Psychemagik’s Tribute to David Axelrod

Via Stamp The Wax

Not many arrangers and composers in the USA have been as influential as David Axelrod. Starting out as a staff producer in the mid-sixties, he went on to become A&R and in-house producer for Capitol Records, working with musicians like Lou Rawls, The Electric Prunes, Julian “Cannonball” Adderley and Letta Mbulu. As well as producing several of his own solo albums, some of which were inspired by the poet William Blake, his work is recognised for its signature sound which blurred the lines between R&B, jazz, rock and soul, something that many hip hop producers, from Swizz Beats and De La Soul to Madlib and DJ Premiere, have praised by sampling his original compositions on their own tracks.

Someone else who has been both directly and indirectly influenced by the Axe’s work are UK duo Psychemagik. Danny McLewin and Tom Coveney cite that Axelrod’s delicate approach is nestled in their mindset. They even pay homage to him on their new album I Feel How This Night Should Look with the track ‘Triumph Of The Gods’.

Following the recent release of the LP, the pair pay homage to the late, great composer with a mix of his solo compositions and productions, alongside an interview about his impact on them…

In order to read Psychemagik’s full interview in Stamp The Wax click here.