Compelled by the brutal mass killings of nine innocent people, during the Charlston Massacre, Tomas Doncker wrote and recorded his new commanding and explosive single “Church Is Burning Down”.
On June 17, 2015, 21-year-old Dylann Roof shot and killed nine black church members of the Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in an attempt to promote racial catastrophe. Several days later, Doncker had already written several songs in his endeavor to process the feelings of horror and rage. 10 days following he had already recorded eight new songs for his new solo album “The Mess We Made”, in hopes of retaining his sanity.
Tomas Doncker, songwriter, guitarist, and producer, began his career in the music underground in downtown New York City, a scene known as the “No Wave” era. The term “No Wave” was a play on the words given to the musical genre “New Wave” as a reaction to certain of the commercial elements of the popular music culture. “No Wave” was not owned by a specific genre however the various music styles involved was funk, jazz, punk rock, avant garde, and experimental.
Doncker has been a stable figure in the New York city music scene for the past 20 years. He is been associated with artists such as James Chance and the Contortions, Defunkt, Konk, and J. Walter Negro and the Loose Joints, New York’s first hip-hop group. Eventually he became well known internationally as well, for his R&B, Blues, and contributions to Jazz.
Although many of his songs appear sensuous and warm, with that soft bluesy, R&B funk, somewhat reminiscent to that of the late icon blues singer B.B. King, (The Thrill Is Gone}, but his new song ” Church Is Burning Down”, is riveting and combustible. It is a high energy, upbeat, hand clapping beat. which makes the melody seem as though it is more of a celebration instead of a tribute.
It tells a story. It has the ability of becoming an inspirational, jazz, gospel anthem. It includes lyrics such as “Unholy fire in the house of God”. “I’m dam sick and tired of being sick and tired”, “truth be told, whoever it is, hate brings hate, and no one wins”, all statements that have the ability to make one stand up and listen, and perhaps even take some responsibility. He makes reference to the statement “Domestic Terrorism”, clearly citing the Charleston massacre, and the disappointment and disillusionment with mankind.
There is true and intense drama in the song. It has relevance. It’s fresh and unanswerable. It permits a host of varying genres including, jazz, blues, pop, spiritual and inspirational Gospel. It’s exciting, overpowering, as well as touching. The instrumental work on the recording is profound, clear and serious. The vocals provide different variations of creative harmony, with sprinklings of bass, falsetto, and passion. The recording is engineered in a fashion that provides one with the need to rise out of their seats and start singing along, clapping to the rhythm and the desire to listen to it over again. It possesses the power to make one stop and listen, and think.
Although written in response to a racial incident I believe it speaks for much of the unrest going on today in America. Since the shootings in Charleston, a news reporter and cameraman was also shot during a live Broadcast, and more recently nine students were killed in Oregon. Just yesterday several more students were killed in Arizona in Baltimore, into separate incidents.
The gun man, Dylann Roof is facing a number of serious charges punishable by either death or 30 years to life, including “Hate Crimes”, unfortunately something the community is well aware of.
The purchase of this release is socially essential. It is a release Tomas Duncker can be proud of…. Proud of writing, proud of recording, and proud of producing. This song has a spirit, a message, as well as a warning.
