HopeStreet Recordings and Zillanova are proud to present a brand new vocal soul 45 starring two of Melbourne’s finest: Cisco Tavares and Jess Harlen. Two very distinct sides showcase the amazing talents of these two guest vocalists as well as the production and songwriting skills of HopeStreet impresarios Bob Knob and Tom Martin and the heavy duty sounds of The Zillanova Rhythm Combination. On the A side – Cisco sings Suicide. Sweet, sweet sadness shimmers over low slung syncopation and builds to a climactic peak before dropping back to the whisper from which it came. It’s a story of collective rather than individual suicide. Something to tap our toes to while we watch the human race run headlong for self destruction. Do we care? Sure. Enough to change our ways? It seems unlikely. What’s Going On? You might ask, as Marvin once did. Truth is no one knows, or has, or will. On the flip, Maori/Australian mistress of neo soul magic Jess Harlen gets down but plays it cool over a rocky rhythm track that owes as much to Led Zeppelin as it does to the Meters. The Time It Takes is a song about that moment in a relationship when one person has given all they can and still doesn’t know where they stand. Ouch. It’s a familiar story but delivered with the unshakeable conviction we’ve come to expect from Miss Harlen, the old tale takes on new life. Zillanova is a studio based project led by bassist and producer Bob Knob. The Zillanova Rhythm Combination, the mighty rhythm section behind hiphoppers Illzilla and Bollywood heart starters The Bombay Royale are joined by reggae don Jake Savona on organ, San Lazaro’s Sebastian Orellana on percussion and The Bombay Royale horn section. Recorded and mixed by Bob Knob and Tristan Ludowyk at the Hope Street Studios in Brunswick, this record is a family affair for the HopeStreet crew. Many hands make light work apparently, but this record is super heavy regardless.
