Birmingham-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Rosie Tee’s latest release is the five-track Chambers EP.
Her second solo collection, following 2017’s Heavy Prayers EP and a live version of Chambers’ title track (recorded at legendary studio facility Abbey Road), the EP was released at the tail end of March, and has already picked up airplay via BBC 6Music, BrumRadio and Switch.
Her forthcoming live appearances include Bromsgrove’s Artrix (20 April 2019), where she’ll be opening for (and also playing with) ‘Black Country soul’ singer-songwriter Dan Whitehouse – who takes a break from recording his forthcoming new album for Reveal Records.
Here, the multi-instrumentalist gives BrumNotes a track-by-track breakdown of Chambers EP …
Chambers
“This was the first single we released from the EP with a music video back in December 2018. With the lyrics ‘I’ll be the one to make you slow down’, the track outlines the idea of rest – stopping and taking time for yourself. Chambers began its life whilst I was living in Rotterdam and for me, marks the beginning of a more electronic output for my recorded/ live act.”
All We Are Now
“This track was the first of mine to ever be played BBC 6 Music, which meant a lot to me. Similarly to Chambers, this track also stemmed from initial sketches I created whilst in Rotterdam, but was developed with the band.”
Wax & Wane
“This track was originally written with some special technology called REACH designed by Niccolo Niccolò Granieri. Reach is a system that enables the pianist to interact with sound modulation and effects through hand gestures. Niccoló and I worked closely together to develop a bespoke system that worked for specifically for me as a songwriter with a focus on how my hand gestures could affect the output of my vocal.”
Watersong
“This song was originally composed for a premiere performance I did with the amplified Decibel Ensemble back in March 2018. For me, it suggests a blend of all of my influences, incorporating bass/ drum grooves with coloristic motifs on instruments such as clarinet, trombone, saxophone and violin. For Chambers EP, Watersong has been reinvented with a synth-led focus, but still contains samples from the original performance. I enjoy that my music can exist in many different forms and carnations.”
Siren
“A very exciting feature of this track is the samples from traditional Javanese Gamelan. I endeavoured to make the most of such a unique sound, which is scarcely found in western song. From this point onwards, I collaborated with Dan Cippico in the compilation of these samples creating an electronic interpretation inspired by the works of Björk and Submotion Orchestra. To maintain an organic sound and as respect to the sacred history of the gamelan, I decided to keep the samples at pitch. This meant Dan and I finely re-tuning the midi sounds to match the Gamelan’s pelog tuning system. We also recorded my voice in this tuning.”
Stream EP in full here: Chambers EP to stream
Dan Whitehouse and Rosie Tee appear at Artrix, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, on Saturday 20 April 2019. For more information/ tickets, see: www.artrix.co.uk
Rosie also appears at Mostly Jazz Funk and Soul Festival on Saturday 13 July 2019, with Brand New Heavies, Brian Jackson, Smoove and Turrell, Sam Redmore, and more. Other artists appearing at the 10th anniversary Mostly Jazz Festival include Burt Bacharah, The Jacksons, Ibibio Sound Machine and Khruangbin. For full line-up and tickets, see: mostlyjazz.co.uk
