Farin,
(pronounced Far'-in) is a truly unique artist. His story is a perfect example
of how the disparate elements of modern
life can combine to create distinct and sometimes unlikely creative expressions. Little Rock, Arkansas
was the start of Monty Rateliff’s musical journey. Growing up in middle America
exposed him to classic Blues, Rock, Soul
and Country & Western. It was only a
matter of time before the revolutionary music of Jamaican Reggae artists, like
Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, captivated him and provided an impetus to
express conscious lyrics that provoke
thought and inspire action. In pursuit
of his musical vision, Monty went to Jamaica and was rewarded for taking his bold steps of faith. He found Love and got married; stayed in
Montego Bay for a while before moving on to his wife's home of Kingston. It was in Jamaica that he was given the name
Farin, which is a patois expression for an American. Farin recruited the
talents of Grammy Award winner Daryl Thompson (who has worked with Sly and
Robbie and Peter Tosh) to expertly craft
a solid foundation for the "Policy" Album. Completing the production team was David
Ampong to handle the engineering and mixing.
Farin produced all the tracks, with the exception of 'One Miatellya’, produced by David.
While
the music is primarily rooted in Reggae, it incorporates a panorama of other
worldy influences that give it a distinctive, cosmopolitan sound. Farin fuses traditional Roots Reggae instrumentation with the
sequencers and samplers, common to dance hall and hip- hop. At times, reminiscent of Big Audio Dynamite,
other times Thievery Corporation comes to mind.
There is a layered texture to the recording, that gives it an edge. The vocals have a more decidedly ragamuffin
rubadub delivery. It's a sound you might hear on satellite radio moving somewhere
between Kingston and London.
The
sound reflects the emerging synthesis of ideas and viewpoints, with a
musically eclectic aesthetic. Farin is currently based in Atlanta, where he
continues to push forward his musical vision to the next phase, where the
public gets the chance to experience the live show.
