The Indie Artist of the week

DetroitCentriX

Detroit based singer and songwriter Kathy Kosins and multi- talented singer, songwriter, producer, and bassist Paul Randolph have teamed up to form DetroitCentriX ®.

Their genre-defying mixture of alternative jazz, indie soul, funk, and r&b, is a refreshing, mesmerizing, and frantically cool representation of what the current, highly creative Detroit music scene is about. Both strengthen their belief that “music is about style and should reflect the time and place we’re living in”. Detroit, one of the major music centers in the US, has become increasingly popular in recent years due to a creative overflow of exceptional musical talent. Both Kathy and Paul think that “creation is the freedom to change” and thus, totally encompass what this vibrant city is about. The fresh approach of DetroitCentriX ® is certainly one of the most creatively satisfying music for the 2024/25 season.

Paul Randolph was lead vocalist and bassist for the Detroit-based band Mudpuppy and is probably best known for his work with German-based DJ and producer collective Jazzanova. Paul has also worked with dozens more artists from different genres, like Hubert Laws, Amp Fiddler, Alice Cooper, and Carl Craig, and also has released solo albums. Back in 2017, he teamed up with singer Kathy Kosins for “Could You Be Me”, a duet on her critically- acclaimed album “Uncovered Soul”. Last year, he launched his own label Sun Temple.

Kathy Kosins started out her career as background singer for Michael Henderson and Was/Not Was. She has released five traditional vocal jazz albums and came up with her most daring set up to this day: the highly successful neo-soul “Uncovered Soul” catapulted her into the radio charts where she still remains

among the top artists today. The album garnered international attention and put her on the map at the BBC, Blues & Soul, and Jazz FM. She has played numerous festivals throughout the world, opened for Gregory Porter, and played at the Blue Note at Sea cruise. With Paul Randolph and their project DetroitCentriX®, she is now looking forward to embarking on a 2024 European/US tour.

First single from DetroitCentriX® is called “WHAT WE WANT”. Paul Randolph comments: “As songwriters we recognize our responsibility to be social commentators, to offer hope and perspective. The construction of my productions typically begins with drums (the pulse). For “WHAT WE WANT”, I chose a rhythm reminiscent of a freight train on the move, accompanied by a Bernie Worrell/P-Funk-esk synth bass line and Nile Rodgers style guitar in the choruses. I have always had an affinity for the lush, roomy The Fifth Dimension vocal productions of the 1970s. The aim was not to be nostalgic, only to use influences as a backdrop to create a modern, social protest song. “Everybody’s searching for something, searching for a place to be...” Paul Randolph (DetroitCentriX®)