Dallas Austin ‘On The Mic’: Producer Announces Debut Album

After producing some of today’s biggest Pop and R&B hits, Dallas Austin is stepping forward with “8 Dazeaweakend,” his debut solo LP. Led by the single “Exasperated,” “8 Dezeaweakend” features production by Austin as well as guest appearances by the legendary George Clinton and Big Gipp (of Goodie Mob) as well as Dallas’ Rowdy Records artists Novel (Capitol), Colin Munroe (Universal Motown) and others. 8 Dazeaweakend demonstrates Austin’s love for a wide range of music, and features an eclectic mix of old school funk, modern pop, dance, southern hip hop and r&b. “Dallas is a true innovator and a visionary,” said Universal Motown President Sylvia Rhone. “He has put his unique stamp on an extraordinary array of hit music over the past two decades. So it comes as no surprise that his long-overdue solo debut is a brilliant, groundbreaking project that crosses boundaries, both musical and visual, to tell a compelling real-life story. I am very happy to welcome Dallas to the Universal Motown family and to kick off our new relationship with such a fantastic album.” Recorded under the moniker The Dallas Austin Experience, the album features eleven new songs (plus a cover of T. Rex’s “Children of the Revolution”) that are interwoven into a short film narrating the true coming of age story of Daisy, a real-life friend of Dallas’ from the Atlanta party scene. “8 Dazeaweakend is a reality experience based on girl I knew in Atlanta – I met her with my cousin Juan, hanging at after-parties and stuff.” Austin was awarded a Grammy for his role in shaping TLC’s sound and, in recent years, has become active in the film industry, serving as Executive Producer on 2002’s Drumline and co-producing 2006’s ATL with Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Will Smith, two films loosely based on Dallas’ childhood experiences growing up in the south. Austin’s single “Exasperated” is available now, a release date for “8 Dazeaweakend” will be announced at a later date.