“Be Thankful” is the brand-new EP from Brighton-based producer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist J-Felix (Joe Newman). Following on from the success of his formative sophomore album ‘Whole Again Hooligan’, “Be Thankful” combines remixes by friends of album tracks, with an up-tempo stellar cover of R&B/soul legend – William DeVaughn’s “Be Thankful For What You Got”, featuring the vocal flair of Jerry Clavier aka Sol Goodman.
Remixers come from a strong pool of Brighton talent, including the likes of warped-electronic producer and Joe’s studio cohabitator – Slugabed; album collaborator and overall trailblazer in the UK beat scene – El Train; former Tru Thoughts label-mate and heavy-hitter in the club world – Titeknots; and one half of Rhythm Section’s SAUL and producer in his own right – Footshooter.
Talking about the message behind “Be Thankful” in the current context of COVID-19, Joe explains: “It was a happy mistake or a coincidence! We recorded this cover way before we even knew what a Corona Virus was, but it seems very appropriate for the time we’ve been going through. Having limited access to what we do usually, consuming less and not being able to travel has forced most of us to stop for a minute. Despite the financial and professional anxiety, I have felt, for me this has meant spending more time with my family, something this year hasn’t enabled me to do that much so far! So, for that I am very thankful.” He adds, “I think we are all extremely thankful for our NHS too at the moment, so this one goes out to our national health workers and all key workers staying strong through this. I Salute you!”
We’re excited to premiere Footshooter’s remix of ‘Us’:
“I picked ‘Us’ to remix from the record as I loved Afua’s vocal on it and wanted to work with it! It’s a really well-written tune too. I wanted to experiment with what she’d laid down in the vocal in terms of rhythm, and try and work in some beats that played off the syncopation in her line, and it was fun building something fresh out of the process.” – Footshooter
If ‘Whole Again Hooligan’ was an album that allowed us to escape the divisive world around us with pure positivity, then “Be Thankful” is an EP of reflectivity, in the words of William DeVaughn: “remember brothers and sisters, you can still stand tall. Just be thankful for what you’ve got”. Order your copy here.