Washington Hebrew
“They are bound to confound your expectations several times on any given album, and if you’re into that, they’re good enough at putting these weird songs together that they can pull you in with surprising ease.” – Pitchfork on The Caribbean
Having performed in The Caribbean since 2000 and with no pressing desire to go ‘solo’ or work outside that secure, familiar context, Washington Hebrew acts as both a leap and bridge for Michael Kentoff. Inspired by his use of samples and loops for installations, remixes and soundtrack projects, Kentoff has employed these raw materials to craft new songs akin to the wonderfully skewed and melodic pop of The Caribbean, but with a magic all its own.
Discography
Washington Hebrew
April 2017
Having performed in The Caribbean since 2000 and with no pressing desire to go ‘solo’ or work outside that secure, familiar context, Washington Hebrew acts as both a leap and bridge for Kentoff. Inspired by his use of samples and loops for installations, remixes and soundtrack projects, Kentoff has employed these raw materials to craft new songs akin to the wonderfully skewed and melodic pop of The Caribbean, but with a magic all its own.
In Michael’s own words, “I wanted Washington Hebrew to take what I loved of Chicago footwork, soundtracks, Dilla, and broken beats, take existing sounds and music, sample them, chop them up (often beyond recognition), and create completely new hooks and songs out of the raw, pulpy material. Recorded largely (although not entirely) alone, I was able to work on the nine songs making up Washington Hebrew in the studio, at coffee shops, at work, helping the record radiate an intimate, sneaky, and slightly indulgent glow while emphasizing the glitchy, danceable beats that made me look really weird while I mixed tracks at Starbucks.”
Biography
“To people of a certain age or perspective, Washington Hebrew might be a troublesome handle. Some may well see it as repudiation of or contempt for religion and/or me flipping the bird to the site of my bar mitzvah. The truth isn’t so contentious: indifference to the faith and/or my childhood synagogue aside, it recently occurred to me — with the clarity of distance — that the name Washington Hebrew is elegant, spellbinding, and odd. First, it is the only temple I know of without any actual Hebrew in its name. Second, it gives the city stylish primacy. Third, it has a strange heaviness.
“Having performed in The Caribbean since 2000, I haven’t harbored any pressing desire to go “solo” or work outside that secure, familiar context. But, with a boring day job and an obsession with Ableton Live, it just sort of happened. And once the project started coming into being, I set out for it two primary tenets: (1) don’t take songs away from The Caribbean and (2) transport me into uncomfortable, uncharted territory.
“Having long sampled and looped music and sounds for installation, remix, and soundtrack projects, I wanted, with Washington Hebrew, to take what I loved of Chicago footwork, soundtracks, Dilla, and broken beats, take existing sounds and music, sample them, chop them up (often beyond recognition), and create completely new hooks and songs out of the raw, pulpy material. I could best write my own songs that didn’t breach tenet (1) by treating sounds and disparate samples as guitar and piano – and then laying new melodies and lyrics over the hot mess.
“Recorded largely (although not entirely) alone, I was able to work on the nine songs making up Washington Hebrew in the studio, at coffee shops, at work . . . helping the record radiate an intimate, sneaky, and slightly indulgent glow while emphasizing the glitchy, danceable beats that made me look really weird while I mixed tracks at Starbucks. Legitimate goals, all. As is in the inevitable sigh the name Washington Hebrew will elicit from my parents. Can’t wait.”
– Michael Kentoff
News
Hidden Shoal in Textura’s Ten Favourite Labels of 2018 List!
Hidden Shoal is incredibly honoured to have been selected as one of Textura’s Ten Favourite Labels of 2018. Textura is, in our opinion, the premiere new music magazine and favourite of the label team for unearthing and exposing new and exciting new music. This is the second time Hidden Shoal has been selected in Textura’s best labels list and as always we are nestled against some other very special labels, all of who you should check out.Now for a very brief and unnecessary acceptance speech – we are nothing without our incredible roster of artists, who continually amaze, inspire and surprise us. Thank you all!
Continue reading →Washington Hebrew s/t Debut Out Now!
