Shakatak

Under Your Spell

Rarely, one finds a group, that has shaped  music-history like Shakatak over more than 20 years world-wide. It must be indeed a particular magic, that captivates the listeners again and again. It is that timeless mixture of pop, jazz and Latin music, that has surely nothing lost of its attractiveness after such a long time. Under Your Spell is the right title to define this glamorous enchantment. A set of words, a formula or verse, supposed to possess occult or magical powers; a charm or incantation; a means of accomplishing magic or exorcism. Music is Shakatak's sorcery.

I The album starts with Sunshine, a fresh lively-maker. This tune brightens your mood rendering you fit as a fiddle.

n Relaxing and laid-back follows Falling. Jill's sultry vocals tickle one's ears in lovable way.

l  Modern grooves with phat bass and scratching are woven with Bill's magical keyboard and piano sounds in The Squizzle. 

t Paradise Garden is the essence of professionalism in music. Bill 's awesome piano and Frissy Karlsson's unique guitar are fusioning to perfect sound-structures.

s Rhythm emphatic drumgrooves are the ground of Under Your Spell, Jill's chorus-framed vocals the sky of this intimate love-song. Belcanto in a modern version.

w Changes is the next memorable example of the new Shakatak-sound. Changes but still Shak.

a Some Beatifik will you hear in Running Back To You. Jill's vocodered vocals, well suported by a perfect chorus and Bill's easygoing piano, a hip-hop drum-groove and airy synths are hooking your mind.

y Tahitian Nights is a smooth song starting with a lovely chorus backed by a strong synth-bass. Surprising the following synth solo with jazzy runnings.

x A catchy Latin-flavored dancefloor hit presents Skakatak in Night Time. 

R Slowing down to the romantic  love-song In My Mind. Snake Davis's sax and Jill's vocals show Shak's contemplative side.

c Til' Sunrise is the classic Shak-sound of the 80's. Latin rhythms overdubbed by flute and keyboard sounds.

b A gleaming waterfall of glittering sounds are introducing to Bill's jazzy piano solo in Silver Falls. Atmospheric care of the tiny tones mediates skillfull arrangement.

gh Tell me tonight is the melting of Snake Davis 's sax and Jill's vocals to a final culmination. The ultimative seduction to put the album immediately on the turntable again.

© HBH

• Bill Sharpe - Keyboards
• Jill Saward - Vocals
• George Anderson - Bass
• Roger Odell - Drums
• Jacqui Hicks - Backing Vocals
• Fredrik Karlsson - Guitar
• Snake Davis - Sax
• Jamie Odell - Engineering and Programming