To those who've followed the development of gospel music as practised by Kirk Franklin, Donnie McClurkin and Fred Hammond - to name only the leading exponents of the new Christian music - the recordings of Tonex will appear as a natural development of trends that have been growing in the work of the three artists mentioned. Tonex (the name is pronounced toe-nay) has taken elements of alternative rock and techno-funk and fused them with traditional gospel and soul idioms to create a twenty-first century sound that's unique and unmistakable - brash, bold but also lyrical and filled with musical invention. I'm currently listening to his 2002 album O2, which among many memorable songs contains an extraordinary rendering of the spiritual "God Has Not Forgot" - also included on the new album Out The Box, with Kirk Franklin on piano.
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