LP - Follow The Leader (Re-imagined as Jazz) ErikB & Rakim
We Jazz Records presents "Lonna 2019", a nautical live album bringing together recordings captured at the successful concert series at the island of Lonna just outside Helsinki in July 2019. Part 3 of their ongoing "We Jazz Live Plates" series documenting the label's live activity, "Lonna 2019" features inspired performances by Aleksi Heinola Quintet, Antti Lötjönen Quintet East and Oaagaada. Drummer Heinola's quintet and the Hämeenlinna-based quartet Oaagaada make their We Jazz Records debut with this release, while Lötjönen is releasing his debut as a leader on the label in April. "Lonna 2019" captures the easy-going feeling at the island series fittingly. Aleksi Heinola Quintet swings with their natural ability of making no-nonsense hard bop sound fresh in the contemporary setting. Antti Lötjönen leads his star-studded Quintet East through a high-spirited rendition of Don Cherry's "Art Deco". Oaagaada charm with their deep DIY spiritual jazz. And somewhere just above the music, a seagull screeches, echoing a perfect sunny day at Lonna. "Lonna 2019" released together with "Ateneum 2019", We Jazz Live Plates vol. 2, is an inspiring example of the active and high quality jazz scene in Helsinki.
Helsinki's We Jazz Records presents "Ateneum 2019", part 2 of their ongoing "We Jazz Live Plates" series documenting the label's live activity. Recorded at the historic Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki during spring 2019, the intense live compilation brings together three acts on the label's roster: Timo Lassy & Teppo Mäkynen, OK:KO and Alder Ego, each performing two tracks here. OK:KO opens proceedings with their sound electrified by Toomas Keski-Säntti changing from piano to Fender rhodes, a little touch that opens up new avenues in their sound. The band who made a big splash with their 2019 debut album "Syrtti", present energetic new versions of the title track and the looping "Piik". Alder Ego, led by drummer Joonas Leppänen, shifts gears with a new deep version of their 2018 album track "Cubism", and add a new track "Mystery Room Nr. 6" into the mix. Timo Lassy & Teppo Mäkynen strecth out their compact tracks "Fallow" and "Goldenrod", which grow into new lenght and depth in the live setting. "Ateneum 2019" released together with "Lonna 2019", We Jazz Live Plates vol. 3, is an inspiring example of the active and high quality jazz scene in Helsinki.
Die Band aus Leeds spielte Konzerte in Mexiko, Europa, den USA und in ganz Großbritannien, mit Höhepunkten wie dem legendären Jazz Cafe in London, Chicagos berühmtem House Of Blues" und der Unterstützung der Saxophonlegende Lou Donaldson. Zu den weiteren Höhepunkten der Karriere gehört das Samplen durch DJ Shadow, ein Remix von Kenny Dope, sowie die Bereitstellung des Soundtracks für die Commonwealth-Spiele 2002. Einer der herausragenden Soundtracks mit einem Juwel aus einem Feature von Corine Bailey Rae aus der Zeit vor der Grammy-Gewinnung und dem Platinverkauf ist "Your Love Is Mine". Die erhabene Soul-Ballade, ähnlich wie ein klassischer Al Green oder Minnie Ripperton-Song, würde perfekt zu einem sommerlichen BBQ passen. Die New Mastersounds sind auch heute noch sehr aktiv, und hier feiern sie einen Meilenstein mit einem frischen Blick auf ihr zweites Album, das, obwohl inzwischen fast 20 Jahre alt, glänzend gealtert ist.
Chip Wickham made a splash in the UK scene with 2016's La Sombra and 2018's Shamal Wind, garnering attention from all the right people in the jazz scene. Chip's back for more, partnering with Lovemonk once again to enchant and heal with his cosmic, spiritual jazz. RIYL: Alice Coltrane, Yusef Lateef, Sons of Kemet Genre: Jazz, Spiritual Jazz, Rare Groove, Soul
1973 wurden Ruphus von Polydor Norwegen unter Vertrag genommen und nahmen im gleichen Jahr ihre erste LP auf. Bis 1974 tourten Ruphus durch Norwegen und durch ihre neu gewonnene Popularität wurde das Fernsehen auf sie aufmerksam und produzierte ein TV-Spezial. Im selben Jahr ging man erstmalig auf Deutschland-Tournee, um gleich danach das zweite Album einzuspielen. 'Ranshart' war ihr erstes Export-Album und erregte auch international einige Aufmerksamkeit. 1976 produzierten sie ihr drittes Album 'Let Your Light Shine'. Unüberhörbar war ihr neuer Stil. Ruphus hatte sich mit Hilfe des Rock- und Jazzgitarristen Terje Rypdal als Produzent zur Jazzrock-Band entwickelt. Die deutsche Metronome holte Ruphus zum ersten Brain-Festival am 26. Februar 1977 nach Essen, wo sie vor ca. 8000 Besuchern spielten. 1977 erschien dann ihr viertes Werk auf den Markt. 'Inner Voice' wurde wieder von Terje Rypdal produziert, und erscheint wie die Vorgänger nun als Reissue (CD, LP, Lim. Transparent Blue LP) beim Progressive Rock-Spezialisten Karisma Records.
