WOMAD

Rae and Christian

From United Kingdom

The current success of Mark Rae and Steve Christian mirrors that of Grand Central Records, the critically lauded Manchester-based record label, which Mark started back in 1995. But to understand the roots of Rae and Christian's music, it's necessary to delve further back into three almost-forgotten areas of Manchester's musical heritage; namely jazz experimentation, Northern Soul and hip hop culture.Grand Central and its accompanying vinyl outlet, Fat City Records, (also owned by Mark) has long served as a hub for any serious musical creativity in Manchester. Rae and Christian appeared on the inaugural Grand Central compilation album 'Frying The Fat' with their classic 'In Rhodes' and the pair also contributed two tracks to the second GC compilation 'Central Heating'. Showcasing Rae and Christian's trademark meticulous approach to production standards, 'Spellbound' and 'Good Advice' were also augmented by the contributions of two outstanding vocal discoveries, Veba and Sharleen Spiteri.A platinum-tonsilled 21 year-old from Old Trafford, Veba, stayed with Mark and Steve to work as a trio on last year's debut R&C album, 'Northern Sulphuric Soul'. An effortless, stylised fusion of Mark and Steve's core jazz, hip hop and soul influences, the album also embraces an adult, song-based approach to produce a consistently-listenable experience. Featuring contributions from Texas and The Jungle Brothers, 'Northern Sulphuric Soul' also catapulted Rae and Christian from sideshow attractions into fully-fledged Premier League contenders. The inevitable remix offers followed and artists as diverse as M People, Manic Street Preachers, Texas and Simply Red have all had tracks reworked by this most in-demand of duos. The Rae and Christian live show is built around Mark's deck prowess and the guitar skills of Steve. The rhythm section comprises double bass player Sneaky and one-time Back To Basics percussionist Chris Cruiks. Andy Ross contributes sax and flute, with Veba contributes upfront vocal whilst virtuoso scratch DJ Peter Parker completes the line-up.