Gigi – Illuminated Audio (Time Capsule)

Gigi, aka Ethiopian singer Ejigayehu Shibabaw, had already broken familial boundaries by defying her father to become singer. But this fearlessness continued throughout her career, producing music that blended West and South African music with hip-hop, funk and traditional church music. It was moving to San Francisco in 1998, however, that meant she met Bill Laswell and began their deep, fruitful relationship, both musical and personal.  \n \nUnder the direction of Island Record’s co-founder Chris Blackwell, her 2001 self-titled US debut album featured the likes of Herbie Hancock, Pharoah Sanders and Wayne Shorter. But it was 2003's ‘Illuminated Audio’, Laswell’s reinterpretation of the source material, that cast Gigi in a light not seen before or since. Re-contextualising both her vocal and the surrounding instrumentation, he turns in a rich, multi-layered soundscape, heavily dubbed out and hazy as the ethereal spirit of Gig floats through it. Previously only available on CD, Time Capsule release it on vinyl for the first time. \n \n