Original Gravity Records unveils ‘Find Myself Another Man’: A fusion of classic genres and contemporary craft

Hailing from the UK, Original Gravity Records is an ensemble that has made waves in the dance music scene by drawing inspiration from the past to create something truly unique for today’s audience. Their latest release, the 7″ Find Myself Another Man, as discussed in an interview with label owner and bass player Neil Anderson, encapsulates this ethos perfectly, combining elements of Soul, Funk, Blues, R&B, and more to create a sound that is both nostalgic and novel.

Anderson, who also juggles roles as a music teacher and recording studio owner, discussed his transition from a 1981 Rickenbacker 4001 to short-scale basses due to physical constraints. “There are two basses that I mainly use on my recordings. I do have a 1981 Rickenbacker 4001, but I’ve got pretty small hands for a bass player, so a few years ago, I switched to short-scale basses and I hardly ever use the Rickenbacker these days. I was suffering from cramping in my left hand and realised that it was partly to do with poor technique and partly to do with not being able to stretch far enough in the lower end of the fretboard. I tried a short-scale bass and got on well with it, so I bought a Squier Jaguar and I was very pleased with it. This is the bass that was used on the recording of Find Myself Another Man. It’s fitted with flat wound strings and I use this bass on around 50% of my recording sessions. I bought another Squier Jaguar (in cherry red) and left the stock strings on it. I was using that bass whenever I needed something with a little more ‘ping’, but my son took it to University with him, so I don’t have it at the moment! As I also record a lot of music in the early Reggae style, I also regularly use a Hofner Hi-Series violin bass (and fitted it with flat wounds). The Hofner is just spot on for Reggae. I also like the short scale basses for playing live – I feel less ‘pinned down’ and more mobile on stage.”

Anderson’s approach to equipment is similarly thoughtful, favouring simplicity and authenticity in his setup. “The styles I work with don’t really call for anything more than a little compression and EQ,” he notes, discussing his preference for direct input recording over elaborate pedalboards. “I don’t have a pedalboard for recording and, more often than not, I’ll just DI the bass. I do have an old Kustom tube bass amp that I’ll record occasionally (and I use this when playing live). I also have an Ampeg SVT with an 8×10 cab that lives in our rehearsal rooms, but I wouldn’t take this out to a gig and I don’t find that recording it improves the bass sound over DI for the bass, so I really only use it for rehearsals.”

The creative process behind Original Gravity’s music is a meticulous one, with Anderson often playing multiple roles due to the solo nature of much of his work. The track Find Myself Another Man exemplifies this, being a reimagining of a lesser-known Sonny Boy Williamson song: “The original is actually quite a strange track and feels like they knocked it together on the fly at the end of a recording session. I probably first heard the original track about 30 years ago and I’ve had it in the back of my mind for ages to take the lyric content and put together a female vocal version that had a dance floor tempo. I’ve actually recorded four different versions of this tune and the other three versions will pop up on B-sides over the coming months.”

Anderson’s method involves starting with a bass line or guitar sketch, gradually layering other instruments, and constantly keeping in mind the spatial arrangement of a live band to recreate the feel of ensemble recording. “I always try and keep a mental picture of where each ‘band member’ would be standing in the live room when I’m recording and mixing,” he explains. “I’ve seen other producers state that similar-sounding releases to the work I do are recorded with all the musicians in one room at the same time and I really love that ethos, but as I’m working on my own most of the time, it’s not possible for me to do, so I try and set the recording (and the mix) up in a way to replicate this.”

Drawing from personal experiences, Anderson’s music is imbued with a sense of emotional honesty and rawness, a trait he values in the music he loves. “One of the big elements that draws me to the music I love is the ‘warmth’ and ‘rawness’ of the sound,” Anderson reflects, pointing out that perfection is not the goal, but rather the genuine expression of emotion and energy, especially in music meant for dancing.

The upcoming album, Feelin’ Kinda Blue, which includes the track Find Another Man, stands as a heartfelt reflection of this philosophy. Showcasing a blend of original compositions alongside thoughtfully chosen covers, the album offers an intimate exploration of the Blues and R&B genres, with a special emphasis on female vocal tracks. This project, born from personal turmoil, sees Anderson weaving his own experiences into the fabric of the music, crafting a body of work that resonates on both a personal and universal level.

Order Find Myself Another Man at this location.