310 - Sixes and Sevens

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310 - Freedom Connection - from the album Sixes and Sevens on Conduit Records
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Karsh Kale - Beautiful (310 Remix) - (Stream Only)
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I met the members of the duo, 310 through our weekly internet radio show. Seattle based Joseph Dierker was a fan of the program and began corresponding with me about some of the tracks I was playing. (I later met the NY based other half of the duo, Tim Donovan when he showed up at a DJ gig I was doing in NY). Somewhere along the line Dierker mentioned that he was part of a band and asked if it was all right to send me some music. I'm always afraid in those circumstances that what is going to come in the mail will either be horribly inappropriate for Six Degrees or just plain horrible- but the fact that Dierker's group 310 had recorded on the usually excellent Leaf label was encouraging. Turns out I need not have worried. 310's music is a beautifully textured combo of influences that include (but are not limited to) electronica, jazz, hip hop, post rock, world and experimental music. It seems to me that this is a group that should appeal to fans of everything from Boards of Canada to DJ Shadow. I was so taken with the duo's production style that I commissioned them to do remixes for both Karsh Kale's track "Beautiful" and Azam Ali's "Abode" - both of which they turned in with uniquely beautiful results.

I think these guys are criminally under appreciated and hope that this taster of their work will encourage those of you with open ears to explore further.


Bio:

310 (Seattle's Joseph Dierker and New York's Tim Donovan) have been developing their unique blend of hip-hop, art-rock, ethnic percussion, ambient drones, vocal samples, and live instrumentation since 1997. With four albums released on the UK's prestigious Leaf Label, their signature sound has developed beyond it's humble beginnings as tapes sent back and forth across the country as each member layered upon and reworked his partner's music.

310's seventh and latest album, Sixes and Sevens, pushes their vision to sharper and funkier extremes. Combining guitar, violin, keys, and found sound, blended with their hallmark blitz of beats, 310 have orchestrated one of their strongest and deepest albums to date. Highlights include a guest spot by A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and tons of funky drumming from notorious session wizard Ralph Rolle.

310 pack so much in their records that each listen invariably reveals new elements. Sixes And Sevens is no different. Brimming with sumptuous textures, gorgeous melodies and haunting atmospherics, this album is once again an impressive effort. In the ten years since they first appeared, 310 have forged a truly unique sound, with each new record adding to the band’s sonic riches. Impeccably deployed across Sixes And Sevens, these appear as bright and appealing as ever.