The Ironweed Project is the brainchild of renowned writer, producer and vocalist, Aniff Akinola, founding member of cult manc hip-hop outfit ‘Chapter and the Verse’, co-producer of a Guy Called Gerald’s classic house anthem ‘Voodoo Ray’, featured vocalist on Kirsty MacColl’s hit ‘Walking Down Madison’ and general co-conspirator of such 90’s electronic luminaries as The Orb, Steve Hillage and The Beloved. Seeking inspiration for his latest venture, Aniff appears to have taken the same trip to the Mississippi crossroads as legendary bluesman Robert Johnson, but rather than sell his soul to Satan, he merely passed him a bottle of Bourbon and the pair bonded over a love of George Clinton, The KLF and the Delta Blues. Just as Johnson returned from the crossroads as the greatest bluesman in the Delta, Aniff returns home (his soul still intact) a transformed man - an electro-bluesman for the 21st century: ‘Ironweed.’ His debut album for Fat Northerner records, aptly titled ‘Dustbowl’ drags traditional blues kickin an’ howlin into the electronic age. Containing seventeen tracks of beautifully drawled dustbowl vocals set to twanging guitars, funky horns and skittering breakbeats, the album recalls ‘Odelay’-era Beck (‘Perfect Day’), The Fun Lovin’ Criminals (‘Get on the Floor’) and even the Stone Roses on the slowed-down psychedelic krautrock groove of ‘Lovemakers’. The first single to be taken from the album ‘All By Myself’ features the stunning vocal talents of Kyla Brox, daughter of Mancunian blues hero Victor Brox, and is a prime slice of future-blues, just as likely to inspire bittersweet melancholy as it is dancefloor euphoria. “I don’t like to describe myself as a musician as I couldn’t tell you an A minor from a G sharp, I would better suit the description of a ‘hip hop alchemist’ in that I’ve always liked to mix and clash different genres of music. My projects are all about taking the raw roots of the UK underground and mashing it with another genre in order to try and create something that challenges peoples’ perceptions of music...” Aniff Akinola a.k.a Ironweed What other people said... “This is very, very good” Rob Da Bank, BBC Radio 1 “Great singles, really looking forward to the album” Bill Brewster, IDJ Magazine ”There is a great vibe to this music” Rob Birch, Stereo MC’s “Ghetto swamp blues for the class A generation" Terry Christian, BBC "I love The Ironweed Project - great sound and especially good live." Caroline Elleray, BMG "A smoking growler that mooches deviously almost snake like across a richter scale registering bass underpin and a side winding hip hop groove filtered through a deliciously arid sounding delta blues weave the type much loved and petty much trademarked by the late John Fahey and latterly by Ry Cooder all delivered with a seriously chilling dusty preacher man vibe - a bit like having Tom Waits, Afrika Bambaataa and Bill Laswell squeezed up into the rear seat of a low slung souped up supercharged Corsa with the tinted windows up sharing a high grade funny fag." Losing Today "Infectious, and I bet it sounds great in a stadium or festival." Pro Mobile Magzine
http://2008.sxsw.com/music/showcases/band/57764.html