Lascelle 'Lascelles' Gordon - the driving force behind Vibration Black Finger – astonishes us yet again with a magnificent second album. Once more his inspiration is drawn from the obscure spiritual jazz collectives of the 1970s where he employs a vast array of like-minded collaborators to create a listening experience infused with an ever-present undercurrent of personal expression and cultural empowerment that's as enriched with ideas as it is progressive in its form. Having earned his chops as founding member of the Brand New Heavies, Campag Velocet and Heliocentric World, Lascelle's latest album Can You See What I'm Trying to Say bursts with energy and vivid contrasts, flowing effortlessly between beat-laden grooves, oscillating improvisations, soulful recitations, audio verité and moody atmospherics. The album drops like a post-hip-hop reimagining of foundational genres, with a prayer to the future. ''Can You See What I'm Trying to Say' is a quote from Marion Brown, the great alto saxophonist' explains Gordon. 'The album was put together over the last three years, not in the conventional way of going into the recording studio with musicians, but starting from ideas I had on various formats (cassettes, mini disc, DATs & reel to reel). I also used field recordings. I did a lot of home recording with long time musical friends Ben Cowen & Diana Gutkind, some of them going back 20 years. The voices of my nieces (heard on Law of the Universe) were recorded 25 years ago. 'Only in a Dream' and 'Empty Streets' are the only songs that were recorded live in the studio.' 'I was blown away by the New Life Trio 'Empty Streets' (from 1978) and was fascinated by the vocals' continues Lascelles. 'I always thought it would be great to cover this tune'. Such is the power of this song, it's used to open the album, with vocalist Ebony Rose turning in a thoroughly haunting vocal performance. While not a concept album as such, Lascelles has nonetheless conceived and presented Can You See What I'm Trying to Say to be heard as a complete listening experience, with each track blending into the next, resulting in a seamless expression of music. Following 'Empty Streets', some instrumental interludes segue into a dimensional drift of beats, space synths, horns and electronics; there's a vocal reprise of 'Acting For Liberation', sung with gusto by Maggie Nichols, and then there's the album's momentous finale, 'Only In A Dream', which takes off as an ominous drone before a delicious bassline from the late Ken Kambayashi transforms it into an intense, soaring epic which finally descends onto another world. In a career spanning several decades, Lascelle Gordon remains an omnivorous musical force, whether as DJ, collaborator or radio broadcaster. As amply demonstrated on Can You See What I'm Trying to Say, he refuses to rest on his laurels and continues to impress with music that is as rich, vital and contemporary as anything he's done before, covering an incredible amount of musical ground in the process.
Back in stock! Essential Spiritual Jazz originally issued on the lauded Strata-East label. Magical, mystical, Afrocentric, progressive – words that could be used to describe any number of musical compositions by Sun Ra or his cosmic brothers and sisters, from John to Alice Coltrane, early ‘70s projects on record labels like Detroit’s Tribe or Houston’s Lightin’ or the interests of one Washington, DC native named Jimmy Gray that centered under one, perfect moniker: Black Fire. Gray spent nearly three decades pushing boundaries as a Black American promoter, distributor and, finally, record label owner. Together with Oneness of Juju’s leader James “Plunky Nkabinde “ Branch, Gray oversaw sixteen releases on Black Fire Records between 1975 and 1996. These are the definitive reissues of five of the label’s key titles; all were lacquered – most directly from master tape - by legendary Los Angeles mastering engineer Bernie Grundman, With this set, Oneness Of Juju and Black Fire’s story burns forth into its fifth decade, its message not tempered, its sound pure. It’s cycle, once again, complete. Each release is packaged in a thick, tip-on sleeve and includes a deluxe booklet with extensive notes on the album, the Black Fire collective, and the musical and cultural revolution they created. Limited edition, one time pressing.
