In recent years, the popularity of the late great Arthur Russell has grown more than he likely ever thought possible. Along with the new documentary Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell, a strong string of reissues has helped push the composer out of obscurity and very much into the pop consciousness or at least into the consciousness of those who can appreciate an artist penning everything from forwarding-thinking disco and avant-garde to truly unforgettable pop songs.
In keeping with this reissue campaign which, trust us, is well worth investigating Audika Records has announced it will bring another as-yet-unavailable side of Russell's work to life. On October 28, the label will release Love Is Overtaking Me, a 21-track compilation of demos and home recordings that will showcase Russells love for pop, folk and country.
The acoustic-leaning collection reaches back into some of Russells very first compositions from the early 70s and stretches out to some of his last recordings before his death in 1992. Grizzly Bears Chris Taylor mixed, restored and edited the record, whose tracks were chosen by Audika's Steve Knutson, Ernie Brooks and Russell's companion, Tom Lee. As for the detailed liner notes a pre-req for any decent reissue they are also penned by Lee.
Several of the songs on Love Is Overtaking Me may be familiar to those lucky enough to catch Matt Wolf's Wild Combination film, which prominently featured many of the records songs. After playing several festivals and select theatres this year, a DVD of the film is now scheduled to be released November 4 via Plexifilm.
To preview a few tracks from the Love Is Overtaking Me, Russells "Close My Eyes and "Eli are both streaming now on Audikas MySpace page, and were assuming pre-orders for the DVD and the comp will start up shortly.
Wild Combination trailer
In keeping with this reissue campaign which, trust us, is well worth investigating Audika Records has announced it will bring another as-yet-unavailable side of Russell's work to life. On October 28, the label will release Love Is Overtaking Me, a 21-track compilation of demos and home recordings that will showcase Russells love for pop, folk and country.
The acoustic-leaning collection reaches back into some of Russells very first compositions from the early 70s and stretches out to some of his last recordings before his death in 1992. Grizzly Bears Chris Taylor mixed, restored and edited the record, whose tracks were chosen by Audika's Steve Knutson, Ernie Brooks and Russell's companion, Tom Lee. As for the detailed liner notes a pre-req for any decent reissue they are also penned by Lee.
Several of the songs on Love Is Overtaking Me may be familiar to those lucky enough to catch Matt Wolf's Wild Combination film, which prominently featured many of the records songs. After playing several festivals and select theatres this year, a DVD of the film is now scheduled to be released November 4 via Plexifilm.
To preview a few tracks from the Love Is Overtaking Me, Russells "Close My Eyes and "Eli are both streaming now on Audikas MySpace page, and were assuming pre-orders for the DVD and the comp will start up shortly.
Wild Combination trailer