* En anglais uniquement
Dakota Moon is an unusual urban R&B group, one that's equally influenced by
Boyz II Men and '70s soft rock, such as
Eric Clapton and
James Taylor. The group is comprised of
Ty Taylor (guitar, vocals),
Ray Artis (bass, vocals),
Malloy (percussion, vocals), and
Joe Dean (guitar, vocals).
Taylor and
Artis were New York natives;
Malloy and
Joe Dean hailed from California. The quartet met at a recording session in Los Angeles for producers
Andrew Logan and
Mike More. The musicians had such a chemistry that they decided to form a band.
Taylor and
Artis moved to Los Angeles, and
Dakota Moon began to regularly play on the L.A. club circuit. Eventually, the head of Elektra Records,
Sylvia Rhone, spotted the group in concert. Impressed, she offered the group a contract and they accepted. Before they made their debut album, they toured as
Tina Turner's opening act in 1997. By the end of the year, they had recorded their debut with producers Logan and More. The resulting record, entitled
Dakota Moon, was released in April 1998. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine