Album Notes

The Rockrites


"Music to move the soul..."

The heavy grooves, the laid back sound, the vibrant harmonies.....What is that your listening to? It's a perfect blend of roots reggae mixed with some dub, a dash of soul, a sprinkle of world beats, and a large dose of conscious positive lyrics. Sounds like a good recipe, right?! No doubt.....

The rockin' music that you are listening to is the result of several years of love, created by the multi-talented Gidon Shikler. He is the player of all the instruments on the album, except where noted, and is creating one of the most original roots reggae sounds today. Visions of Marley and the great vocal harmony groups of 1970's Jamaica dance through your soul; the horns blaze their way through the forest to reach the valley of the angels; the drum and bass dig their way down to the root of creation.....wake up! It's time to dance.

The range of influences on Gidon's music is as far and wide as the eyes can see. He is adept at mixing the vibes of each style into a unique concoction that flows effortlessly into the listeners ears. His love of reggae, jazz, soul, folk, rock and world music gives him the freedom to reach out and pull in a variety of flavors; yet at the same time he does not forget about keeping things simple and grooving. Groove, as a matter of fact is the most important element in his songs. "A deeper groove is something that cannot be defined, only felt. It is a churning inside of your soul that makes you pull funny faces from the joyous pain that hits your body when the bass, drums and riddim are locked in as one, leaving you in a state of supreme pleasure."

Gidon was born in Holland to a Dutch mother and Israeli father. He was raised in Southern California until the age of fourteen, when he moved to Holland for his high school years. He moved on to London, England where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Photography. This is also where he started playing in bands, mainly as a percussionist. "My main instrument for many years were hand drums of all sorts - djembe's, conga's, dumbek's and so forth. I loved jamming for hours until you reached a sense of musical meditation. Over the years I got back into playing saxophone, drums and guitar and I always loved singing. There is nothing better than feeling your voice blend into a harmony and hearing a pack of horns call out to the Creator..."

Deeper Groove was self produced by Gidon Shikler, and is the first album to be released by him. The art work on the album was hand made by the resident artist Jesse Brossa. Each copy is a unique linoleum print and is a limited original. There is more good music on the way, so be sure to check his band out - "The Rockrites" if they are in a venue near you. There are two websites to check out: www.myspace.com/gidonshikler and www.therockrites.com. They are currently based in Los Angeles and often play shows up in the Bay Area.