Ticklah vs. Axelrod is an epic soundclash between two sides of a musical personality: the studio wizardry and dub experimentation of Ticklah, versus the keyboard prowess and genre restlessness of Victor Axelrod. In this case, the battle rages in the head of one person. Ticklah and Victor Axelrod are one and the same and Ticklah vs. Axelrod is Ticklah's third full-length solo album. So who exactly is this young fellow who had a huge impact on a number of critically acclaimed groups and records in the past decade? He is a founding member of the Easy Star All-Stars, (remember Dub Side Of The Moon and Radiodread?) and has played keys with Antibalas since 1999, co-writing and co-producing much of that celebrated Afrobeat band's output. He collaborated on hit remixes with DJ Spinna and was an original member of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. He has appeared on a number of Mark Ronson productions, including tracks with Robbie Williams, Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse. In the midst of all of these projects, he kept coming back to his personal labor of love, finishing the tracks that became this record.

Photo (c) Tatiana McCabe