Anyone a bit familiar with the careers of composer/producer Perquisite and singer/songwriter Kris Berry, knows that these artists are convinced of the true meaning of teamwork. Although a collaboration between Kris and Perq seems unlikely at first glance, their album ‘Lovestruck Puzzles’ shows what magic can happen when two artists step out of their comfort zones and two worlds collide. It al started two years ago when Kris was invited to sing at a tribute for Amy Winehouse, who had just passed away. She is in a hurry to hit the stage, as she has only half an hour before she is scheduled for another gig. She jumps on stage, sings a heart-wrenching version of ‘Love Is A Losing Game’ and rushes towards the exit, ready to grab her bike, but finds someone blocking her way: Perquisite. He has a question: if she would like to come over to his studio some day to record a song together. Perquisite: “I was totally blown away by her performance. Shes really in touch with her emotions when she sings.” It’s a no-brainer for Kris. “Of course!” is her response, before jumping on her bike and speeding off to her gig. It would take a while though before they finally got together to work on some music. At the time Kris was busy with what would become her successful debut album ‘Marbles’ (2012) and was playing gigs all over The Netherlands. Perquisite, after wrapping up his successful collaboration with rapper Pete Philly in 2009, had launched a career in the movie-industry and was now working on soundtracks galore. However, the two finally got together at the beginning of 2012. The first get-together in Perquisite’s home-studio meant searching for common ground. Kris: “It was a symbiosis of two worlds, two cultures... and music was the binding factor. We share a love for both melancholy and banging grooves.” The collaboration meant exploring new territory for both Kris and Perq. Kris: “Compared to what I did on ‘Marbles’, I really show another side of myself on this album. The songs I made with Perq are more groove-based and therefore needed a different approach from me as a singer”. Perquisite: “Originally I started off with hip hop. Over the years I began working more and more with live instruments. For the collaboration with Kris, I worked less sample based and aimed for a more organic sound, inspired by the sound of the late sixties and early seventies. We often started a song at the piano. Only until we felt the song was totally right, we took it to the studio to build it out.” Their studio sessions continued and after a few months they had finished quite a few songs. The idea of making a whole album together was the next logical step. The result, ‘Lovestruck Puzzles’, became a melancholic and intensely personal album, on which the flowing top lines and expressive lyrics of Kris and the inventive, layered productions and harmonies of Perquisite mix in a natural way. One would almost say: like a puzzle that fits together just right.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 08:43:03 +0000
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