Black Frames by Dave Aju

‘Black Frames’ is a creation from two major life transitions for Dave Aju, namely the end of a long-term relationship combined with a move away from his home town of San Francisco. Punctuated with philosophical statements and political punches, the former MC proves he isn’t afraid to use his voice and production skills to unite music and passion with his latest album on Circus Company.

The outer rhythms of deep-rooted electronic music form the backbone of ‘Black Frames’, while its veins are filled with the red­-hot attitude of hip­hop, outerspace soul, and forthright lyrical content. A remarkable variety of songs covering topics such as personal relationships (‘Psylica’), cultural issues (‘Race on Haight’) and global government actions (‘Law’) rock alongside bass­-centered dancefloor bombs like ‘Nu Threads’ and ‘Clean St’. Through its body, Aju also tips his hat to 60s psych rock, early 70s fusion, and the soft undertones of blues as can be felt in the Magnum Opus of ‘Vins Noirs’ with it’s full choir finale, the wildly fun and uptempo ‘Bee’s Birth’ and the reflective close of ‘When We Drift’.

With a decade of releases under his belt and remixes for the likes of Nicolas Jaar, JT Donaldson and Herbert, San Francisco Bay Area native Marc Barrite AKA Dave Aju is a true maverick of the electronic music scene and ‘Black Frames’ is a proper follow-up, both a literal nod to the classic 60s/70s artwork that hung in his home studio, and a bold statement toward that rare place where breaking a sweat and breaking the rules come together.

Aju’s distinctive voice, a fixture in his production and live performances, has proven to have a life of its own. His formative years added stripes to his coat as an MC in the underground hip-hop scene, paying off in consequent vocal contributions for fellow artists like dOP and Tiefschwarz and an ongoing collaboration with fellow Circus Company artist Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts as lead vocalist for The Side Effects band.

Aju’s third album features collaborations with close friends and hometown heroes of the San Francisco scene including SF native sister Qzen, who lends vocals for the back ­and ­forth duet of ‘Psylica’, while SF/ Chicago masterclass act DJ Tyrel Williams teams up to ‘get our shit together’ on ‘Nobody Knows’. Once again, Dave Aju takes us on a personal journey set to the groove of a damn good party.

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