Howie B, composer and music producer has worked with U2, Bjork and Sinead O Connor his latest project with Bowers & Wilkins and Maserati is very forward-thinking and innovative, and it's unlikely to be anything you've ever heard before. The legendary producer came up with the idea of using the engine of a Maserati to create a bassline for a number of tracks, sampling the roar of the sports car to mix three tracks In his own words, Howie wanted to mix beauty and machoism in the songs' in the project, which he confirmed involved months of painstaking planning and testing. Hes certainly achieved that and more; when we listened to the tracks at Abbey Road through the Bowers & Wilkins speakers the incredible power of the songs was simply stunning, and it's clear all objectives have been met. The first track he played for us, entitled Note One, opens gently with the Maserati engine and a female vocal, then gradually more voices come in, along with drums. It keeps building up in volume, until reaching a crescendo and the last 30 seconds of the track are really something very special indeed. Second track Note Two is considerably more gentle, Howie described it as flamboyant and having a Spanish feel to it. Its a laid-back, almost ponderous track, with some brilliant female vocals, and a gentle, woozy feel reminiscent of All I Need by French band Air. Theres a fantastic part in the song where the music stops and the Maserati engine gets louder and louder the tempo picks up and the drums get livelier, and it's at this point you really stop questioning the value of what some might see as an empty gimmick. Third track Note One (RPM remix) is a cool reinvention of the first track, Howie said it has a wee bit of an Isaac Hayes feel to it, adding that its deep and dirty' and its certainly got a more electronic feel to it than the other two tracks. Howie B is also working on another track in the same vein, which is a 30-minute long orchestral piece, and which hes hoping that itll be a commercial release. On the strength of this teaser, it could make some waves if that is realised.
The producer said that hes really happy with the songs, and said that when Maserati heard them they stood up and applauded, and it's not hard to see why. Hes also got an album coming out in November and is working on some film scores in the US. Howie B has been performing these tracks around the world on the Seven Notes World Tour, which climaxes with the London event on the 17th of July. The event, which celebrates the partnership between Maserati and Bowers & Wilkins, promises to be a sonic and visual feast, with live music and a presentation of the Seven Notes music by Howie B, interactivity and, of course, the Maserati cars themselves. Also appearing at the event is Gilles Peterson, and attendees with the some of the first people to see the new Quattroporte and experience the Bowers & Wilkins premium sound system in action. You can hear all three of the Seven Notes tracks can be heard on
the Seven Notes website here.