When the Scissor Sisters took a break last fall, guitarist Del Marquis decided to scratch his solo itch. Little did he know that "itch" would turn into a "tickle." Del emerged in January with a wealth of new songs that he had recorded for his debut solo album 'Slow Nights', which is set for release in the Spring of 2013. Del chose a few of those songs for a new six-song mixtape called 'Tickle' with friend and Boys Choir of Harlem alumnus Xavier sharing vocal duties. Del decided to release 'Tickle' as a free download on his website. The 'Tickle' album artwork was created by Kenny Scharf.
“I had more songs than were needed or that worked for a record and quite a few that Xavier and I had done together,” explains Del Marquis about the reason for releasing the mixtape. “These songs were perverted and uptempo, in contrast to the more serious style I was working on.” One of the songs they recorded was the Jermaine Jackson disco jam, “Let Me Tickle Your Fancy.” They decided to give the mixtape away for free. Del said, "Mixtape culture could be something embraced and not just by the hiphop community.” With Xavier’s come-hither, velvety vocals and the instrumentation by Prince’s New Power Generation, Del delivered a collection of funky romps and bump and grinds.
“We recorded ‘Let Me Tickle Your Fancy’ more for as fun for ourselves than anything else,” says Xavier. “It didn't fit in with the other stuff on Del’s upcoming record, so we decided to wrap a bunch of other songs around it and make a mixtape. There's even a ‘lost version’ with Del on lead vocal he probably won't tell you about,” he snickers.
The mixtape includes the dance track “Say Ooh Damn” which Idolator describes, “At first, it sounds like a Scissor Sisters cut. And, duh - Del spent a decade playing with the band, so that’s only natural. But give it another spin, and suddenly everything falls into place upon finding out he recorded the groove with the New Power Generation.” Kick Kick Snare called 'Tickle' “an unexpected collection of high energy funk, sexy base lines and playful R & B. Each track will attach itself to your hips and force them to move like they had a mind of their very own.”
Del and Xavier are hoping this mixtape will serve as a great taster for what's to come. “Finding lost gems is as important as finding great new releases,” Del says about his mixtape. “It was recorded without taking it seriously, but it sounded great in the end.”
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