Release Notes

Roger Robinson - 'Dream Keeper' selected for Gilles Peterson's World Wide Winners Part 1 Roger Robinson is a poet, short fiction writer and lyricist - he divides his time between New York, London and Trinidad. Robinson has a glittering c.v; in the past he has represented British writing worldwide with the British Council, and independently at venues and festivals including Crossing Borders (Amsterdam), Naples Poetry Festival and Mercury Lounge (Ottawa). In 2002 he represented new British writing with tours and trips to Bulgaria, Greece, Berlin and Finland. In addition, Robinson ran programmes for The Apples and Snakes poetry agency. He was also featured in the New Generation Poets collection at the National Portrait Gallery. His first anthology of short fiction, Adventures in 3D, was published in 2002 with a subsequent sell out UK tour, and he is now working on his first full-length novel Eat. 2004 shall be his tenth year of performing, teaching, writing and programming poetry. As if he doesn't sound busy enough, Roger Robinson can often be found touring with bands. Taking his lyrical finesse to the stage, he has opened shows for De La Soul, Cody Chesnutt, Saul Williams and Linton Kwesi Johnson. He's also featured in stage shows with Attica Blues, Techno Animal, The Bug, Silky Millionaire Syndicate and Speeka. However we digress. Today we bring you Roger's debut solo album Illcletica. It sees him team up with Rob Mac from Speeka (who also runs London's largest hip-hop night Scratch) - together they have produced an absolutely stunning piece of musically mastery. The album flows through a range of moods, snappy breaks in parts, phasing organs in others - always entwined through Robinson's thoughtful lyrics. Illcletica sees a feast of great production work broken and an acapella poem. Album highlights include the outstanding Nicolas Song, a shining, shimmery, organ led instrumental which some might remember as the lead track on this years Sonar cd. On a more unsettled tip, Robinson's twisted scattery rhymes on hip-hop inclined track, Khaos. No No is altogether more calming, whilst Pacify is a melancholic track that eloquently sums up the hopelessness in the links between war, power and poverty, with an insight and poetic clarity that is Roger's 'modus operandi'. Vocalist Lucy Wilkins (who can also be found as SPK on Warner) features on Nicholas Song and the lush bubbling jazz grinder, Dream Keepa. More about the message than the man, this is rap without ego, something to be greatly welcomed by us all. Roger has appeared on a number albums and singles, most notably -'