A recent statistic noted that more than 100,000 songs are uploaded to digital streaming platforms a day. That’s an astronomical number, but for as many songs that get released to the public, there are an untold number of tracks that will never see the light of day. From artists not being confident in releasing their art to full albums that got shelved by a record company to bits and pieces of compositions sitting on an old, forgotten hard drive, the reasons why are many. British electronic soul trailblazer Steve Spacek had his reasons for holding some of his music back, but thanks to technology, he’s been able to salvage and repurpose four productions on the EP Blue Room.
Steve, who now calls Australia home, was a member of the group Spacek before releasing his debut solo album Spaceshift in 2005. He had an underground hit out of the gate with his lead single “Dollar,” which was produced by none other than J Dilla and featured Steve singing over a hypnotic sample of Billy Paul’s “Let The Dollar Circulate.” After reissuing the album in 2024 and including the previously unreleased Dilla production “This One Feels Alright” on the collection, Steve Spacek has unlocked more jams from his vault full of vibes.
Blue Room contains collaborations with a handful of R&B and hip-hop legends. The song “They Don’t Know You” features bars by Common and vocals from Raphael Saadiq and Ledisi over Steve’s hip-hop funk production. Saadiq comes back for “Hey” and sings to his lady with a freestyle flow while riding the beat. Q-Tip steps to the mic to join Spacek on “P.B.R.” and welcome listeners to the “Pookie Blue Room.” Raphael returns on the soulful groove “Something Tells Me.” Though sparse on lyrics, it features supporting vocals and a dreamy soundscape by Steve to end the project.
Steve Spacek was determined for these songs to come out one way or another. “‘Blue Room’ is a labour of love spanning a little over two decades,” he shared before giving more insight into their creation. “They were more or less unfinished songs from a few recording sessions at Raphael Saadiq’s Blakeslee Studios in LA. With amazing talent the likes of Common and Q-Tip – to name but a few – passing through Raphael's studio on a daily basis, I ended up with a bunch of unfinished gems.”
Though the music was quality, the songs were incomplete and not ready for the world until recently according to Spacek. “Fast forward to present and thanks to new technologies like stem separation, I was able to finish up and polish off the four songs featured on ‘Blue Room.’ I am finally and truly happy with the finished project,” he enthusiastically stated.
We’re glad that Steve Spacek decided to dig in his crates and complete this unfinished business. He’s given these songs another life and the release that they deserve.
Steve Spacek Blue Room [Apple Music][Bandcamp][TIDAL]
- Advertisement -