WAX TAILOR "Hope & Sorrow"

Wax Tailor, aka JC Le Saout, made a remarkable impact worldwide with his debut "Tales of the Forgotten Melodies." A sweeping, cinematic hip-hop album that had critics citing similarities to DJ Shadow, RJD2 and Portishead, "Tales" propelled this Frenchman to stardom in his home country and his debut was heralded as Radio Nova's album of the year. Stateside, "Tales" spent 28 straight weeks in the iTunes Top Electronic Albums and remains there to date. The album topped the CMJ Hip Hop and RPM charts (16 and 13 weeks in the top 20, respectively) and tastemaker radio station, KEXP in Seattle, deemed it one of the best albums of 2006. The breakout single "Our Dance" was herald-ed as one of the best singles of the year in Playboy Magazine as well as iTunes.

An artist's second album is often seen as the moment of truth. With "Hope & Sorrow," set for release in April, 2007, Wax Tailor confirms his musical identity. Often categorized as trip-hop or down tempo hip-hop, Wax Tailor breaks musical barriers using a sonic palette to demonstrate his life chronicles tainted in soul, jazz, and funk.

The tone of "Hope & Sorrow" is set from the introduction, where sounds unwind in a long one take and finally give way to Nate Harrison's essay from "Can I Get An Amen." Through the course of 12 tracks and 3 interludes, he tells us a new story, unravelling like a movie scenario with vocal guests as his actors who deliver their lines to the tune of a great director.

Like his debut, "Hope & Sorrow" showcases an array of talented guest musicians. Also featured on "Tales," Charlotte Savary's voice finds a gentle balance of sweetness and self-confidence on "The Man With No Soul," "To Dry Up" and "Alien In My Belly." This songstress reminds one of Bristolian cabaret pop where melancholy and melodies intertwine.
Sharon Jones, the leading figure of the neo soul movement, lets her voice soar to heights far beyond that of modern R&B on "The Way We Lived."
Ursula Rucker is the priestess of Spoken Words. A familiar of The Roots, she offers her most exciting track to date, "We Be," a poem that epitomizes the struggles of independence.
LA based rapper, Voice, one of the true discoveries of this album, expresses femininity in Rap on "The Games You Play" that is an all too rare occurrence. Marina Quaisse embraced the Wax Tailor project from the start and here again, She co-write a song and sprinkles softness through-out with her melancholic cello playing. The Others and A State Of Mind, no strangers to the underground hip-hop scene, drop their clever verses on the funky tracks "House of Wax" and "Positively Inclined." "On my first album I had a lot of instrumental tracks," explains JC, "I wanted to have more vocal guests on 'Hope & Sorrow,' which changed the way I approached song writing, giving the songs a more pop orientation."

JC's stage name, Wax Tailor, originated in 2004 with the release of his EP "Lost The Way." He subsequently released his first full-length album, "Tales Of The Forgotten Melodies," completely on his own. The album garnered critical acclaim and love from French music fans and became one of the best selling electronic releases of the year. His next move was to take his show live, with a four-piece band, and find a way to translate the cinematic feel of his music through the use of video. Building on the solid foundation in France, Wax Tailor licensed "Tales" to Decon in 2006 for North American distribution and continued touring across the globe, opening up for the likes of Aceyalone & RJD2. In addition to the release of his sophomore effort, "Hope & Sorrow," 2007 will see Wax Tailor bring this prolific live show to the United States.

Contact for North America:
Laura B. Cohen lcmediapr@gmail.com 310-867-3897