Establishing the mood with an intricate, progressive jazz energy with astral trumpets and saxophone, rolling drums and epic rhythmic guitar detailing, d’Z opens Shout! featuring Bernadette Dengler with instrumental mastery and situational prose.
We appreciate the narrative-driven lyricism and the relatable message that manifests with the overarching message. In essence, Shout! is an energizing, dimensional, and cathartic anthem about releasing stress and reconnecting with our inner selves through notions of movement and expression.
It invites us to slip into a private “fairy wonderland”, which serves as a mental space where we can finally unwind. Something that feels important and zeitgeist at a time when we, as a collective, need it the most. The psychedelic sound design, particularly the middle eight, really amplifies this sentiment. It almost feels like a mushroom trip at certain points, fused with elements of the progressive concept of ecstatic dance!
The song becomes a journey from tension to liberation. Each “Shout!” feels like a call to let go. The guitar solo is nothing short of transcendental and allows for further release of the mental overload, emotional tightness and physical inhibition.
Oh his influences, d’Z confesses, “I feel inspired by many great artists. Among them are Jacob Collier (I always try to imagine the way he would arrange the backing vocals), Gino Vannelli (since his productions always sound incredibly rich and wonderful), Incognito, and The Brand New Heavies (I like their horn arrangements a lot!), and Steely Dan (because of their quirkiness).”
We learn that the track is brought to life by a full ensemble of musicians. It features vocals by Bernadette Dengler, drums and additional vocals by the primary artist d’Z, guitars by Chris Korzec, keys by Jasper Mellema, bass by Hananja Olthuis, and a brass section featuring Hans van Wingerden and David Mast on trumpets, David Wilschut on sax, and Jos van den Heuvel on trombone. The production team also includes audio engineer Raoul Soentken and mastering engineer Erwin Maas.
Naturally we are in awe, and have added Shout! to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of d’Z, including Freedom, One, and Connected!