Hip-hop artist DJ Seith recently celebrated the release of his new album, True Taxi in Gentle Rain.
The local performer, also known as Shane Erickson, said the album is all about community.
It is something of a concept album where the listener takes a cab ride and overhears a “conversation” with the driver. During the drive, the conversation explores themes of community from the perspective of the cabby who converses with the population daily.
The album release was held (appropriately) at the community hub, Cafe 4 Good, a not-for-profit restaurant that teaches job skills to young people.
The event was well-attended and those present listened to the album while watching an accompanying video and participating in a colouring book featuring scenes depicted on the album.
Seith’s partner Suzie was drafting her second colouring book alongside the production of the album.
“She was so inspired by the music that she wanted to do a colouring book that would provide visuals to the story being told on the album,” said Seith.
The album packaging is a unique concept as well. The physical release of the album is on cassette, the preferred distribution style of the DJ.
The case, which looks like a normal cassette sleeve, can be folded to make a little taxi cab.
The album art and design was a community effort, said Seith, who had an exhaustive list of contributors including but not limited to: “My man Steve out in the UK aka design-aholic, Drop Dead Fresh, Arron Alessandrini, Alec Hanonen, Bobby Lawn, BJ Elise, and more.
“It was unlike anything else I’d really done,’ said Seith.
“The themes on the album reflect on community so I wanted this to be a community effort. I was just really enthused about it and it turns out a lot of other people were as well.”
The album, colouring book and other releases can be found on the DJ’s website here.
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