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A collaborative effort between musician and vocalist Nikole Texidor and KarmetiK’s Manjinder Benning, The Power of Yang is an ethereal, poppy blend of jazz and folk tunes with a dash of electronic sounds and Indian instrumentation. The daughter of jazz percussionist J. Habao Texidor, who performed with Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Nikole has definitely inherited her father’s talent; in addition to lead vocals and penning all but one song, she plays everything from guitar to glass cups to the South African kalimbe on this record. Also impressive is that Texidor and Benning don’t simply stick to their areas of expertise outlined in the liner notes; Texidor tries her hand at electronic production on a few tracks, while Benning throws in guitar, vocals and even some beat boxing in addition to his tabla (most prominitely featured on “Irrationalities”) and electronics. The Power of Yang has a very dream-like quality to it—Texidor’s voice seems to float in through your headphones, guiding you from one tune to the next. The multiple layers of vocals add to this quality, which makes for a pretty sound, but I found myself wanting to hear a bit more of Texidor’s raw voice—we get a bit of a taste of it in the first verse of “Un Hiver Sous Les Draps.” Call this one jazzy fem-folk 2.0—a pleasant and pretty album with an eastern edge, courtesy of some talented musicians and writers indeed.
-Amanda Farrell-Low
http://mondaymag.com/articles/entry/cd-review-niktex - Monday Magazine
Discography
2010 - The Power of Yang (Independant)
2006 - L'Arlesienne : La fille qu'on attend mais qui n'arrive jamais (Independant)
2006 - Live at Studio 80 (Independant)
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Bio
Supported by the Canada Council for the Arts in 2009, NikTex have just finished their new album "The Power of Yang".
Hailing from Montreal, Nikole Texidor was heavily influenced by her father - a prominent Jazz Percussionist who performed with Rahsaan Roland Kirk. The stories he told of being on the road and sharing the stage with Artists such as Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix were times where she wished she had a tape recorder.
In her inheritance is her father's talent.
J.Habao Texidor 1941-2007
Roland Kirk 1935-1977
A collaborative effort between musician and vocalist Nikole Texidor and KarmetiK’s Manjinder Benning, NikTex's debut album "The Power of Yang" is an ethereal, poppy blend of jazz and folk tunes with a dash of electronic sounds and Indian instrumentation.
It began as a neo-folk-jazz solo project and took on a new direction halfway through the recording of the album in 2009.
Benning's expertise in electronic music production added an explosive flavour to Texidor's songs and an eclectic mix of Indian and other worldly flavours with the tabla, synths and drums.
"Texidor and Benning don’t simply stick to their areas of expertise outlined in the liner notes of the album; Texidor tries her hand at electronic production on a few tracks, while Benning throws in guitar, vocals and even some beat boxing in addition to his tabla.
Call this one jazzy fem-folk 2.0—a pleasant and pretty album with an eastern edge, courtesy of some talented musicians and writers indeed."
-Amanda Farrell-Low, Monday Magazine
Engineered and Mixed by Corwin Fox Supported by Canada Council for the Arts.
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