of the most creative people in the industry.”
In choosing Ninja Tune as her new home, she's another example of a world-class talent turning to the independent sector in order to work outside the constraints often put in place by major labels. With Ninja Tune best known for its gold selling acts such as Bonobo, The Heavy, Mr. Scruff, The Cinematic Orchestra, Roots Manuva and Wiley, their diverse roster and understanding and experience with creative, independent artists, the match made perfect sense.
With two Grammy nominations, Platinum and Gold records, BRIT, Q and NME Awards and dozens of top 10 singles to her name, Kelis is an artist who needs no introduction. She has collaborated with the likes of Bjork, Raphael Saadiq, Moby, Outkast, P Diddy and Skream to name but a few. Her recent collaboration with Calvin Harris, ‘Bounce,’ went straight into the top 10, and when she posted new track ‘Jerk Ribs’ a few short months ago, she set the blogosphere alight.
'Food' is set for release on Ninja Tune on April 28, 2014
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 11 December 2013 16:02 (ten years ago) link
ninja tune! that's weird
oh nevermind i see TVOTR dude produced
― My Chief Keef Keef (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 16:05 (ten years ago) link
Yeah, but if it's along the same lines as Jerk Ribs, it's still a weird marriage.
― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 11 December 2013 16:19 (ten years ago) link
There's a sense of really unfun worthiness around this whole project that makes Ninja Tune pretty much the perfect label for it.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 11 December 2013 17:22 (ten years ago) link
glad lex revived this thread as I listened to "Jerk Ribs" again two nights ago and was convinced it belonged on my year-end list.
― the objections to Drake from non-REAL HIPHOP people (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 17:24 (ten years ago) link
great song
― le goon (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 11 December 2013 17:25 (ten years ago) link
it's an amazing song, i reminded myself of it last week for EOY purposes. no idea what matt hears as worthy in it.
"been given a morning" is low-key brilliant as well
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 11 December 2013 17:32 (ten years ago) link
I love "jerk ribs" but the final sentence of that press release might as well say "recently Kelis has been singing to herself in the shower."
― Tim F, Wednesday, 11 December 2013 20:01 (ten years ago) link
http://ninjatune.net/release/dj-food/kaleidoscope
rly makes u think huh
― r|t|c, Thursday, 12 December 2013 00:45 (ten years ago) link
Most of all I wish Kelis had done her "let's go underground" move 7 or so years ago with an album of tunes like "80s Joint".
― Tim F, Thursday, 12 December 2013 03:55 (ten years ago) link
track listing:1 Jerk Ribs2 Breakfast3 Forever Be4 Floyd5 Runner6 Hooch7 Cobbler8 Bless The Telephone9 Fish Fry10 Change11 Rumble12 Biscuits n Gravy13 Dreamer
― nathey, Tuesday, 28 January 2014 11:56 (ten years ago) link
i hope rumble features hungry stomach rumbles
She's playing in Brighton in a couple of months and I'm in two minds about going to see her. Someone tell me what to do?
― keiji cretins (NickB), Tuesday, 28 January 2014 12:02 (ten years ago) link
i've somehow never seen her live and i would certainly do it
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 28 January 2014 12:12 (ten years ago) link
She's a blast live in a shameless wedding-DJ kind of way.
― Deafening silence (DL), Tuesday, 28 January 2014 12:25 (ten years ago) link
Just checking out Jerk Ribs for the first time. Wow!
― how's life, Tuesday, 28 January 2014 12:59 (ten years ago) link
it's apparently on itunes now - i'd wondered why it had been scrubbed from the internet at the end of last year
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 28 January 2014 13:05 (ten years ago) link
tempted by the brighton gig myselfsits nicely between two weddings for me
― nathey, Tuesday, 28 January 2014 13:05 (ten years ago) link
https://soundcloud.com/iamkelis/rumble/s-HQ0ni
― pearly-dewdrops' bops (monotony), Sunday, 16 February 2014 10:30 (ten years ago) link
http://pitchfork.com/news/54013-kelis-will-host-a-show-on-the-cooking-channel/
― sent as gassed to onto rt dominance (DJP), Tuesday, 18 February 2014 15:37 (ten years ago) link
damn good album on one listen
― lex pretend, Monday, 24 February 2014 15:41 (ten years ago) link
this album is bizarre
― johnny crunch, Monday, 3 March 2014 00:39 (ten years ago) link
good weekend morning album
there's something about the production that feels super urban (in the dictionary definition sense of the word, not the colloquial) to me, and i really like that about it
― le goon (J0rdan S.), Monday, 3 March 2014 01:23 (ten years ago) link
Not sure what to make of this yet, it really is quite a strange album. I think I like it but definitely need to spend a lot more time with it. Floyd was the standout after one play, beautiful chorus.
