Ralf GUM will release his new album, Never Leaves You, on September 17, 2012. The album, which took over two years to create and offers a blend of groove and soul, continues the theme of the artist’s past work – his passion for global harmony.
The album includes performances by an eclectic blend of international superstars. For example, it includes a collaboration with Caron Wheeler, a Grammy award winning R & B singer who had never before worked on house music. Monique Bingham, a veteran in the genre, also appears on the album. Never Leaves You also features contributions from Louis Benedetti and Raw Artistic Soul, as well as artists from Zimbabwe, South Africa, France and Canada. In fact, even though Ralf GUM was born in Germany, he now lives in South Africa, which is where he decided to release his new album.
Ralf GUM has always been passionate about music of all types; it was this passion that led him to begin performing and deejaying in the first place. He has been working in his current genre since 1993.
As Ralf Gum worked his way up through the music industry, he worked for such major labels as Peppermint Jam, Tommy Boy, Papa Records, Mn25 and the like. In 2001, however, he created GOGO Music, his own label. He has performed in hundreds of venues in his native Germany and around the world. His music has a sound that no other artist has matched, incorporating sharp rhythms and harmonies with unique underground beats to create a truly one-of-a-kind groove. His talent and uniqueness, however, are not solely a result of his own creativity. They draw from a wide variety of different influences, not the least of which is his own passion for global harmony.
The house music genre was originally created in Chicago’s underground club scene in the early 1980s. This style of music bore some resemblance to disco in that the rhythm and beat was a bigger focus than the lyrics. House music eventually worked its way over to the United Kingdom, where it picked up additional influences from British dance and pop music. It quickly became wildly popular in dance clubs all over the world.
American musicians like Janet Jackson and Madonna have incorporated elements of house music into their own compositions. However, it is GUM’s distinctive blend of house music elements, beats and rhythms with instrumental, electronic and synthesized elements that creates his unique and memorable sound. Different unique styles of house music are the primary influences that blend to create his distinctive style. Listeners can detect elements of soul-groove, tech house, micro and Euro in his style as well.
It may be Ralf GUM’s experience as a DJ and producer that has led him to become such an industry standard. During an interview with LiquidStyle in July of 2012, Gum said, “It would be interesting to work with people from other genres and take their song writing skills into house music. Working with the likes of Chaka Khan, Jill Scott or John Legend would be a dream.” The sociopolitical backgrounds and influences of these musical icons and of the nations of South Africa and Germany that GUM has called home are all clear influences on GUM’s passion for worldwide peace and harmony.
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Article contributed by Ashley Coxx for iMesh.com – click here to download songs for free. Ashley is a freelance music writer. Her articles appear on various music blogs.