Blackout Studios Update

Spring 2007

 

Please excuse us. The Blackout Studios Family is currently using Myspace as our main means for communicating these days. We will be updating our splash page to include all relevant links to our artists. We appreciate your patience during this process and encourage you to join our mailing list and become our myspace friends.

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Winter 2007

We are on the heels of our 10th year as a fighting force in the industry of art. So as we prepare my updates are gonna be a little slow but have no fear, I am hard at work recording, writing and preparing for the best year of Blackout Studios to date. In the meantime pls come check us out on myspace.

Peace and Hair Grease

James

Updated Nov/Dec 2006

Hey Hey Hey,

It must be the holidays. So if you haven't noticed I have not been doing very well with the updates. But that's okay b/c I'm workin hard. 2007 marks the 10th year of Fertile Ground and Blackout Studios. So we will commerate the year with a new album and Live performace DVD (No really this time). In addition we will be putting together a new concert series as well as unveiling a few new projects and artists that I think you will be in to. The ientire Blackout Studios family has plans to release new projects.. The gossip on the streetz is JSOUL has a new album ready, Olu Butterfly is in the Lab, Mark Prince (The drummer for FG) is in the lab working on a killer Jazz album, Navasha Daya is writing more material for a Kid's Songs CD, The Dj Big Game Mix CD will be out, as well as a few more surprises all for 2007. So if you haven't already done so Hop on Myspace and add us to your friends list so we can keep you up to date. Until then.. Happy Holiday, Love and Light

James

September/October Update

FG in Cleveland Unity Fest 2006

So if you don't know by now, you can check out the entire Blackout Studios fam online at myspace.com just click on the blackoutstudios.com splash page for links. I am hard at work in the lab working on the new Fertile Ground album. I should have something for yall to hear real soon. In the mean time there is a great new track that I just finished for Jazz Legend Chico Hamilton. We were asked to take a drum sample from one of Chico's albums and create an entire new song. I wrote a piece entitled timeless which will be available on the Fertile GRound Myspace player later this month. I will be posting new Fertile Ground Tour dates later this month as well for LA, Philly, New York and a few other key spots. Meanwhile come see us down at Organic Soul Tuesdays. Peace and Hair Ointment!!

J

 

August 2006 update

JSOUL, Eric Robeson, Sy Smith and friends rock'n at Soulville in NY at SOB's with FG

 

Ok, so this has been the busiest summer to date for Blackout Studios. Between producing: Jazzy Summer Nights, Organic Soul Tuesdays , Ray Lewis' Summer Days Festival, The African American Heritage Festival, Jazz in July at Mondawmin Mall, Fertile Ground's constant touring, maintaining/expanding our independent music distribution network... It gets busy. But it's the best busy in the world. We look forward to continuing to add flavor and substance to as many aspects of Black art as we can. Kudos to Myron Ruffin for the Black Unity Fest in Cleveland, Eric Robeson for Soulville in New York, Drake Phifer for Urban Organic in Detroit and of course our very own Marc Powers in DC with MN8 enterprise events. Our army is growing stronger everyday. According to Billboard magazine last month "Underground soul" is the net wave of music. But then again they also said Ashanti was the future of R&B so...

So YES fertile ground is working on a new album. We will be hopefully making more advances on it by this fall and have some new music out to you in a few months.The full album should be done by early next year. I will definitely keep you posted. Oh and the DVD has been held up as I mentioned in previous posts. The DVD will still be released but we don't have a date just yet. Again I'll keep ya posted.

Make sure you come out and check out the Blackout Family at the next event in your area click on events for a list of artists and dates

Love and Light

James

 

LAB NOTES

Well, I know alot of you are like "what's up with the updates?" Well funny thing about being a small army that takes on the world,... you end up being a small army trying to take on the world!! I'm officially in the Lab. That's right it is time for yet another Fertile Ground album. I am writing as we speak. And man do I have some things to write about. I am so inspired by the lack of inspiration in the music world. So here we go.

"What about the DVD?" Well, funny you should ask. We are going to re-tape the David to include material featured on the new album. So the DVD won't be out until late summer. Sorry but I promise it will be worth the wait. We will also be working on a new web site this year so -- be patient with us as we make updates. \

Other then that feel free to visit us on Myspace.com and drop us a line

Blackout Studios Fam also In the lab:

Olu Butterfly - Our resident Muse is puttin together her first CD project - yall not ready (trust me)

J S.O.U.L - Check out J's myspace page (click on his name) to hear the single "Welcome Home"

OST -Sounds of the Underground Vol. 1 - Wayna, JSoul, Anthony David, Navasha Daya, Olu Butterfly, Whamae - With a Big Game Twist Summer 2006

Anthony David - One of our favorite singer songwriters to come out of Atlanta is in the lab working on a follow up album to his phenomenal debut effort: 3 Chords and the Truth.

Wayna - This DC-based/Ethiopian-born soul Diva blew us away on stage last year and is now in the lab workin on her second effort. Soon Come Soon come.

 

Fertile Ground European Tour Photo Gallery (Click Here)

Fertile Ground Live! DVD (Vol 1) Click Here for a Preview