|
| In an industry that puts great store behind status and reputation, Bobby and IZ Avila are remarkably humble and unassuming. It's almost hard to believe that the two young California natives have contributed music to albums by some of today's hottest artists. Bobby's and IZ's resume reads like a "who's who" in the music industry: Usher, Janet Jackson; Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Yolanda Adams, Mya, and Toni Braxton among others.
While producing and writing for other artists has allowed Bobby and IZ to reach a new level within the competitive world of music, they're not content to rest on their laurels. Instead, they have immersed themselves in an artform that allows the free expression of their boundless creativity. Now, the Avila Brothers are fully prepared to show the world another dimension of their artistry with the release of their first album The Mood: Soundsational. The album is an expansive musical excursion into the many diverse aspects of these multi-talented brothers' skills, from soulful vocalizing to cutting-edge production. Ask Bobby and IZ how they describe what they've created with The Mood: Soundsational, and almost in unison they respond, "It's real musicians creating timeless music."
That the album, which is to be released on their own label ABX Records, should cover such a diversity of music is no surprise given the pair's influences - everyone from Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway and Prince to A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde and Public Enemy with Steely Dan and James Taylor in there somewhere! "Our influences are vast," says IZ, "from hip-hop to Earth, Wind & Fire. That's why our album is based in making good music…not chasing the 'flavor' of the month…"
From "Tilt Ya Cups" (featuring J Records' Sly Boogy) which IZ describes as "a backyard boogie kind of record for the cats with the jeeps!" to the emotive ballad "Let It Go" (introducing female vocalist Shelea) the Avila Brothers present an album that is sure to find favor with music buyers who can relate to the old school sounds of the Marvin Gaye-influenced "I Want You," a feel-good cut and the album's first single as well as the 'in-yo-face' hard grooves like "It's Over Now," a high-energy dancefloor-ready hit (featuring Ahmad of 4TH Avenue Jones fame). "The record has our 'signature' sound, some vintage sounds, some groove-driven tracks, something for everybody," says Bobby.
Making The Mood: Soundsational represents a natural progression for the two brothers who have been involved with music in one form or another since as far back as they can remember. Raised in a household in which their father played in various Top 40 bands, Bobby was playing piano at the age of three and even appeared in a couple of movies.
Now comes The Mood: Soundsational, which IZ says the duo worked on "gradually." "It's a special record for us and some of the material was written while we were producing other artists and we'd say, 'nah, let's keep this one for ourselves!' We always knew we'd do our own record but it had to be at the right time, after we'd had a certain amount of success as producers and writers," IZ explains. Notes brother Bobby, "It's a natural progression for us and we knew after the Usher record came out and sold two-and-a-half-million copies in its first week that it was time for us to really focus on our own project."
With its different flavors, The Mood: Soundsational evokes the Avila Brothers' influences while keeping the distinctive sound they've created very much in the foreground. Take "Love's Mystery," a duet between Bobby and Shelea, a member of the Flyte Tyme family: "Yes, that's a song where we dipped into our Stevie Wonder bag much like the tune "Smile" is a cross between Stevie and A Tribe Called Quest!" The album contains smooth groove tunes such as "Let It Go" (also featuring Shelea) and tracks like "Something To Feel" (featuring Dirty Birdy, a rapper which Bobby says, "has that East Coast influence with West Coast lyrics!" ) The track "Give The Horns Some" is the brothers' nod to the funky sounds of James Brown and the JBs, whose music could often be heard in the Avila household back in the day; in contrast, the ballad "Nic Of Time" evokes the sounds "of Bruce Hornsby, a little Lionel Richie, maybe James Taylor," notes Bobby, adding that all three were also prime influences for the team.
For the Avila Brothers, The Mood: Soundsational is "a launching pad for our label ABX Records as well as an opportunity for us to be free creatively. We want to be a 'face' with a name. Sure, we're producers and we'll continue to work with other artists but doing this album is like our investment in ourselves and that's the best investment you can make."
With plans to perform ("we love doing live shows with a full band," says IZ) and working on records with such name artists as Earth, Wind & Fire ("which was like, 'damn, we're in the studio with Maurice White!'" says Bobby), Toni Braxton, Gwen Stefani, & Heather Headley the Avila Brothers confess that time is precious.
"Look, we're always going to be in the studio. Once the lights are out [in the studio], it's too hard to turn them back on!" says IZ. "But getting this album out there is a major priority for us." And says Bobby, "For us, this album is about going back to basics. Our mission is to bring people freshness, youth and good music with this record."
One listen to The Mood: Soundsational and there's no doubt that as with everything else they've been doing lately, The Avila Brothers can clearly say, "mission accomplished." |
Big Jon Platt
