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IMAGES: To download, click above. Photo credit to Chris Frisina.
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MC Taylor on Twitter
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REVELATORS SOUND SYSTEM
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REVELATORS SOUND SYSTEM is the collaborative musical project of MC Taylor (Hiss Golden Messenger) and Cameron Ralston. Recorded throughout 2020 and 2021, largely at Taylor’s home in Durham, NC and Richmond, Virginia’s Spacebomb studio, where Ralston serves as the house bassist, the album is a deep meditation on community that caroms from root-down avant-funk and spiritual groove to solitary cosmic minimalism and twinkling dubby ambience. Importantly—most importantly—Revelators is deeply emotional record, the running soundtrack to a world in confusion.
“Grieving,” with its trunk-rattling double drums and searing electric Clavinet, imagines a rhythmic meeting of The Meters, post-Bitches Brew Miles and Can before dissolving into a smoky, time-smeared coda that is a direct descendent of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry‘s headiest Black Ark productions, while “Collected Water” is a mournful, pointillistic improvisation between Taylor’s drifting guitar loops, Ralston’s loping double bass, and the melodic dancing between Daniel Clarke‘s chiming piano figures, J.C. Kuhl‘s insistent saxophone and Reggie Pace‘s subtle, circular percussion. “Bury the Bell” is a shimmering, Alice Coltrane-inspired piece for guitar, clarinet and orchestra that spins off into stardust. The album concludes with “George the Revelator,” a lush devotional epic built atop the on-the-one drumming of J.T. Bates that shakes and rolls with psychic, psychedelic fervor.
Revelators is a testament to the telepathic and soulful musical interplay between Taylor and Ralston. “We only ever talked about what emotion we were going for,” Ralston recalls. “We never talked about gear or fidelity.” Taylor echoes this sentiment, elaborating, “This record is about grief. Grief, and whatever comes after. We were looking for a way to communicate that musically.”
M.C. Taylor Guitar and organ
Cameron Ralston Electric and double bass, drum machine, voice
JT Bates Drum kit
Stuart Bogie Clarinet
Pinson Chanselle Drum kit and percussion
Daniel Clarke Clavinet and piano
Devonne Harris Piano and Fender Rhodes
Rich Hinman Pedal steel guitar
Brian Jones Percussion
JC Kuhl Tenor saxophone and bass clarinet
Reggie Pace Percussion
Drew Sayers Tenor saxophone
Philo Tsoungui Drum kit
Violins were played by Anna Bishop, Ellen Riccio, Meredith Riley, Adrian Pintea, Treesa Gold, Jennette Jang and Stacy Matthews. Violas were played by Liz Stahr, Derek Smith and HyoJoo Uh. Cellos were played by Peter Greydanus, Schuyler Slack and Steph Barrett.All songs written & produced by M.C. Taylor and Cameron Ralston, copyright Songs of Revelators, BMI.Recorded by M.C. Taylor at Dad’s Bar and Grill, Durham, NC and Cameron Ralston at Spacebomb Studios, Richmond, VA. Additional recording by JT Bates, Philo Tsoungi, Drew Sayers, Devonne Harris, Rich Hinman and Stuart Bogie.
Strings arranged by Cameron Ralston, conducted by Trey Pollard and recorded by Alex Dejong at Spacebomb Studios.
Mixed by Cameron Ralston at Spacebomb Studios and Scott Hirsch at Echo Magic, Ojai, CA. Mastered by Chris Boerner at The Kitchen, Carrboro, NC.
Art and layout by D. Norsen.
Revelators are represented by Brian Schwartz at 7S Management. Legal counsel by Shawn Nolan.
Ten percent of the proceeds from the sale of this record will be donated to the Know Your Rights Camp.