Not sure she's going to have big hits from it. Think Jerk Ribs would be her best bet but she already gave that away for free last year.
― Kitchen Person, Monday, 3 March 2014 02:31 (ten years ago) link
"She needs ice cold water"
― Kitchen Person, Monday, 3 March 2014 02:32 (ten years ago) link
huh, they've switched "breakfast" and "jerk ribs" in the running order from the press copy - minor alteration but i liked the way the album opening with her kid's voice talking about food made it feel like a segue from tasty ending with kelis's voice saying "ok: now, swallow"
― lex pretend, Monday, 3 March 2014 09:17 (ten years ago) link
I don't get strange or bizarre from this. I think it's brilliant.
― What is wrong with songs? Absolutely nothing. Songs are great. (DL), Monday, 3 March 2014 09:53 (ten years ago) link
yeah i don't hear what's strange about it at all, it's comforting (but also kind of enlivening) at the same time, like some sort of platonic ideal of homecoming
― lex pretend, Monday, 3 March 2014 10:20 (ten years ago) link
and the more i listen the more fantastic i think it is
excited to hear it!
― pearly-dewdrops' bops (monotony), Monday, 3 March 2014 10:39 (ten years ago) link
I can't keep up with 2014, people please slow down!
― Bipolar Sumner (Branwell Bell), Monday, 3 March 2014 14:37 (ten years ago) link
If you can, catching her live this year would be ADVISABLE for real
― lex pretend, Monday, 3 March 2014 23:41 (ten years ago) link
It's a strange album in the sense that it's an about face for her. Prior to this her most recent output is an LP with David Guetta spearheading production, along with a feature on a Calvin Harris single. And yes, I know we've had since May last year to get used to the idea of an album with Sitek, but a quaint interlude like "Bless The Telephone", which is almost a Laura Marling song if you squint hard enough(though Marling would likely never deign to reference something so modern as a telephone; in her world missives appear to be the only natural form of communication), is kinda wtf for Kelis. If Flesh Tone was a change up from her Neptunes days, this is a full blown metamorphosis.
― pearly-dewdrops' bops (monotony), Tuesday, 4 March 2014 10:11 (ten years ago) link
this sounds pretty good. is there a link to her cooking show that's viewable in the UK?
― cerealbar, Tuesday, 4 March 2014 10:17 (ten years ago) link
i feel like this album really follows on from tasty - not just all the food/drink connections, but it's like a ~proper soul~ continuation of the reflective, city heatwave aesthetic of that album's final stretch. it's not any more of a shock than flesh tone itself was (which is to say, it is a metamorphosis, but by now that's kinda expected of her)
i was discussing this with DL after the gig last night, it's weird how kelis never actually codes as a pop shape-shifter like madonna or whoever because she never shifts - her persona/character remains constant - what she does is completely and totally inhabit whatever style she's committed to at any given point. (this was reinforced last night when she recasted "4th of july" and "acapella" in the style of the new album omgggggg so good)
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 4 March 2014 10:24 (ten years ago) link
also would like to point out that despite being universally dismissed as a mere neptunes muse on her emergence, kelis's creative powers have far outlasted theirs
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 4 March 2014 10:25 (ten years ago) link
also yeah we've had half a year of "jerk ribs" knocking around - THAT was the "wow, didn't expect this sound" moment, surely no one's surprised by the album after that!
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 4 March 2014 10:26 (ten years ago) link
Well, "Jerk Ribs" wasn't necessarily going to be synecdoche for the whole record. (And I don't think it is, tbh, though I have only heard it once).
It's a surprising move for Kelis - and I don't mean a bad move, just to clarify - because none of this will be on radio, it's far more languid, measured, and removed from the dancefloor than anything I can recall from her in the past. In any event it's certainly the most interesting thing I've heard from Ninja Tune since, like, forever.
― pearly-dewdrops' bops (monotony), Tuesday, 4 March 2014 10:53 (ten years ago) link
Last night Bless the Telephone sounded like very early 70s, like Clifford T Ward or someone like that. You wouldn't want a whole record in that vein but it was a beautiful interlude.
Horn arrangements sounded spectacular - shades of Isaac Hayes, Charles Stepney and other prog-soul masters, even Fela on Jerk Ribs, plus a colossal version of Nina Simone's Feeling Good. Hard to do 70s soul horns without slipping into Later with Jools Holland "feel the quality" smugness but her arranger managed it.
