MIKE POSNERAt the age of twenty-two, he is a producer, talent scout and above all a singer. At the age of twenty-two, he has already earned the respect of the most important, famous and wealthy American colleagues, such as Jay-Z and Kanye West. His first time in Italy, on 24 February, has all the characteristics of the premiere of a great artist, and the atmosphere of La Salumeria della Musica will make his beats even more vivid and his melodies more penetrating.
If you're imagining the classic American story of the boy who grew up on the streets and saw music as his only lifeline, you're way off the mark: young Posner has in fact found time to graduate from Duke University, after literally shaking it up with music, as he composes, plays and records in his small room at night.
His influences that shine through on his debut album '31 Minutes to Take Off', preceded by the single 'Cooler than Me', are varied and cultured, from the Electric Light Orquestra to the Motown sound, via Billy Joel and Macy Gray.
"I make pop music that is not trite, that one should not feel guilty about, that one should not be ashamed of.", he explains. "Musically I do the same things as pop artists, but without losing my credibility.". The key elements are sharp songwriting and production that unfurls lyrics as intelligent and dense as the grooves and chords that accompany them. And also the singing, a distinctive hoarse tenor voice, somewhere between Daniel Merriweather and Macy Gray.
They say of him:
'Unique and infectious, an enveloping and current sound' REAL DETROIT WEEKLY
'Best Promise, a bridge between radio pop and suburban hip hop' NY POST
Tickets are already on sale today on the ticketOne circuit and in the usual Barley Arts Promotion outlets.
THURSDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2011 - MILAN - LA SALUMERIA DELLA MUSICA
Admission 15 Euro + presale fee - start at 9 pm.
