Tales of G LP by Knuckle G

Throughout the LP, I worked with several iconic instruments, including a TB-03 and a Moog Voyager XL, to get that heavy bass we can hear in tracks like "Midnight Love" and "Acid Lullaby". It’s an important part of my composing process to start with a good bassline. I believe that’s what builds the foundation of any house tracks, either to make it more dynamic or to give more emotion, because it holds every other instrument together. It’s also usually what you hear the most in a club or at a festival.

I tend to take inspiration from source of music I can hear: It can be at a club when we invite all the legends and less known but talented artist from all over the world with De La Groove or from other genre of music like hip hop, Jazz and even video games music (like old school jungle music from the PS1 or synth pad from some Nintendo’s games).

Here’s what I meant by taking inspiration from everywhere: The first track, "A Walk In The Park," is like the intro of the EP; the sample I used reminded me of the morning when you just woke up, hearing the birds singing and the sun rising. "Soleil Froid" is like a tribute to the work of Grant Nelson, which, for me, makes the most beautiful chord progression in house history. I analyzed them and even had the chance to talk with him a couple of times to know more about his workflow. Once I had finished with this track, I wanted to do something different for a 2nd single, something more acid and deep, something not meant for the club but for these moments where you feel the music you're listening to. For example, when you are looking at the night sky, smoking a cigarette, or going back home after a long day of work, that was the mood I was in when I did "Acid lullaby". 

These long notes of trumpet, which are a direct influence of some of Ibrahim Maalouf's songs, represent, in my mind, the peace people aspire to when dealing with all the chaos and stress (the acid bassline) you can have when it’s a bad day. I also, for the first time, worked with a singer; it was for me another challenge because you need to adapt to the voice of your singer, make changes to let it breathe inside your track. I didn’t want to have complicated lyrics; I wanted the song to be groovy, catchy, something you can sing in the club or at a party, like a Louie Vega track. On "Midnight Love", I sampled the voice from an old-school house track I found in my vinyl collection. I fell in love with the sample and directly thought I could do something bouncy, deep, and what in my head I could call a club banger. That’s where the Moog came in. I needed that heavy fat bass that would shake the walls of every place I can play that only this iconic synth could deliver. The first time I played it in Rex, the public went crazy; it was exactly as I had pictured it when I first started working on it.

I used a lot of trumpet and saxophone samples in this EP, which were to emphasize the jazzy or soul vibes I grew up with in my home. Sometimes it gives a nice mellow or lounge vibe to the track, like for "Whiskey, No Ice," and sometimes it gives that nice top line and melody. I like working with it, it might not be the last time I use some in my songs!

Knuckle G - Tales of G LP
Release Date 20th January 2023
Label De La Groove Records

Tracklist
1. Knuckle G - A Walk In The Park
2. Knuckle G - Acid Lullaby
3. Knuckle G - Get The Groove
4. Knuckle G - Music Is Life
5. Knuckle G - Soleil Froid
6. Knuckle G - The Midnight Love
7. Knuckle G - The Sun Is Up When I Go To Sleep
8. Knuckle G - Whisky, No Ice