New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Epic Records) - Once again teaming up with director
Paul Brown (also directed the music video for 'King Without A Crown'),
Matisyahu returns with the first music video from 'Light', his first full-length album in three years.
'The idea was to create this kind of organic, underground vibe of how the music and the message gets spread, which is kind of how it happened for me the first time around. It's just people talking to each other and getting out there, spreading the word. In the video you have kids going around the city and putting up posters and fliers and it kind of creates this buzz thing that happens, and ultimately climaxes into this larger thing,' explains Matisyahu.
'It kind of goes along with the message of the song 'One Day' and the conscious, positive message. I guess it's how consciousness and positivity get spread like a wave. It starts with a few people, one person does this one good thing and it's like a chain, where you go from one good thing to the next. That's the idea of the song, that positivity and goodness can spread in that same kind of way.'
It's been three years since Matisyahu's Grammy-nominated, debut studio album 'Youth'. Since then we've heard 'Live at Stubb's' and 'Shattered'.
Now, Matisyahu returns with 'Light', to be released August 25, 2009 via Epic Records.
'Light' is anything but safe. Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Sublime, the Strokes), the 14-track collection covers a dizzying amount of stylistic ground, from hard-edged dancehall ('Smash Lies') and ska-inflected New Wave ('We Will Walk') to laidback pop-rock ('So Hi So Lo') and acoustic folk-soul ('I Will Be Light').
While reggae is far from absent here - see the old-school toasting in 'Motivate' - 'Light' finds Matisyahu edging away from his comfort zone into more daring territory. 'Being an artist is about being sensitive to how the world resonates inside you and then being able to express it,' he says. 'This process is an ever-changing one.'
Despite the lengthy and varied guest list, 'Light' remains a work traceable only to Matisyahu's unique creative sensibility, an album that reflects more than two years' worth of religious study, particularly the story of the seven beggars by Reb Nachman.
This is the driving spiritual force behind 'Light'. The story is about two children who get lost in a dark forest after fleeing an invasion of their kingdom. Each night a different beggar, each of which suffers from a different ailment, approaches them with food and water. 'I feel this theme, though written as a fairytale in the 1800's, is very relevant to many of the struggles that we face today,' Matisyahu says. 'From child soldiers to child sex slaves to everyday people trying to awaken their broken hearts.'
MATISYAHU ON TOUR
Known for his live shows and ability to connect with fans through music and performance, Matisyahu continues to tour through mid-August. Don't miss your chance to see Matisyahu perform songs from his new album, 'Light'. Follow Matisyahu at WheresMatis.at and Twitter.com/matisyahu for live feeds of his whereabouts and your chance to participate in intimate listening sessions, acoustic jam sessions, and fan meetups.
Here's a taste of what Matisyahu shows are like:
The Perfect Stage Dive - Matisyahu at Central Park 7/9/09
July / August 2009 tour dates:
07.13.09 - The Opera House - Toronto, CAN
07.14.09 - Main Street Armory - Rochester, NY
07.15.09 - Newport Music Hall - Columbus, OH
07.17.09 - Crossroads KC - Kansas City, MO
07.19.09 - Mile High Festival - Commerce City, CO
08.12.09 - The Metro Theatre - Sydney, AUS
08.13.09 - Prince Bandroom - Melbourne, AUS
For the latest tour dates, music and more, go to:
MySpace
Matisyahu Official Website
Matisyahu on Twitter
