I?m all over the free goodies today as it's been a while since I offered something to this blog?.

UK turntablist & producer Mr. Thing recently released the latest in his series of ?Anorak? break-spotting mixes and is available to download here?http://www.sendspace.com/file/khzsum

Featuring some serious crate digging goodies. Enjoy it?

A Funky Breakbeat / Big Beat Producer / Talented Musician who Works damn hard, has put a lot of records out, and is still damn young. Of course, when you really consider that for someone in their mid twenties to be, in 2006, releasing what is essentially their 8th album, and racking up nearing 30 remixes since his first release in 2002, then that is quite astonishing.

We all know though, that quantity does not equal quality, so what really astonishes is the fact that every single release is a winner. Every single release is worth your time and sees him trying something different, exploring sound, and translating his own huge thirst for new sound into his own work.

There isn't a musical genre out there thats related to the hearts of funk and soul that he hasn't turned his hand to, and yet at the same time he his one of the few producers around that always sounds like himself.

Whether it's under his original Quantic moniker or as the live rocking funk soul heaviness of The Quantic Soul Orchestra you can spot a Quantic production a mile off, even if it doesn't sound like anything you've heard him do before.

It's a talent that has seen him work with some of the finest names around. Remixing Charlie Parker and Breakestra, collaborating with Sharon Jones and Mr. Scruff, sharing a live stage with De La Soul, to producing and writing with Spanky Wilson, Quantic's is a talent that is admired by producers, vocalists, and musicians of all the ages. And naturally, clubbers around the world have felt the Quantic pressure too.

From the festival stages of The Big Chill, Glastonbury, and Roskilde, super smooth clubs in Europe and Japan, hard core roadtrips around the USA and Australia, tiny Muscovite basement sessions and Puerto Rican Candela sweat boxes, where there's the music love Quantic will go. Literally, where there's a Will, there's a way. 2006 is set to be his busiest year yet. The 'One Offs, Remixes, and B Sides' collection has just been released on Tru Thoughts, his limited edition collection of rumba, plena, and cumbia music 'Mofongo Para El Alma' is just out, July sees him unleashing his brand new Quantic album 'An Announcement To Answer', and September is the launch of his QSO collaboration album with US soul legend Spanky Wilson.

Time for a rest perhaps? Never. Believe it or not there are still countries he hasn't DJed or dug for records in, still sounds he hasn't experienced, and still so many great records to make. Onwards and upwards my friends, onwards and upwards...

Quantic Soul Orchestra

"Putting something back" is how Will Holland described the reason for starting The Quantic Soul Orchestra. Having released two succesful albums on Tru Thoughts under his Quantic guise - The 5th Exotic and Apricot Morning (which fused jazzy and breakbeat sounds), he felt his next musical adventure would be to focus on the album you have in your hands. The Quantic Soul Orchestra is a live project, strictly no samples allowed. Influenced by Mr Holland's love of the dusty funk 45's, he wanted to record and produce an album with creative and like minded musicians.

With pop acts in the 2000s now using hip-hop beats (beats which are heavily influenced by funk records from the 70s) it was important for the QSO to make the album rough, raw and real - it's definately not Acid Jazz but has a deeper funk sound that shows that this music is well and truly alive in the new millenium. This is an album influenced by the many flamboyant (but often poor) musicians in the 70s who loved music for music's sake, who wanted to dance and make people dance.

This album is not trying to be retro and trendy, hence the cover version of 4 Hero's future soul anthem from 2002 Hold It Down. Sung in one take as vocalist Alice Russell warmed up before a recording session, it was decided that the original Holland penned instrumental should be replaced with this version. Ms Russell also lends her soulful voice to two other tracks on this album Something That's Real and Take Your Time, Change Your Mind. The other sung track finds John Hughes adding vocals (as well as some guitar and flute) to the classic QSO 7" Super 8. The QSO also adds Afro Beat, Soul and Jazz influences to the Funk sound with musicians Dave Woodhouse (Clavinet, Rhodes and Trumpet), Damian Bell (Trombone), Antonia Pheulatos (String Arrangements and Violin), Lucy Holland (Saxaphone), Richard Gibbs (Drums) and of course Will Holland himself (Guitars, Bass and Percussion) adding to the variety.

This is probably an album that future producers will be sampling, who knows someone across the world may even be sampling the music as you read these sleeve notes today!

This Download Collat Contains Tracks from His Solo Work, The Qauntic Soul Orchestra & some production on other artists albums. ENJOY!

Just remember to acknowledge The Quantic Soul Orchestra if you do sample them and if you make a success of your music to "put something back" too.

quantic