Domu presents Pete Simpson

QUOTES:

In ‘Look a Little Further’ Domu and Pete Simpson have created a soul album with a positive message, with lyrics that encourage and nurture, and a sound that will stand the test of time. It is truly is soul from the heart.

VIDEOS:

DOMU PRESENTS PETE SIMPSON

"COMING BACK AROUND"

ABOUT US:

Trends in commercial music come and go, but artists with passion are still making music from the heart that transcends the fashion of the moment. ‘Look a little further’ is most certainly an album from the heart, delivering a contemporary take on classic soul with no concessions to the pop market. Co-written by Domu and Pete Simpson the album features collaborations with Mike Patto (Reel People) and Pete Kuzma (Jill Scott) tapping into the best of UK and Philly soul. This album speaks of love, hope and inspiration.Pete and Dom co-wrote five songs each with Mike Patto and Pete Kuzma. The title track is the inspirational centre of the album, as it has a real message in its lyrics. “‘Look a Little Further’ was just meant to be,” says Pete. “Dom had created the beats, and we sat down with Mike who wrote the music. Mike had an idea for the lyrics from Martin Luther King’s last speech shortly before he was assassinated. The words are so natural and beautiful, the song grew into something that is totally inspirational to me.”The first single release from the album is ‘Wont Give Up’, a very personal song for Pete. “We were writing with Pete Kuzma and it just came together beautifully. It is about keeping your faith in love, and I truly believe when you have found something you have to work hard at it, do what you can to keep it, never give up.“

DOMU:

Domu is Dominic Stanton, one of the most credible independent DJ / producers to come out of the underground dance music scene in recent years. He is an exciting and versatile producer who has over a decade of experience making some of the hottest beats in underground dance music. Domu is maturing in his musical development and this album reveals a soulful heart beating inside him – indeed his earliest musical influences were the soul sounds of Motown. With ‘Look a Little Further’ his reputation will grow as one of the best underground producers of the moment.Domu is well known in the music scene by his many pseudonyms and collaborations; such as Sonar Circle, the avant-garde drum‘n’bass outfit signed to 4Hero’s legendary Reinforced Records, to Domu, his main guise, designed to further his explorations in syncopated rhythm. As Domu he has appeared on many labels such as: 2000Black, Archive, Ninja Tune, Sonar Kollektiv, Compost, Rush Hour, Especial, Bitasweet and Schtum among others. He has released two albums under the Domu moniker, 2001’s ‘Up & Down’ and ‘Return Of The Rogue’ in 2005, both on Archive Records. Umod is the backwards, glitchy hip-hop kid, and under this guise he has released one album, plus remixes on Sonar Kollektiv, Jazzanova’s imprint. Then on to the collaborations; Bakura (with Robert Marin) a boogie Brazilian fusion that culminated with ‘Reach The Sky’, their debut LP released on Especial Records Japan in 2006. He released ‘This World’ on the highly respected Compost Records in 2003 alongside Archive & Neroli’s head honchos Volcov and Rima. Finally, there was Yotoko, the deep techno outfit he formed with web designer and long time friend, Shiftee a.k.a Dave Farlom, and their LP ‘Wet Ink’ released by Dutch label Delsin in 2004.Dom’s prolific musical output shows he is not limited to any one style and consistently pushes boundaries with his music. “I would never deny the influence of the beats that I am into,” acknowledges Dom. “But it is not about just making one sound to be cool; credibility is given to a record because it comes from the heart.” His breadth of musical styles and reticence to be boxed into any one particular scene has allowed him to experiment, evolve and change. This album is a departure from the music he is most closely associated with, not only is it a soul album, he has embarked on the path of collaborative song writing. This creative freedom was afforded and welcomed by the independent label Papa Records.Dom is clear that this freedom is what was so appealing about making ‘Look a Little Further’. “I’m all about experimenting and not being labelled, and the only way to do that is to do something unexpected every time. As I mature in my song writing I understand that it’s not just about beats and chord changes, it’s about the emotion you put into the music. The whole point of the album for me is to continue learning about making and writing music and to be inspired by other musicians.” His aim is simple, to continue making the music he wants, the way he wants to. “If you are into lots of music you should be able to do what you want. This album is a big step in a positive direction for me.”There is an underlying vibe of hope in the album. Hope coming out of harder situations. The album itself was 12 months in the making, and whilst at times the mountain seemed almost too high to climb, they never lost faith. This is something that vocalist Pete Simpson is very much in tune with and inspired by, which you can hear in his vocals. Pete has a true soul voice. He came to many people’s attention through his live work with Manchester’s Unabombers, appearing alongside them at their award winning Electrik Chair nights and on the festival circuit, embellishing DJ sets with his distinctive vocals and all the while helping to create the vibe.

PETE:

Diversity is key in Pete’s musical development and he’s displayed a willingness to listen to many styles from a young age. Originally from a small Yorkshire town, he moved to Sheffield and through the church discovered gospel music, touring for ten years in this vein and doing all the major festivals. In parallel with this, he was drawn to the edgier rock-influenced sounds of the 80s, and he was also into the whole break-dance scene, challenging other crews to dance-offs. Eventually the restrictive doctrines of the church spurred Pete onto another path in music: he discovered Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and knew this was the music he wanted to make – soul music.Pete has collaborated with numerous artists and producers, working with names such as Jon Cutler, Joey Negro, Seamus Haji, Mark Rae (of Rae & Christian fame), Jocelyn Brown, D Ramirez, Nightmares on Wax and Reel People. 2007 will also see him continue his work with The Unabombers as a member of their Elektrons outfit.Pete’s voice is now in demand and he is recognized as one of the UK’s emerging soul talents. “Domu’s reputation is incredible and the fact is any singer would have jumped at the chance to make this album – and they asked me. To get here I feel blessed, I really do.” He credits his work with Mike Patto on the Jon Cutler track ‘Runnin’ as the catalyst to his involvement in this album. “Mike and I were talking about music and we just gelled, realised we had a real musical connection. So when Oli Lazarus (Reel People, Papa Records) asked me to do the album I put this down to my work with Mike.”Pete too acknowledges the importance of this being an independent album, which gave him the creative freedom he wanted. “Yes it’s an underground album, and that’s what makes it so exciting. A big label being involved hasn’t diluted it. What makes this special to everyone is we have worked hard to make it happen. The album is strong, and I feel privileged and proud.”