Ticklah

Victor Axelrod, a musician of many dimensions, adopts assorted pseudonyms to suit each genre he explores, yet the Ticklah identity stands out most clearly as his dedicated vehicle for roots reggae. Although his prior experience covered jazz, funk, and soul projects, the keyboardist and producer found reggae revivalism an ideal match thanks to his intuitive ability to reproduce the hypnotic, vintage Jamaican textures associated with King Tubby and Lee Perry. Axelrod issued his debut Ticklah album, Polydemic, in 1998 via Razorfish Records. Even under a name intended solely to separate his solo reggae work from other activities, the record wove in numerous groovy jazz excursions in the vein of Herbie Hancock and included contributions from additional players. Further complicating his discography, contractual ties to Razorfish forced him to release his 2001 sophomore solo effort on Guidance Records under the Roots Combination banner instead of Ticklah. He played every part himself, yet credited the tracks to invented artists such as Calbert Walker, Rootical Sound, and Sonic Boom so the package would feel like the product of a genuine ensemble. Returning to the Ticklah name in 2008, he delivered Ticklah vs. Axelrod, an album that merged his dub-reggae inclinations with his multi-instrumental tendencies.