Ibn Itaka
Colores
2019

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Colores is the debut album by Puerto Rican producer, Ibn Itaka. The sounds and colours of New York serve as the primary inspiration for the artist, who has been in love with the city since the ‘90s, when he was first exposed to it on MTV and through the music of Tupac, 50 Cent and Outkast. This deeply personal record, released via New York’s Abu Recordings, captures the city’s soul in the ‘90s and early 2000s, the period Itaka describes as the city’s “golden era”. Colores offers a tantalizing fusion of hip-hop and electronic jazz elegance that also exhibits the talents of his distinguished collaborators; Julian Soto of JIL, Isaiah Barr of Onyx Collective, and Salomon Faye, amongst others.

tracklist

  1. Million Dollar Street Story, Pt. 2 (Portrait of a Ruined Country)
  2. Summertime
  3. Frequent Flyer (feat. Salomon Faye, Julian Soto)
  4. King Highway
  5. Only At Night (feat. Adam O’Farrill)
  6. Classic (feat. Sparkzgawd)
  7. My Blue Orange (feat. Isaiah Barr)
  8. Sun to Sun (feat. Isaac Sleator, Salomon Faye, Julian Soto)

credits

All tracks composed by Ibn Itaka
executive produced by Julian Soto, Shams Sharrieff & Marek Razzouk
Mastered by Lionel ElSound

Track 1, “Million Dollar Street Story, Pt.II (Portrait of a Ruined Country)”,
produced by Ibn Itaka
mixed by Ibn Itaka
synths by Isaac Sleator & Julian Soto (NY Studio Factory)
rhodes by Lucio Westmoreland (Lucio’s Crib in Marcy)
drum machines by Christian Michelle Matias-Cortés (NY Studio Factory)

Track 2, “Summertime” produced by Ibn Itaka
mixed by Jacob Berke
synths by Isaac Sleator (Greenpoint)
additional synths by Paolo Grilli (Paolo’s Bushwick Apt.) grand piano by Josh Benitez recorded by Yuri Suzuki (The Log Cabin Recording Studios NYC)
drums by Austin Williamson recorded by Yuri Suzuki (The Log Cabin Recording Studios NYC)
bass by Henny Montez 
saxophone by Javed Wiggins

Track 3, “Frequent Flyer (feat. Salomon Faye & Julian Soto)”
written and performed by Salomon Daye & Julian Soto
produced by Ibn Itaka and Julian Soto
arranged and mixed by Lionel Elsound
lyrics
guitar by Rakeem “Ra” Hope
synth by Isaac Sleator recorded by Roman “Cold” Casper (Slicker Studios)
trumpet by Adam O’Farrill recorded by Jack Hallenbeck (Jack & Scott’s Old Apartment)

Track 4, “King Highway”,
produced by Ibn Itaka
mixed by Lionel Sound
arranged by Lionel Sound
lyrics written and performed by Julian B. Soto
background vocals by Ibn Itaka recorded by James “Jimmy Lit” Lambros (38th Midtown)
string programming by Ibn Itaka
grand piano performed by  Isaac Sleator
guitar by Rakeem “Ra” Hope

Track 5, “Only at Night” (feat. Adam O’Farrill)
produced by Ibn Itaka & Paolo Grilli Cicilioni
mixed by Paolo Grilli Cicilioni
trumpet by Adam O’Farrill
violin by Camelia Hartman  drums by Austin Williamson
synths by Julian Soto & Paolo Grilli Cicilioni
grand piano by Isaac Sleator

Track 6, “Classic”,
produced by Ibn Itaka & Paolo Grilli Cicilioni
mixed by Paolo Grilli Cicilioni & Gabe Zimbler
written and performed by  Justice “SparkzGawd” Vann trumpet by Adam O’Farrill
drums by Austin Williamson
synths by Julian Soto & Paolo Grilli Cicilioni
grand piano by Isaac Sleator
bass by Henny Montez 
trombone by Josh Zhong

Track 7, “My Blue Orange (feat. Isaiah Barr)”
produced by Ibn Itaka
mixed by Paolo Grilli Cicilioni
saxophone by Isaiah Barr recorded by Jack Hallenbeck (Oscilloscope Laboratories Recording Studio)
this track samples “Alone Together / Again” as performed by Jerome Meltzer Quartet

Track 8, “Sun to Sun (feat. Isaac Sleator, Salomon Faye Julian Soto)”
produced by Ibn Itaka & Isaac Sleator
arranged & mixed by Lionel Elsound
written and performed by Salomon Faye and Julian Soto
vocals recorded by Komari “ K-Rucka” Bailey at (Black Wax Creative Studios)
guitar by Rakeem “Ra” Hope
synths & piano by Isaac Sleator
trumpet by Adam O’Farill
violin by Camelia Hartman
drums by Austin Williamson 

Special thanks to Roman Casper & his Family, Nelson and Sandra Soto, Muhammed Rakheen, Cathy Guo and Lovechild.

Artwork by Samuel Piland

videos
extras

Nour

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abu@aburecordings.com
Waleed

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marek@aburecordings.com
Saint Levantwww.saintlevant.com

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Bayou

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paolo@aburecordings.com

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