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Roots Feeling Synth-y On 'Game Theory' Follow-Up |
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Tuesday, 06 February 2007 |
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 The Roots' Def Jam debut, "Game Theory," isn't even six months old, but
the group is already at work on its follow-up, which drummer Ahmir Thompson tells Billboard.com will either be out in October
2007 or February 2008.
"We are using a lot of synthesizer, but I don't know
if I could call this the electronic album or not," Thompson says.
"Pretty much five or six songs are done, and four of them are
synth-heavy."
The Roots have also recorded an original song, "I Will
Not Apologize," based on an old track from Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti.
"I know somehow I'm going to find the common thread of all this stuff,"
Thompson offers. "I don't know what to call it, but it's something."
Thompson admits "Game Theory" may have been a bit of a downer both in
music and subject matter, but he says the Roots have invigorated the
material now that they're finally on tour in the United States. The
group plays San Francisco tonight (Feb. 7) and tomorrow, before
headlining a special pre-Grammy show in L.A. on Saturday with Jill
Scott, Lupe Fiasco and Akon.
"['Game Theory'] is so melancholy and emotional and
moody that our current live show absolutely betrays the feeling of that
album," Thompson says. "I don't know what happened -- no one gave us
the memo. We decided this is going to be our most exclamation
point-filled show ever."
"Also, we've presented our show very differently," he
continues. "We're up to a 10-man group and it's not one, long
three-hour show. We're like our own opening act, middle act and
headline act. We do different configurations of all 10 of us. It's a
whole new energy. I can even tell by the reviews on our Web site that
people notice a difference."
Thompson says he is unfazed by the marketplace response to "Game
Theory," which shifted 61,000 copies in its first week but only 113,000
since. He points to Def Jam president Jay-Z as an example of how even
for superstar acts, going gold might be the new platinum.
"Even my president, with a $20 million campaign, has a
victory at 1.3 million copies," he says of Jay'Z's "Kingdome Come." "We
knew this album was going to have as much to do with the marketplace as
Barbra Streisand on the soul charts. But the way I look at it, this is
definitely a return to form for us. Critics say we got our mojo back
and our fan base agreed. That's really all we were concerned about."
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