Album

Rebelinx aka Linx blend elements of Urban Soul, Jazz, Reggae, Electro Fusion and World Beats. Linx a saxophonist turned vocalist along with his talented crew Massive from New York to British Columbia, Bulgaria to The UK; has amassed a Live eclectic style transcending musical borders with many talent artists music in front and behind the music. Recently his journey landed him back in Brooklyn, New York mighty Toad studio where Linx has been collaborating with producer Tony Doherty and engineer owner Craig Dreyer and arranged and composed by Linx remixed by Brian Brodie with the newest album entitled ‘The Reborn’ released Sept 07 2020. Due to the Covid 19 he’s had to abandon the rest of the making of this album but used this studio demo entitle ‘Soul Rebirth’ as a promo to the release. Working with talented musicians from BC, New York, and the UK an urban soul jazz instrumental he hopes to officially release in 2021 expanding his new sound in his own right.

2 years after the remarkable surgery that saved his life from an acute stomach infection 6months in hospital and diagnosis with meningitis paralyzing the facial nerves in his face and limiting his sax playing while living in Madrid/Spain. Rebelinx a year after received the gift of life Kidney transplant. He finally returned from his European film tour in 2006 on the brink of a renewed vision. During his recovery, the producer, director of film and music producer of the soundtrack “Fade to Black Blood Child’ and ‘Dope New Soul Cats’ decided to focus his talent and learn the new operating system by Apple/Logic. Under the guidance of local Juno nominee, musician, producer, engineer Joey Turco he delivers a virtuosic solo album wrought with experimental intrigue. The album became a work in progress to his passion for music with an energetic blues & roots vocabulary and soulful melodic inventions, accompanied by beat box and an electric synthesizer.

The experimental album from Rebelinx, an intrepid project incorporates lyrics and beat box that blends elements of jazz, reggae, spoken word, and indie pop, and offers some agreeable surprises. Fistula signals the absence of Linx previous work with producer Chris Guy aka ‘Clev’ from the original roster of Clev $ Linx, but welcomes Joey Turco for his place, who puts in his experience on the mix. The material on this recording was inspired by many factors, but perhaps the most significant of them has to do with the challenge of recovery in poetic forms picked by Linx now Rebelinx to write the lyrics for each tune.

With words inspired by and dedicated to St. Pauls hospital nurses & doctors ‘Fistula’ is a pure delight. It kicks off with a spirited vibe “Don’t Stop The Music” where Linx beautiful voice effects takes us to the realms of his dance roots. To the final section of the albums wide-ranging beat box “What Up Digga [Remix]” what has exclusively become a journey in life along side electronic drums as his backdrop. Playing like a funk opera lament, “Drop On By” features regular small groove activity and sparse chords with Linx vocals atop. This pattern is dismantled and renewed with a view for unison melodies as well as improvisations on the keys. Both “Shouldn’t Of Left Her” and “Beautiful” denote fleeting tempo shifts (duple to triple) and feature Linx easy, elastic vocals at the fore. The former piece launches into pitch-bending vocals before gradually adding rhythm and intimate drumming, the latter introduce a ruminative discourse that anticipates the simple 4/4 groove. Linx turns up the distortion levels on “Big Culture Moves” & Iandi Jah, a ragga endeavour with alternation of tranquil and explosive passages. Further experimenting and inventing self in “Can’t Wait No Longer” a swift improvisation crammed with sinister notes and intervals, and Linx, who sings beautifully in the company of “Won’t Let You Slow Down”, are engaging. His mighty presence also juices up “What A Chameleon”, whose beat tones conjure his own Inspired power of Herbie Hancock ‘Head Hunters’ version of “Chameleon”.

The Fistula album is a shape shifter full of musical constellations that include an uncommon poignancy in the poetic vocal parts, with heavy ragga and dance passages, electronic disturbances, and some neo-psychedelia.

Rebelinx, who always takes the music to another dimension with such extraordinary talent, creates another powerful album. And, damn, how life is one big experiment!

Clev $ Linx are west coast soul and funk outfit. Their last album was 2005 ‘Dope New Soul Cats’ choc-full of the sounds that has made the group a hit on the continental circuit since their inception on Linx short film ‘Fade to Black Blood Child’ soundtrack in 2004. That’s to say the music was full of talented North American artists energy; aimed straight at the dance floor. Since 2006 the duo has undergone a major personnel change. For reasons never fully explained (Linx failing health and miracle kidney transplant and Producer, guitarist, Chris Guy aka Clev’ left to follow his photography career), now replaced by Saxophonist vocalist Linx aka Rebelinx, big switch to music production that hasn’t really changed.

The year was 2005, Linx aka Rebelinx had traveled by plane, train and automobiles from Vancouver, the UK /London, Prague/Czech republic, Spain /Barcelona and Poland /Polanica-Zdrój touring his film and performing at these festival engagements following the success of the release ‘Fade to Black’ short film entitled ‘Blood Child’. After a particularly memorable production with partner Chris Guy aka ‘Clev and the afro Canadian cast and crew along side contributing performers rappers Motoe1, Ndidi Cascade, Dov Shalyn Grey and vocalist Karine Zamore. Zenobia Salik and Nicole Paris came a remarkable mix of Soul, RnB, Hip Hop and also Spoken Word by actor/musician Blu Mankuma who would join the duo for some poetic intro written by Linx from the aforementioned album ‘Blood Child. Linx publicist the late Bill Wanstrom picked up on this right away, suggesting that the guys do a record together. This suggestion was met with ‘Dope New Soul Cats’ the following year. Thus an off-the-cuff comment sparked the collaboration between Clev $ Linx and a vision of the north western Afro-Canadian showcase highlighting unity in the most impactful period of the start of the 21 century in Vancouver Black film & music scene.

