The rumors have finally been put to rest! DC Talk
has, in fact, gone “solo”! This is the title of the
new EP (Forefront), which previews two tracks from
Tait (Michael), Kmax (Kevin), and tobyMac (Toby). The
other side of the coin is that, as Toby proclaimed last
month, “DC TALK IS NOT BREAKING UP!” In fact, the band
will be busy playing festival dates this summer. These
shows will feature “solo” sets as well as a DC Talk
set.
Kevin had been poised to leave DC Talk to focus
on a solo career. However, after a long break in 2000,
the band worked out a compromise to stay intact, while
also pursuing solo projects. The creative energy that
fueled DC Talk has found a new outlet in these
upcoming solo records. You’ll clearly hear their own
individual musical influences on “solo”. From the
rock of Michael, to the eclectic pop of Kevin and the
hip-hop edge of Toby.
Michael Tait formed the band, Tait after getting
some of his friends together who shared his love of
rock music. He also brought in guitarist, Pete
Stewart, formerly of Grammatrain. You will hear
Tait’s straightforward rock edge on the song “Alibi”.
You will then hear a more acoustic sound on the
first single “All You Got”, co-written with tobyMac.
Kmax explores his long awaited solo pop creativity on
his tracks. Kevin commented on “Return of the Singer”,
“I’ve always wanted to write a song about the stage
experience. It has been such a big part of my life
from 4 years old to 33. I have felt at home in front
of people.” This song has a great pop/rock
syncopation with a little techno programming from Mark
Townshend. Kmax worked with legendary guitarist/producer,
Adrian Belew on the song “Be”,
which features Kmax’s trademark vibrato. Kevin
spoke about this song too, “Everyone underneath God’s
design and creation has been made individual and
exceptional. If we can’t realize what God created us
to be, then we will always be a shadow of our true
potential.”
tobyMac re-visits his hip-hop roots on “solo”.
“Somebody’s Watching” borrows the chorus from
Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me”. The hip-hop
flavor of this song is enhanced with the female pipes
of Joanna Valencia. Toby has also partnered with a
guy named Mooki (Michael-Anthony-Taylor) on production,
writing, and background vocals. “Extreme Days” is the
hard edged title track from the movie to be released
later this year. This song was the number one rock
single last month on the Christian charts.
All in all “solo” is a great way to sample the future
of DC Talk. The full-solo projects are a terrific
outlet for the guys to have their own individual
creative experiences and later regroup for an even
stronger DC Talk.
Watch for Tait’s “Empty” releasing July 3, Kmax’s
“Stereotype Be” releasing August 28, and tobyMac’s
“Momentum” releasing this fall. Catch the guys at a festival near you. You will find tour dates, merchandise and more at www.dctalk.com .
Kurtis Kegley is a free-lance writer who writes music reviews and concert reviews for Christian Activities.
dc Talk Links:dc Talk e-card
Tait Celebrates #1 Record
The Christian Activities dc Talk Forum is at: dc Talk Forum
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