Paul White
The Strange Dreams of Paul White

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Sound clips for The Strange Dreams of Paul White by Paul White: on CD at Norman Records UK. CD, One Handed, HANDCD001 , £11.09.

What their label says...

Paul White’s debut album (and the first on One Handed) is a 21 track magic carpet ride of crate-digging psychedelia that takes in film soundtracks, hip hop, reggae, and his beloved progressive rock. ‘The Strange Dreams Of Paul White’ matches the hazy ambience of Boards Of Canada with the spontaneity and ruggedness of Wu Tang Clan’s RZA or Madlib, showing just why the young South Londoner is so widely admired by his peers in the increasingly fertile beats scene. A peculiarly-talented library producer with BBC and Channel 4 credits to his name, Paul White’s earliest transmissions took the form of a series of mesmerizing beat tapes: rapid-fire scrapbooks of rough-edged audio artifacts passed between small circles of music-loving friends and aficionados. A couple of sought-after 7"s and a handful of remixes later and Paul's was the name to drop amongst the cognoscenti, from old-schoolers such as Ashley Beedle and Danny Breaks to new heads on the block like Gaslamp Killer and Hudson Mohawke. Amongst his most vocal champions is Mary Anne Hobbs, who has invited him to perform as one of three cutting-edge producers at London’s Roundhouse on 15th May.  Benji B and Gilles Peterson have also widely broadcast his skills, the latter recently featuring Paul in his ‘Beat Generation’ special amongst the pick of the new breed.  In print, Dazed & Confused enthused that he “embodies all that is good about a new generation of producers” while FACT magazine have tipped Paul as a key practitioner in the renaissance in abstract instrumental hip hop. This last phrase is perhaps a key to distinguishing Paul from much of the pack: while he appeals to lovers of prog rock, electronica, and a multitude of bass-heavy hybrids, there's something unmistakeably “two turntables” in his approach and sound, even if he hasn’t looked for where the microphone plugs in. Reviews and features confirmed in Dazed & Confused, Hip Hop Connection, FACT, and more to come. “White really knows his stuff and has an uncommon lightness of touch, resulting in an album which ultimately flies free of genre constraints and expectations into a realm altogether more cosmic and dreamlike, strongly influenced by Boards of Canada and their peerless synthesis of pastoral textures and gut-punching electronics. One of the best albums yet from the current wave of smart hip hop producers – although you can draw myriad connections to peers and influences, you also get the impression that nobody else could’ve made this album, and you need to check it.” – FACT.