Single of the Week: The Sol Power All-Stars “Every Time You Move”

The Sol Power All-Stars Distant Dawn

Single of the Week: The Sol Power All-Stars “Every Time You Move”

crisp production and afrobeat songcraft

“Every Time You Move” is the lead track from DC’s own The Sol Power All-StarsDistant Dawn EP, out now on the Detroit-based Rocksteady Disco label. In-the-know readers recognize The Sol Power All-Stars as DJ Stylus and DJ Meistro, longtime associates and two of the hardest-working DJ/producers in the game. Distant Dawn marks their milestone tenth release and the music contained herein is their most sophisticated and timeless. The EP is a huge step forward, with a focus on crisp production and songcraft. With public dancefloors kept empty around the globe, Stylus and Meistro have matured and adapted. Prior All-Stars releases had been precision-engineered for enlightened club-goers; Distant Dawn is more of a nuanced listening experience. These are afrobeat bangers for parties of one or more: five rays of sultry summer sunshine arriving in this bleakest of mid-winters, a welcome harbinger of brighter days to come.

The duo have gathered an equally all-star lineup of guest musicians from DC to Brooklyn to Nigeria. Amma Whatt’s soulful lead vocals blend beautifully with Frank Martins’ intricate Juju guitar lines over Scott Baylis and Max Grunhard’s (Ibibio Sound Machine) horns and The All-Star’s rhythm tracks.

On the “Dance With Shango Dub,” The All-Stars (with mixing assistance by Rocksteady Disco’s Blair French) take “Every Time You Move” into deeper territory, adding a late-night feel to the groove and setting Amma Whatt’s chanting vocals off with plenty of spacey echo. A searching soprano sax lead from Besufekad Tadesse adds a spiritual element for closing the eyes and getting the hands in the air.

Rocksteady Disco kicks off 2021 with an EP of timeless music from their friends the Sol Power All-Stars from Washington DC. The Sol Power All-Stars’ impeccable production carries the release, with drums abound to lift the heaviest of spirits. They’ve tapped in a heavyweight cast of featured guests, from Brooklynite vocalist Amma Whatt (Nate Smith’s Kinfolk); Nigerian Afrobeat/psych rock/Juju legend Frank Martins (Elcados, Shina Peters, Tyna Onwudiwem, and many more); Ibibio Sound Machine’s iconic horn section Scott Baylis & Max Grunhard; and one of DC’s most important Afro-Jazz horn players Besufekad Tadesse.

The Distant Dawn EP is now available in digital and limited (just 350 copies) 12″ vinyl formats on The Sol Power All-Stars Bandcamp page.

The Sol Power All-Stars