The time has come for this wild sonic ride to be unleashed upon the world. The debut solo album from Washington Hebrew (aka Michael Kentoff of The Caribbean) is now officially with us, available via Bandcamp and the usual online stores and streaming services. Featuring the brilliant single ‘Bank Holiday Wknd‘, Washington Hebrew acts as both a leap and bridge for Kentoff. Inspired by his use of samples and loops for installations, remixes and soundtrack projects, Kentoff has employed these raw materials to craft new songs akin to the wonderfully skewed and melodic pop of The Caribbean, but with a magic all its own.“They are bound to confound your expectations several times on any given album, and if you’re into that, they’re good enough at putting these weird songs together that they can pull you in with surprising ease.” – Pitchfork on The Caribbean
In Michael’s own words, “I wanted Washington Hebrew to take what I loved of Chicago footwork, soundtracks, Dilla, and broken beats, take existing sounds and music, sample them, chop them up (often beyond recognition), and create completely new hooks and songs out of the raw, pulpy material. Recorded largely (although not entirely) alone, I was able to work on the nine songs making up Washington Hebrew in the studio, at coffee shops, at work, helping the record radiate an intimate, sneaky, and slightly indulgent glow while emphasizing the glitchy, danceable beats that made me look really weird while I mixed tracks at Starbucks.”
Continue reading →New Washington Hebrew Single – Stream and Download!
Good times, people! You can now get your first taste of the wild and wonderful self-titled debut from Washington Hebrew (Michael Kentoff of The Caribbean). ‘Bank Holiday Wknd’ is the perfect intro to the Washington Hebrew universe, with its dizzying psych/space jazz and Kentoff’s trademark vocals. The track is available now as a free download via Bandcamp and can be streamed via SoundCloud.Having performed in The Caribbean since 2000 and with no pressing desire to go ‘solo’ or work outside that secure, familiar context, Washington Hebrew acts as both a leap and bridge for Michael Kentoff. Inspired by his use of samples and loops for installations, remixes and soundtrack projects, Kentoff has employed these raw materials to craft new songs akin to the wonderfully skewed and melodic pop of The Caribbean, but with a magic all its own.
“They are bound to confound your expectations several times on any given album, and if you’re into that, they’re good enough at putting these weird songs together that they can pull you in with surprising ease.” – Pitchfork on The Caribbean
Washington Hebrew‘s self-titled debut will see release on April 20. Read more about Washington Hebrew here.
Continue reading →
Washington Hebrew (aka Michael Kentoff of The Caribbean) Signs to Hidden Shoal!
W
e’re incredibly excited to announce the signing of Washington Hebrew to the Hidden Shoal family. Having performed in The Caribbean since 2000 and with no pressing desire to go ‘solo’ or work outside that secure, familiar context, Washington Hebrew acts as both a leap and bridge for Michael Kentoff. Inspired by his use of samples and loops for installations, remixes and soundtrack projects, Kentoff has employed these raw materials to craft new songs akin to the wonderfully skewed and melodic pop of The Caribbean, but with a magic all its own.“They are bound to confound your expectations several times on any given album, and if you’re into that, they’re good enough at putting these weird songs together that they can pull you in with surprising ease.” – Pitchfork on The Caribbean
Washington Hebrew‘s self-titled debut will see release on April 20, 2017 preceded by a single on March 14th. Read more about Washington Hebrew here.
Continue reading →
Reviews
Washington Hebrew ‘Ima Try’ Reviewed at The Sunday Experience
“we here are getting so mellow and laid back that we are almost horizontal. Much to a deep disappointment in our own forgetfulness we’ve somewhat been a little light in the feature of Hidden Shoal loveliness of late that we felt it was high time to make amends, with that in mind we couldn’t think of a better way to start than with the latest from Washington Hebrew. The strangely alluring ‘Ima Try’ dinkily dances amid a curiously soft toned gossamer flashing of vintage phrasing crystallised into a woozy dream like fantasia all the time skipping and seducing to craft an amorphous sonic palette that weaves in and out of consciousness to sit somewhere between C Duncan and an ‘Andromeda heights’ era Prefab Sprout.”
Continue reading →Exclusive Washington Hebrew Track Stream at Ondarock
Continue reading →Head over to Italy’s wonderful Ondarock for an exclusive stream of the Washington Hebrew track ‘Ima Try’ lifted from his forthcoming self titled debut. The exclusive follows the release of first single ‘Bank Holiday Wknd’, available now for free download and stream. Washington Hebrew will see release on 28th April 2017.
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Licensing
Washington Hebrew’s music is available for licensing (master & sync cleared) through Hidden Shoal. Please contact us with some basic details about your project and the track(s) you wish to use and we’ll be sure to get back to you straight away.