Drive by Slap & Powell

In the summer of 1988, keyboard wizard Robert Slap approached his guitarist friend Steve Powell about creating a calling card for a career in scoring film and TV. Because it seemed at the time that everyone was using Roland equipment, the duo opted for Korg, Ensoniq, and Yamaha. This 18-month, nights and weekends project would become their one album collaboration Drive. “This was the era of ‘Miami Vice’ and ‘To Live And Die In LA,’ Slap said. ‘The sound was slick and sexual.’ The album led to work for the Leeza Gibbons show and the Playboy Channel, amongst others. Powell passed on in 2004, and Slap still works in music from a farm in rural Indiana. “Although I was disappointed we didn’t have a commercial hit with the album, listening now brings a smile to my face and reminds me of a magical place called Hollywood,” Slap reflected.

A visit to the Numero office makes it very clear that ‘the stacks’ is a literal description of our process: we accumulate stacks of records, master tapes, photos, flyers, and old newspapers while assembling a project. From The Stacks is our way of illuminating the experience: the selections here are presented without curation. While we’re digging for gold, these are the lesser minerals we find.