White Rainbow

From the depths of dub, comes the culture clash classic stepper Adam Forkner. His latest piece of hot wax, The Making of Thriller should need no introductions to anyone who has paid attention to the Northwest underground over the last few years.

Forkner’s involvement with  stems from his profound association with the label’s Chief of all Dubs and King of All Possible Echoes, Mr. Calvin Johnson. has had the pleasure and privilege to release such classic Sgt Forkner blasts as Yume Bitsu's Auspicious Winds (KLP121) (2001) and Golden Vessyl of Sound (KLP137) (2002) LPs, as well as Forkner's first solo record of rare dub classics under the name [[[[VVRSSNN]]] (KLP145) (2003).

For the better part of the last decade, Forkner has been dedicating his creative juices to making his own brand of psychedelic, heady, dub inspired cacophony under the White Rainbow handle, while also maintaining a presence as a producer, engineer and guest instrumentalist with some of the biggest names in independent music (Dirty Projectors, Atlas Sound, Jackie-O Motherfucker, YACHT, Devendra Banhart, to name a few...). The Making of Thriller marks a home-coming of sorts, with Forkner returning to Dub Narcotic Studio to work with life-long friend and one time studio-mentor Calvin Johnson.

Tracking for this release spawned from a surprise visit to the studio one autumn afternoon on Forkner’s way home to Portland from a gig in Seattle. The end product is a fun, tooty little romp through electro-pop land, that dips in and out of R&B like an apple into peanut butter.  A few extra minutes on the end of a tape reel and a few hours of frenzied tracking were all the ingredients needed to create the groundwork upon which master of controls, Dr. Dubby Johnson, laid down the supreme mixture. But before the duo could get to work mixing, Forkner left the studio as quickly and suddenly as he appeared, having heavy engagements to attend to back at home. Forkner, in a rare release of artistic control, entrusted the mix to Johnson's more than capable hands. And hunker down Johnson did, adding layers of his trademark vocal toasts.