Colonel Red continues his mission to bring next-level soul of all types to the masses. His new album is a collaboration with Australian producer Inkswel, apt as both musicians aim squarely for the future whilst embedding the past in their sound.
The album title, Benjiman’s Ghost Volume 1, is a nod to Red’s former group, Milez Benjiman, and leaves the gate wide upon for more collaborative work between the pair.
Benjiman’s Ghost Volume 1 is out on Inkswel’s own Inner Tribe Records on July 3rd. Pre-order here.
In celebration of the record, we asked the pair for five records each that they would count as influences.
Colonel Red
“In being asked about five songs that have influenced me… I just want to say, this is almost impossible to answer, as there have been a trillion songs that influenced and shaped my influences along the way. However, I’ll give it my best shot!”
Marvin Gaye – I Heard It Through The Grapevine
What moved me to be influenced so much by this song was the sheer passion, sound and melody. I was simply carried away by this song’s soul and energy, and it still has the same said effect on me to this very day.
Stevie Wonder – Maybe Your Baby
I can remember hearing this track for the very first time and being totally blown away by the sound of the Moog – WOW – the clavinet the way only Stevie plays it… this track was crying love, and this was before the opening vocal line kicked in…
I must have been about eight or nine years old and I was absolutely mesmerised. Then Stevie’s voice started to sing the opening line: “I’m feeliN some kindA lOViN,” OMG and after some 30 continual repeat plays… and reading the credits at the back of the album… seeing that all the background and ad lib vocals were all Stevie.. I couldn’t contain myself. This electric soul funk had taken me prisoner, and hasn’t set me free to this very day.
Marvin Gaye – Soon I’ll Be Loving You
This song is melodic eroticism at its best, it’s so bitter sweet it’s almost painful to listen to. It’s amongst my top five songs that have influenced me, largely because I haven’t quite managed to listen to this song without rewinding it at least five or six times for the reload, now it’s clearly engrained deep into my musical soul.
Otis Redding – Change is Gonna Come
If ever I want to listen to the greatest sounding voice to ever grace our planet!? I play this version of the Sam Cooke classic. Need I say more?
Stevie Wonder – I Don’t Know Why
This song has a deep place in my heart. It’s Stevie, it’s Tamla Motown, it’s extremely emotional and it grows and grows and grows and grows as you listen to it… it’s total Soul Magic and a song I often sing myself with my acoustic guitar. It’s my go-to song when I just simply want to sing.
Inkswel
Public Enemy – Shut ’em Down (Pete Rock Remix)
Back when I was about 14, I used to go on long car trips with my father and he had great taste in music that really shaped my taste now. Public Enemy was loud and revolutionary even for a young kid in Australia – the pronounced message with the amazing Bomb Squad production really shook my brain.
PE was the first concert I saw around this age with my dad and I bought a Terminator X mixtape at the show, and the Pete Rock remix was on that tape all juggled and cut up by X. That remix really planted a seed for me in terms of hearing that deep, sample based production.
Terence Trent D’Arby – Wishing Well
Another car classic, my dad rinsed this song on repeat when it came out. The soundtrack to my youth.
A Tribe Called Quest – Scenario
In Australia as a kid in the 90s, every weekend the ABC TV network aired two really amazing shows: Rage and Recovery. Both shows were music focused and each week was every young kid’s way of hearing the latest music.
They played clips that were mainstream but with a more independent spin – this really exposed a lot of people of my generation to the music that was happening Stateside. I still remember waking up one morning and seeing the film clip for this over a bowl of cereal! Crazy! Huge influence on my approach to music.
Prince – The Most Beautiful Girl In The World
Another car classic… soundtrack to my childhood. Prince was like the uncle I never had, his music runs a theme constantly from my early years to now.
Nuyorican Soul – Black Gold Of The Sun
I stumbled across this CD as a young hip hop kid who was only listening to Wu Tang at the time and it flipped my wig! Crazy soulful production that definitely broadened my palette to be into so many different styles.
