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In 2004, BBE Records released a collection of Roy Ayers music which had, until then, never seen the light of day. Ayers gave BBE label boss Peter Adarkwah carte blanche access to a library of hundreds of tunes he'd composed between 1976-1981. The first batch of tunes that Adarkwah chose to release on BBE, entitled "Virgin Ubiquity: Unreleased Recordings 1976-1981," was one of the most anticipated releases that year and contained classic tracks that easily rivaled Ayers' best known works.
The next year, Adarkwah released a second collection of tunes from Ayers' vault, this one containing an early demo of the quintessential "Sunshine." Volume 2 of this series easily rivals the first installment in giving us a glimpse into the musical genius that is Roy Ayers. Think about it?these songs, for whatever reason, didn't make the first cut; they didn't make onto the albums Ayers released during the late 1970s, and they are incredible pieces of music!
It is befitting that the next spin on these rarities should be a remix project. Ayers' has been a tremendous influence on modern musicians and producers from all genres, and this group of remixes reflects the span of his influence. DJ Marky and XRS bring the drum-n-bass twist to "Mystic Voyage." Osunlade, Kenny Dope, and Mr. V add deep house flavour. Aloe Blacc adds the latin touch, while Matthew Herbert's Touch of Ass mix is quirky electronica as only Herbert can deliver.
In addition to the CD release, be sure to check the 12" EP series of remixes as there are a few there that are not on the CD?none of these should be missed.
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