Linx Sax, Richard Brown and Darren Paris eagerly arrived in Vancouver studio of engineer Joey Turco for the recording session, after compositions of the album was put together in a summer 2012 living in Brooklyn, New York an hanging with long time friend and mentor Devon ‘Metro” Martin. ‘Pussy Cat Meow starts full-swing with Darren Paris bass and Richard Brown drum meter holding down this ballad to Argentine Tango. “Destiny” creates a great atmosphere of various Bollywood colors meets Bhangra beat, connecting the different musical flavors of the theatrical vocals and choir. In a very elegant way Linx and Diane Phillips cover of ‘Simply Beautiful’ by Al Green bring something unique and powerful to the piece during Linx inspired improvisational segments. “Soca Shango” brings the ensemble to full-swing of his Trinidadian roots; Yoruba(orishas) and carnival expressions for playing mass, which could explain the imposing hook “Shango” and the passionate electro and socio/political voice in ‘Only Love’. Pulling from a rock and roll banks “Black Crows” is Rebelinx diversity and melodic acuity of sounds in wonderful form. On an alternate take, ‘Funky Samurai and ‘Go ahead and take a bow’ which is Rebelinx hint at vocals in dance music, as you can hear Linx playing sax beautifully over the changes. Rebelinx brought in “So Hip So Samba”, a bright-tempoed Latin inspired piece of his pen. The album concludes with a energetic bonus Dance and remix ‘Don’t make me cry’ ft Sheri Stewart and “Only Love remix”. Rebelinx demonstrate his world vocabulary and jazzy feel of primordial, electro rhythmic underpinnings. A stellar cast of musicians out with some marvelous, soulful melodic stuff, accompanies the ‘Destiny’ album. Years after spawning an independent film career, FTBLK Records is ecstatic to offer audiences another snapshot of the vitality of the jazz scene of artist Rebelinx with stunning agility and coalescence that are shaping the jazz idiom over the course of their extensive careers.

Canada singer-saxophonist-songwriter-producer REBELINX Aka Linx Sax burst onto the scene way back in 2004 via an eponymous black film and video career. In no time at all it won him a following, the “Destiny” album the year 2015 found accolade at the peak of the Bulgarian Alps. Locations around Europe continue to get more and more exotic, but we’re yet to stumble upon an event quite as unique as Perilick Eco Jazz Fest in Bulgaria a sold out performance. High up in the Mountains, a multi-genre music festival situated near Smolyan, Bulgaria. From the journey to the festival itself, to the four days of performances, costumes, theatrics and general quirkiness that makes Perilick so idiosyncratic, this is indeed the most Jazz adventure Rebelinx and the band massive have blended together. You see the ‘Destiny’ come alive stuffed with everything that the album 2014 debut. There’s the sweet fusion of modern soul and jazz, the memorable melodies, the spoken words, ‘Soca Shango’ and percussive beats, the layered harmonies with the added attraction of bringing the past 5 years and 5days to the stage at 7000ft. Songs from the aforementioned album ‘Only Love’ offer plenty of thoughtful socio/political soul searching solo’s from Andy Berman on guitar to Linx Sax vocal reflections on ‘Destiny’ indo/bhangra beat and Bengame Gadiel-amnon Bass renditions, offering plenty of diversity especially in the added soft keys contributions Mihail Filipov highlighted by drummer and local Bulgarian Nikola Goryalov in the opening ‘Pussy Cat Meow.’ Equally intriguing is the messages in between ‘Song for the living.’ This is another message inspired by Diane Phillips (on the original album) who suggested that all those souls that pass are never gone but here amongst us to guide and create; make room for them0_0 DONE

The Reborn album is the soul sound mixed with a mid 90s New York… think live instrumental funk with it’s core, Michael Gray drums, Theo Moore percussions, Andy Berman guitar and Linx – sax and keyboards and now vocals, as arranger you’ll know that the sound is eclectic, rhythmic, and conscious all the time! The repertoire falls into two distinct categories. First there are the original songs like the cool pimp-out soul ‘Let It Go’ and the up-tempo RnB classic ‘Inner City Blues’. That latter was one of the most popular releases 1971 singles by Marvin Gaye that raised awareness during America’s post civil rights and anti war movements. Then there are Rebelinx versions of protest originals of his own like ‘The Get Up’, ‘Hood Gone Crook,’ and ‘Broken Pride’. Not to mention his toasts to Garage/House track ‘Hold On’ and lovers rock version ‘Jiggy Boom’. But whether Rebelinx was handling original material or a well-known cover, his magnificent alto sax made the songs his masterful own. To hear just how good try ‘Let it Go’, the track for which the album is inspired. This Rebelinx’s popular single and, inexplicably, a resounding chart topper. In this 2020 long awaited release highlighting the track on his newest ‘Soul/RnB’ collection and if that’s not recommendation enough to investigate Rebelinx and the band Massive a little more, I don’t know what is!