It's no doubt wishful thinking but I'd like to see this get even a fraction of the adoration of Back to Black because I think it's the first album since that one to pull off the retro-not-retro vibe. Seeing her perform it in its entirety underlines that there are no weak links here. Every song adds something valuable to the whole.
― What is wrong with songs? Absolutely nothing. Songs are great. (DL), Tuesday, 4 March 2014 10:59 (ten years ago) link
Just realised this is her first album without an intro. That was fast becoming my most played Kelis track on LastFM.
― Kitchen Person, Tuesday, 4 March 2014 14:49 (ten years ago) link
The word "universally" is doing an awful lot of work here. When 'Caught Out There' first came out all the talk was about this awesome screaming lady, at a time where people barely knew who the Neps were.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 4 March 2014 15:08 (ten years ago) link
when the album came out every review i read was like "oh no, it was written by men". this was an era when the idea of Writing Your Oen Songs still had a ton of currency
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 4 March 2014 15:16 (ten years ago) link
I don't remember that much handwringing about it but most of the reviews I read were overwhelmingly positive. The point being she was never seen as exclusively a Neptunes muse, and I accept that eg Aaliyah got a load of condescending reductive press along similar lines. Kelis was always too in-your-face.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 4 March 2014 16:12 (ten years ago) link
In the UK press Kelis was definitely a bigger deal than the Neptunes circa Kaleidoscope. I don't remember any of the reviews Lex refers to.
― What is wrong with songs? Absolutely nothing. Songs are great. (DL), Tuesday, 4 March 2014 16:23 (ten years ago) link
i don't hate this but the production sounds too much like tv on the radio from 10 yrs ago, can't really get past that
(this was reinforced last night when she recasted "4th of july" and "acapella" in the style of the new album omgggggg so good)
see this sounds horrible but maybe ill seek out a youtube of it
― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 4 March 2014 17:53 (ten years ago) link
http://youtu.be/FirBvR1HmKI So "Bless The Telephone" is actually a cover! Ha.
― pearly-dewdrops' bops (monotony), Wednesday, 5 March 2014 12:44 (ten years ago) link
which is almost a Laura Marling song if you squint hard enough(though Marling would likely never deign to reference something so modern as a telephone; in her world missives appear to be the only natural form of communication)
i don't know where you're getting this from but just so you know, it is bullshit
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/lauramarling/masterhunter.html
― j., Wednesday, 5 March 2014 12:53 (ten years ago) link
It was kind of meant to be in jest - I had goodbye england in mind when I wrote it. But, yeah, caught out!
― pearly-dewdrops' bops (monotony), Wednesday, 5 March 2014 19:50 (ten years ago) link
This is so damn great, "Fish Fry," "Runner" and "Cobbler" in particular.
― Simon H., Wednesday, 5 March 2014 19:55 (ten years ago) link
putting this on now, will be annoyed if 'floyd' isnt about keith
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 5 March 2014 20:00 (ten years ago) link
increasingly i find it hard to assess kelis albums vis-à-vis each other - the only one i find dissatisfying in any way is kelis was here, and even though that's basically a mess it still has several brilliant tracks, and in any case it was only a mess because of the label issues she had at the time
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 16 April 2014 08:41 (ten years ago) link
anyway this seems also to be spawning lots of remixes. the mt kimbie one of "jerk ribs" is a disgrace but breach on "rumble" is a banger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVXuvTAuUzE
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 16 April 2014 08:54 (ten years ago) link
idk, i listened to this today and it's not diminished at all in my estimation, even though i think i'm pretty predisposed toward finding it dull! possibly unreasonably enchanted by horn sections. but i think her vocal melodies are incredible throughout too. the chorus on "runnin'" pulls the whole song up with it
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, 22 April 2014 15:28 (ten years ago) link
I keep on going back to the Labi Siffre cover.
― Herbie Handcock (Murgatroid), Tuesday, 22 April 2014 16:29 (ten years ago) link
"runner", "biscuits n gravy", "change", "floyd", "hooch" are my standouts apart from "jerk ribs" (obviously). i rep hard for this album eff everyone who thinks it's boring
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 22 April 2014 17:11 (ten years ago) link
I love this. Friday Fish Fry still my fav track
― cerealbar, Tuesday, 22 April 2014 18:24 (ten years ago) link
10 tracks in and the only one I could do without so far is "Bless the Telephone."
― Humorist (horse) (誤訳侮辱), Tuesday, 22 April 2014 18:48 (ten years ago) link
Kelis one of the best singles artists of our generation imo
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Thursday, 24 April 2014 14:35 (ten years ago) link
Saw her last night and it really cemented the fact that Food is really her strongest set of songs ever. I'm just not feeling the Sitek production on the LP. LOVE him on the TVOTR and the ScarJo but I think his reserved, cool, claustrophobic sound really sucks all the funk and life from these songs. I would have rather had, like, a Daptone style production or even Adrian Younge.
