He’s best known from his credited participation on Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco’s 2008 Top 10 hit "Superstar,” but his own music, as evidenced by new album Quickly Disappearing, is way more folk-rock than hip-hop.
“Stylistically it’s very different from what I’ve done with Lupe,” says Santos, who’s been featured on other Fiasco songs as well (including the single “Shining Down”) with a voice likened to Coldplay’s Chris Martin and lauded by the likes of Eddie Vedder, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, and Rihanna.
“It’s a return to my roots, which are based in folk, rock and soul,” continues Santos, who’s also based in Chicago and has previously released two albums and an EP.
“'History Of Ice’ has a touch of weird experimental instrumental improvisation, which I don’t include enough of in my releases,” he says of the atmospheric album track. “There’s some solo piano stuff, a few acoustic tracks. ‘NVR LKD SO FIN’ is indie rock tango, revisiting [tango great] Ástor Piazzolla: When I was studying music composition in college, I studied tangos.”
Santos also notes the presence of “New Orleans-esque rock ‘n’ roll” in Quickly Disappearing, so the album as a whole “is an eclectic mix, but within an alternative indie folk-rock context.”
As the title suggests, the album, which will be released Jan. 31 by Candyrat Records, was inspired by environmental concerns, especially "the unfortunate circumstances of the polar icecaps melting," notes Santos.
"I grew up in Minneapolis with a strong bond with nature--camping as a kid, summers underneath stars in the woods--and that kind of came through," he says, citing the titletrack particularly. "It reflects the respect gained from being immersed in nature--which urban people don't have--and I think that connection is needed for us to understand what we're wasting away every day and consuming. I could give you my global warming speech here, but I won't!"
Santos does say that five percent of the earnings from sales of Quickly Disappearing will be given to Carbonfund.org, the organization that works to stop global warming via climate change education, carbon offsets and reductions, and public outreach. The titletrack, meanwhile, is further distinguished by the guest appearance of renowned Bollywood playback singer Kavita Subramaniam, whom he met through Chicago blues legend Corky Siegel--also a frequent collaborator with her celebrated husband, Indian classical violinist Dr. L. Subramaniam.
"I'd heard of Dr. Subramaniam when I was 17," says 29-year-old Santos. "My voice teacher gave me his 1999 Global Fusion CD to hear Kavita's vocals, and I fell in love with it. Like Jeff Buckley used to say that [Pakistani Qawwali singer] Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was his Elvis Presley, Dr. Subramaniam was my Elvis."
Santos eventually recorded a track with Dr. Subramaniam, that has not been released. He has since worked extensively with Siegel, who, incidentally, employs Santos's girlfriend, violinist ChiHsuan Yang, in his acclaimed Corky Siegel's Chamber Blues group; Siegel arranged a string quartet version for Quickly Disappearing album track "Not Such A Big World," which was performed with Santos at a Chamber Blues concert last month in Chicago.
Upcoming for guitarist-pianist Santos is an East Coast tour in February with his band (vocalist/keyboardist Aviva Jaye, drummer Robert Tucker, bassist Graham Burris, lead guitarist Chris Gelbuda and keyboardist Matt Nelson), to include a Feb. 17 New York gig at The Living Room.
Additionally, Quickly Disappearing will be supported by six video clips, with the first one, "Shallow Grave," already completed.
[The Examiner has written the liner notes on Corky Siegel reissues.]
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