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‘Unspoken’ features poet Rainy Paine and is carried by a piano riff that fills the space between her words. More than a house track, this is up-tempo nu jazz reminiscent of the UK soul movement with an identifiable Yoruba Soul groove. An instrumental version brings us back in to the fold without the vocals, as we witness the skill of what it takes to send this sound to the same place without the lead voice. It still holds the weight of the collaboration, even though this track and the entire album is programmed and arranged by Osunlade himself. ‘Unspoken’ takes you ‘around the world in a day.’
‘Give Thanks’ is an ode to Mother Earth through the poetry of Said Adelekan. The message is clear; gratitude is as divine as prayer. Musically, Osunlade constructs a minimalist tune with this one allowing the poet to find his way around this jazz fusion inspired sound board.
‘Cosmic Signs’ offers a beautiful build up into an otherworldly secret life. The sound of children playing beneath the heartbeat of the song reminds of the proximity of joy and pleasure. He works in and teases listeners with the levels giving us his ear as a DJ and his golden touch as a producer. With this track and his playful approach to the levels we here his familiarity with arrangement and even in the song’s simplicity you feel the presence of complexity. The thump in this is the seasoned dancer.
‘Shoe Shine Man,’ uses dialogue as an instrument, voices that hint at working class Mississippi Blues men exchanging stories about love and life. Sampled manipulated voice effects serve as the narrator while the conversations persist and the music keeps us in the pocket.
‘People First’ speaks to this moment in the world. Music is the weapon of choice that Osunlade uses to navigate hostile terrain whilst spirituality is the base. The tune offers horns and a sparsely dropped hypnotic gong, as people are heard organizing for human rights behind a calming score. This one spells out the depth of the many different colour spectrums of his sound, and a form of musical hybridity that situates him in the position of one of the masters.
For Osunlade, House is a short cut and arguably a limitation considering his range and ability to stretch the genre and the culture. If you allow it, ‘Dedication EP’ can be the uncategorisable EP that we need to break the mould and grow the art.