There’s nothing better than an underdog story, especially when it involves an Aussie musician. We were elated when we heard that homegrown vocal talent Meg Mac had been handpicked by neo-soul legend D’Angelo to support his latest US tour.
Now a talented young Brisbane vocalist and producer has been given a break electronic musicians could only dream of. Relative newcomer Jordan Rakei is set to appear on the forthcoming sophomore album from UK EDM phenoms Disclosure.
Rakei’s name will appear alongside a star-studded list of collaborators, which reads like a who’s who of today’s urban music scene, including Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes, Lorde, Miguel, The Weeknd, Gregory Porter, Lion Babe, Kwabs, and many more.
Oh yeah, and Disclosure’s long-awaited follow-up to 2013’s universally acclaimed Settle, which the Lawrence brothers have titled Caracal, is poised to be one of the biggest electronic releases of the year.
“I was on Holiday in Ireland when they emailed me directly,” Jordan recently told Tone Deaf. “I couldn’t really believe it at first. They had asked when I was next in London, I told them I had just moved to London! It was amazing how it all worked out.”
“I co-wrote and produced the track ‘Masterpiece’ with Jimmy Napes and the boys from Disclosure. I hit the studio a week or so after the first initial email. Efficient workflow. I jumped on the keys and played some chords.”
“We worked around that and started adding extra production. After we were happy with the arrangement and other parts we all started contributing to the lyrics and melodies.” According to Jordan, the collab is a “fresh take on modern soul music”.
While Jordan is obviously staying tight-lipped about what fans can expect from Caracal, which is slated to drop on 25th September, he says the Lawrence boys have something very special up their sleeves for their sophomore release.
“I’ve heard bit and pieces from the album. I obviously don’t want to reveal too much, but it’s definitely an exciting release,” Jordan told Tone Deaf. “They are bringing soul back to the forefront in a fresh and progressive way!”
Jordan’s own latest release, titled Groove Curse, is available on iTunes via Brisbane-based record label Soul Has No Tempo. Check out the single ‘Alright’ below.
