Castor, The Twin, by Dessa

Castor, The Twin

by Dessa

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Immediate download of 11-track album in your choice of high-quality MP3, FLAC, or just about any other format you could possibly desire.

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1.	551 04:00	download
2.	Kites 03:59	download
3.	Mineshaft 04:37	download
4.	The Chaconne 04:36	download
5.	Into The Spin 02:23	download
6.	Dixon's Girl 03:17	download
7.	The Crow 03:13	download
8.	Alibi 03:39	download
9.	Palace 03:12	download
10.	Mineshaft II 04:11	download
11.	The Beekeeper 04:06	download

about

Dessa’s first full-length record, A Badly Broken Code, introduced her to a national audience as a rapper, a singer, and a potent, imaginative lyricist. It earned a binder of superlative reviews from sources like NPR, The Seattle Times, and AM New York. To tour the album, she assembled a small cast of talented instrumentalists to re-interpret the disc for a dynamic live concert. Part rap show and part cabaret, the elegant presentation charmed both audiences and critics—not a negligible feat in hip hop, a genre with its share of purists.

Castor, The Twin captures these new arrangements for ten of Dessa’s strongest previously released songs. It also includes “The Beekeeper,” the haunting advance single from Dessa’s new album due in 2012. Vibraphone, piano, viola, and stand-up bass give the record a classical, sometimes orchestral sound for a beautiful and somber effect. The album is immediately identifiable as an intimate recording of live players, with fingers sliding on frets and raw, expressive vocals. The organic instrumentation pushes Dessa’s lyrics forward, showcasing the imagery and narratives that define her as a songwriter and an emcee.

The album title references the twin brothers Castor and Pollux of Roman mythology, the pair of bright stars in the Gemini constellation. Pollux was part god, a fighter with metal hands. Castor was the mortal of the pair, but the two were inseparable. After cutting her teeth with her Doomtree cohorts behind the boards, this is Dessa’s first record with a wholly organic sound—more tender, human versions of the best material she’s released so far.

“Enchanting.”
–Chicago Tribune

“Dessa has emerged as one of the most diverse and talented artists in indie rap.”
–URB

“A one-woman powerhouse...with a literary sensibility and an aversion to genre clichés”
–Utne Reader

credits

released 04 October 2011

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about

Doomtree is a collective of seven friends who live in Minneapolis and make music together. They’ve earned acclaim for genre- defying recordings, explosive live performances, and their fierce loyalty to one another. Members include P.O.S, Dessa, Sims, Cecil Otter, Mike Mictlan, Lazerbeak, and Paper Tiger. The DIY outfit has built an international fanbase one city, one show, and one song at a time. ... more