Song of the Day: Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno - A Life Worth Living (feat. U-Roy & Alice Russell)

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole, is “A Life Worth Living (feat. U-Roy & Alice Russell)” by Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno from the 2016 album 1000 Watts on Tru Thoughts.

Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno - A Life Worth Living (MP3)

Will Holland has traveled the world with his ear for production and musical talent, and as a result has 16 full lengths out under multiple variations of his moniker Quantic. Hailed as a master beat crafter before going on to tackle the tropical influences of his travel, the musician has touched upon everything from soul to dub. From Quantic Soul Orchestra to the salsa hit "Mi Swing Es Tropical" to the Quantic and His Combo Barbara project, Holland has long shown his ability to sponge up influences from his experiences and use them to craft time-less genre defying music. The influences of a stint in Cali, Colombia, where he established his own studio, led to the Cumbia-Reggae project Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno. Holland is in Brooklyn now, but the upcoming third album from Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno shows Holland back in a Colombia state of mind. 1000 Watts takes up where he left off, not just fusing Cumbia and Reggae influences but also showing how the two have shaped and influenced each other and himself. Joined by the likes of legendary Jamaican drummer Santa Davis and the late keyboard king Ikey Owens in the studio, Holland recruited quite the cast for Quantic's third presentation of Flowering Inferno. Single "A Life Worth Living" which features long time-collobarator Alice Russell and dub legend U-Roy, assures that even with all the star power, Holland's voice and vision shine through strongly. The song features rolling drums and the marriage of trumpet and saxophone to create a swanky melody that strolls through the percussive wah of guitar. The vocal dual threat that Russell and U-Roy offer serves as icing on the cake, showing why any Quantic project is a project worth listening.

Quantic Presenta Flowering Inferno is currently touring Europe, but keep an eye on Holland's website and Facebook for possible U.S. tour news. In the meantime check out his performance from 2014, when he was last in the KEXP studio: