Common’s fifth studio album, Electric Circus, is set to receive a vinyl reissue pressed to a special
Light Blue 2LP on June 14.
Released on December 10, 2002, the album features collaborations with Pharrell Williams, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and others. The album features hit songs, “Aquarius”(featuring Bilal), “I Got A Right Ta”, “I Am Music,” and “Jimi Was A Rock Star.” Additionally, the album peaked at No.9 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
In a 2012 interview with MTV, Common reflected on the creation of the album. He explained: “My process was like, ‘Let’s do something fresh. Let’s do something new.’ I just really wanted to push the envelope…I was challenging myself creatively, so it started with me connecting with J Dilla, ?uestlove, and James Poyser.
“We had [bassist] Pino Palladino there. It was really just saying to them, ‘Man, let’s do some other stuff.’ We were going to the Fender Rhodes. We were using keyboards that you’d hear Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin working with.
“I was listening to Stereolab, Radiohead, and Jimi Hendrix, so I was more like, ‘Yo, let me create something different, nothing that feels like anything that was done on Like Water for Chocolate. Let’s not even use some of those instruments.’ I just really wanted it to have a fresh sound.”
He also broke down where his ambition to make such a bold record came from. He said: “Internally, I was bored with doing the same things. Part of the excitement of making art and music is to do something that feels fresh and new. It’s like when you’re doing something creative where you’re still using your imagination, and you’re still being challenged.
“A guy said something to me at the gym the other day. He was like, ‘If you just keep working out, after about two weeks, your muscles will become acclimated to that routine.’ You’re not challenging your body at that point. So for me, I needed to challenge my body of work. I needed to challenge myself. I got excited when I knew we were getting Stereolab on the album. I’ve always wanted to be known in music as someone who was true to his art and really did creative work.”
Pre-order the vinyl edition of Electric Circus.