But reading this thread it's like, what the fuck do i know
― Whiney G. Weingarten, Thursday, 24 April 2014 14:39 (ten years ago) link
i'm not that familiar with sitek but i don't hear anything untoward or unusual about the production, the arrangements are incredible though.
she has picked her singles very judiciously over her career for sure, unlike many. pox kelis deep cuts tho:
mafiasuspendeddaddyflash backstick upmarathonfuck them bitchesbraverunnerbiscuits 'n' gravy
― lex pretend, Thursday, 24 April 2014 16:22 (ten years ago) link
oh wait "brave" was apparently a single, replace with "little suzie"
― lex pretend, Thursday, 24 April 2014 16:26 (ten years ago) link
1.5 songs in and I feel like I'm listening to a lost Des'ree album
― chillin' on an "awesome pretzel" hoagie (DJP), Friday, 25 April 2014 14:57 (ten years ago) link
Whenever I have a parade that needs raining on I know that ILX won't disappoint.
― What is wrong with songs? Absolutely nothing. Songs are great. (DL), Friday, 25 April 2014 15:06 (ten years ago) link
Unlike everyone else on ILX, I never hated Des'ree
― chillin' on an "awesome pretzel" hoagie (DJP), Friday, 25 April 2014 15:11 (ten years ago) link
"Cobbler" -> "Bless the Telephone" -> "Friday Fish Fry" is a great sequence of songs
― chillin' on an "awesome pretzel" hoagie (DJP), Friday, 25 April 2014 15:24 (ten years ago) link
Ha, sorry. To both you and Des'ree.
― What is wrong with songs? Absolutely nothing. Songs are great. (DL), Friday, 25 April 2014 15:35 (ten years ago) link
Why is Floyd so perfect. Such an amazing album.
― jay., Monday, 28 April 2014 15:12 (ten years ago) link
on spotify now
― kidd-gilchrist-douglas-roberts- (Spottie), Monday, 28 April 2014 15:24 (ten years ago) link
So this is really great.
― the joke should be over once the kid is eaten. (chap), Wednesday, 14 May 2014 14:18 (ten years ago) link
is this album getting some love by blogging circles/music critics? i have been addicted to this record for 3 days. Walking down the streets to Friday Fish Fry is one of the best feelings I had this summer.
― Van Horn Street, Thursday, 10 July 2014 04:11 (nine years ago) link
She played New York about a month ago - did anyone go? I thought about it but then didn't.
― Humorist (horse) (誤訳侮辱), Thursday, 10 July 2014 13:00 (nine years ago) link
I was just about to revive this thread. After giving the album a listen when it leaked and not really getting into it I've just gone back to it and found myself getting addicted to certain songs on here. Played it five times in the last day.
― Kitchen Person, Thursday, 10 July 2014 13:36 (nine years ago) link
The songs on this album are approximately 10000000000000x more enjoyable when heard live. Saw her show last night and she was a complete delight - I came out grinning from ear to ear.
― uxorious gazumping (monotony), Thursday, 24 July 2014 23:19 (nine years ago) link
I mean first of all this album still rules
second of all did you know Mount Kimbie did a remix of "Jerk Ribs"??? Holy shit!!! There's some echo on the vocal that really evokes some 80's pop R&B vibes imo!! V fresh and great!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUAY9X8CWjY
― y kant max read (Stevie D(eux)), Friday, 9 January 2015 14:02 (nine years ago) link
I'm surprised "Forever Be" wasn't released as a single
also "Floyd" still sounds like Spiritualized to my ears.
― y kant max read (Stevie D(eux)), Friday, 9 January 2015 14:04 (nine years ago) link
this album is still so underrated
― Fluffy Saint-Bernard (Stevie D(eux)), Saturday, 12 November 2016 21:43 (seven years ago) link
^ Agreed. "Floyd" is such a beautiful jam.
― Ross, Monday, 14 November 2016 17:16 (seven years ago) link
it always sounds beautiful in the summer gloaming
― art baengels (monotony), Monday, 14 November 2016 23:23 (seven years ago) link
kelis in 2021!!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EJLxF0mElM
I haven't felt compelled to return to the rest of it, and my overall impression is that it's pretty dull.
Also wow I was SO wrong about Food back when it was first released. It's probably my favourite Kelis album now, or at the very least my most-played.
― monotony, Friday, 8 October 2021 07:03 (two years ago) link