Icebird (RJD2 & Aaron Livingston)

about

Hot butter and popcorn. Bleu cheese and a burger. Whipped cream and pie. Certain things just manage to complement each other in a manner that results in a sum much greater than its parts. The duo of RJD2 and Aaron Livingston is precisely one such example. Bringing together the detailed, complex production stylings of the former with the raw, soulful voice of the latter has resulted in an explosive new collaborative effort: Icebird. Hailing from the city of brotherly love and a mecca for soul and jazz music, the duo draws upon the history of psychedelic soul music that groups like Rotary Connection, Funkadelic, and TV On The Radio both pioneered, and continued. While working in a one singer-one producer format, the album covers far more ground than your average group ever could; from the cut-and-paste vibe of "Charmed Life" to the organic, natural feel of "Just Love Me", sampled drums, 80's drum machines, and real live drum kit tones abound. Angular chops of riffs in certain passages give way to flowing, ethereal synths in another. From headbangers like "Going and Going" to the ballad "In Exile", the versatility of the group shines throughout the album. So, what's the back story, you say? Aaron Livingston has been knocking around the Philly music scene for years. Participating in the Black Lily jams that birthed such stars as Jill Scott and Musiq Soulchild, He was featured on The Roots' track "Guns Are Drawn", a perennial DJ favorite off the Game Theory album. Heading up the

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