It's Spring and flowers are in bloom.
Soul music great, Minnie Riperton, left a powerful body of work that continues to influence artists across multiple genres and generations. Riperton's uncanny 5 octave vocal range with an impeccable whistle register, however, has inspired and intimidated artists so much so that there have been very few covers of her music. The Decoders, a Los Angeles production duo, went directly to the heart to rectify that matter.
Producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist, Itai Shapira approached his mentor Richard Rudolph, Riperton's husband and musical partner, about the possibility of reinventing their legendary songs. Emboldened by Rudolph's enthusiasm, Shapira recruited his friend Todd Simon, trumpeter/arranger for Mayer Hawthorne, TV on the Radio, the Lions, etc. and The Decoder's was born. Sharing a love of Jamaican Lovers Rock the duo have revisited, recorded and released singles for an upcoming EP featuring several classic soul songs administered by Rudolph. The EP project delivers it's fourth single as a cover of “Le Fleurs" a classic from Riperton's album Come Into My Garden. Shapira had the unusual idea of engaging Boston Fielder, founder of the experimental arts collective MuthaWit and the URB ALT Festival, to interpret the song. “When Itai first approached me about 'Le Fleurs I was flattered," says Fielder, “but also tickled because my natural vocal register is on the opposite end of the scale from Minnie's. I enjoyed the subversive simplicity of that idea and, of course, having Richard offer great encouragement about my approach was wonderful." Le Fleurs, released publicly on March 28, has been realized as a sensual jam with layered vocals, colorful strings by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and percolating island rhythms featuring some of the hottest musicians from the LA music scene.
The Decoders believe strongly in the regenerative power of music. “Le Fleurs" featuring Boston Fielder looks back fondly on the mastery of Minnie Riperton while arching towards the possibilities that her magical sound suggested. Le Fleurs...the flowers...are afterall the first hopeful signs of renewal as winter dances into Spring.
Soul music great, Minnie Riperton, left a powerful body of work that continues to influence artists across multiple genres and generations. Riperton's uncanny 5 octave vocal range with an impeccable whistle register, however, has inspired and intimidated artists so much so that there have been very few covers of her music. The Decoders, a Los Angeles production duo, went directly to the heart to rectify that matter.
Producer, engineer and multi-instrumentalist, Itai Shapira approached his mentor Richard Rudolph, Riperton's husband and musical partner, about the possibility of reinventing their legendary songs. Emboldened by Rudolph's enthusiasm, Shapira recruited his friend Todd Simon, trumpeter/arranger for Mayer Hawthorne, TV on the Radio, the Lions, etc. and The Decoder's was born. Sharing a love of Jamaican Lovers Rock the duo have revisited, recorded and released singles for an upcoming EP featuring several classic soul songs administered by Rudolph. The EP project delivers it's fourth single as a cover of “Le Fleurs" a classic from Riperton's album Come Into My Garden. Shapira had the unusual idea of engaging Boston Fielder, founder of the experimental arts collective MuthaWit and the URB ALT Festival, to interpret the song. “When Itai first approached me about 'Le Fleurs I was flattered," says Fielder, “but also tickled because my natural vocal register is on the opposite end of the scale from Minnie's. I enjoyed the subversive simplicity of that idea and, of course, having Richard offer great encouragement about my approach was wonderful." Le Fleurs, released publicly on March 28, has been realized as a sensual jam with layered vocals, colorful strings by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and percolating island rhythms featuring some of the hottest musicians from the LA music scene.
The Decoders believe strongly in the regenerative power of music. “Le Fleurs" featuring Boston Fielder looks back fondly on the mastery of Minnie Riperton while arching towards the possibilities that her magical sound suggested. Le Fleurs...the flowers...are afterall the first hopeful signs of renewal as winter dances into Spring.
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