The innovator of "Reality R&B" is back with a new single which draws on the talent on both sides of the Atlantic
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TQ, famed for his early releases Westside and Bye Bye Baby, has always been keen to push the boundaries with his own take on urban music. In "Electronic", he reflects lyrically on the common current uniformity within the genre while offering five very different productions from his own release.
In the tradition of working with a wide range of artists which have in the past included N-Sync, Lil Wayne, Dru Hill, Whitney Houston, Swizz Beatz, Another Level, E40, The Game, Jim Jones and Jagged Edge, TQ has reached out to some of the hottest up and coming producers in the States and the UK.
On the lead track, TQ has teamed up with fellow LA artist Tha Vill, who has worked and produced for artists such as Akon and The Saturdays, and has himself had recent UK coverage with his release Happy Hour / California Dreams ft The Game. With his co-producer P-Rida, Tha Vill and TQ have put together a driving hybrid of R&B, rap and dance grooves with Tha Vill providing the rhymes.
First remix comes courtesy of crack Glasgow producers Tigerstyle, well known in the UK for working with a range of independent and Major artists including M.I.A., Ms Dynamite, and Lisa Maffia among others. They have achieved global recognition for their work with just about every major Asian contemporary artist, becoming major players within the international desi scene, and their trademark slammin rhythmic production on Electronic is sure to be a major score again.
BBC Asian Network's Sonnyji makes a rare venture into remix duties, but goes back to his first love of house music to absolutely kill it on his Electro Fix Mix. Known for mashin up the beats regularly on his radio show, Sonny chops up the vocals and flavas to a fuel injected groove, tailor made for a dancefloor smash. With a European twist of electronica added by German producer Marc "Y.L." Metzger (NGU Music Group) on the Elektrik cut, and a taste of London funky provided by DJ Mappa, this is truly one of the most eclectic urban releases of the year.
For TQ, the story is just beginning over again. Now working independently via his own Hub Muzic, he has just signed a partnership deal with E1 (Koch) for North America and Canada, continues to tour extensively around the world where he commands a massive fanbase, appears in the Bollywood flick Rockin Meera set for US release at the end of November, and has his new album Kind of Blue set for global release in February 2010.
On the new album, TQ says
"Im really flying on this one. Music is completely fun right now and there doesnt seem to be any pressure. I'm just writing about my life and all it's experiences. There will be something on this album to satisfy a lot of different kinds of listeners, it reminds me of when I first started. I set goals for myself at an early age, and I refuse not to reach them all. It's all a learning experience, but you gotta keep that fight in you. If you don't, then it just aint worth it.
Im always being hit up on my website by my fans, asking me what Im doing next. This single is going out globally. It shows them who Ive been connecting with and what Ive seen goin on in each country Ive visited. So while Electronic got the message in there where I feel music's at, I also wanted to bring something different to the table from before, surprise people, but still entertain."
"Electronic" marks an impressive return from TQ, and is just the first step in what's sure to be a big 2010 for this internationally renowned artist.