Limitierte Neuauflage des 2016er Be With-Reissues des legendären Debütalbums der US-Jazz-Rock-Band Air (1971, Embryo Records). Das selbstbetitelte Album, aufgenommen u.a. mit Randy Brecker und Herbie Mann, gilt als überweltliches Meisterwerk der Jazz-Rock-Fusion und wird bis heute von Produzenten wie Jeremy Underground, MCDE und Floating Points zitiert. 180g Vinyl im ausgestanzten Coversleeve.
Back in stock! Oneness of Juju’s Cosmic Second Album. Featuring Joe Bonner. Magical, mystical, Afrocentric, progressive – words that could be used to describe any number of musical compositions by Sun Ra or his cosmic brothers and sisters, from John to Alice Coltrane, early ‘70s projects on record labels like Detroit’s Tribe or Houston’s Lightin’ or the interests of one Washington, DC native named Jimmy Gray that centered under one, perfect moniker: Black Fire. Gray spent nearly three decades pushing boundaries as a Black American promoter, distributor and, finally, record label owner. Together with Oneness of Juju’s leader James “Plunky Nkabinde “ Branch, Gray oversaw sixteen releases on Black Fire Records between 1975 and 1996. These are the definitive reissues of five of the label’s key titles; all were lacquered – most directly from master tape - by legendary Los Angeles mastering engineer Bernie Grundman, With this set, Oneness Of Juju and Black Fire’s story burns forth into its fifth decade, its message not tempered, its sound pure. It’s cycle, once again, complete. Each release is packaged in a thick, tip-on sleeve and includes a deluxe booklet with extensive notes on the album, the Black Fire collective, and the musical and cultural revolution they created. Limited edition, one time pressing.
Limitiert 500 Stück - Der preisgekrönte Wiener Klarinettist, Saxophonist und Komponist Ulrich Drechsler ist ein Wanderer zwischen den musikalischen Welten. Seine Duette mit den Pianisten Tord Gustavsen oder Stefano Battaglia, sein Cello Quartet, das akustische HipHop Trio "Café Drechsler", Filmmusik uvm. sind nur einige Beispiele seines erfolgreichen internationalen Schaffens der letzten Jahre. Nun präsentiert er mit seinem neuen Opus Magnum "Liminal Zone" gleich ein ganzes musikalisches Universum. In drei eigenständigen Projekten, den sogenannten Scopes, verarbeitet er mit drei Besetzungen und drei Programmen die Einflüsse, die ihn in den vergangenen Jahren am stärksten geprägt haben: vor allem Neo-Klassizismus, skandinavischer Minimalismus, britischer TripHop & Ambient und Filmmusik. Entstanden ist eine traumhaft schöne Musik, die sich bewusst jeder Kategorisierung entzieht. Eine einzigartige Balance harmonischer und melodischer Wohlklänge sowie bewusst gesetzter Eigenwilligkeiten, die sich in Klangfarben, Rhythmen, Melodien und Atmosphären widerspiegeln. "Caramel", der erste Teil dieser Trilogie, erscheint auf dem Jazz-Label Enja, die strikt limitierte LP auf monkey.
Music exists in movement and change, but before any part of it can be pinned down for analysis, it’s often moved and taken on a new face. The transformation is often driven by culture as forward-thinking people avoid the proverbial paths in search of revolution. Even though our pioneers prophesied that the revolution would not be televised, the message has permeated. It’s spreading like wildfire and leaders are defined by those that speak first: Jazz Is Dead. Music is the universal language and we are the interpreter of sound, a message that has been lost in transcription. Under Jazz Is Dead, younger artists are elaborating upon conversations started decades ago; jazz icons are utilizing vintage equipment to create new masters with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad; the same equipment that recorded their coveted catalogs. The vitality embedded in the new masters epitomizes our quest for new life in music: Jazz Is Dead. This compilation features legendary artists Roy Ayers, Gary Bartz, Marcos Valle, Azymuth, Doug Carn, Joao Donato, & Brian Jackson, who will each have their own individual release, working alongside Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad.
Back in stock! Born in 1938, and raised in Glendale, California, Lloyd Miller has had one of the most unusual careers in all of jazz. By age 12 he had declared an intent to make his living as a jazz musician, and by high school he had already begun to experiment, shunning swing music's mechanical perfection, and chafing at his parents’ desire for him to nurture his talents with formal training. This tumultous relationship with his parents would eventually lead to a stint in a psychatric hospital, before reuniting with them in moving to Iran, his father having accepted a job working for the Shah. Stops in Hong Kong, Japan and Pakistan on the way to Iran deepened Miller's connection to other cultures he’d first felt while listening to old world music compilations. He felt a definite calm and peace, an immense respect from everyone towards everyone else, and immersed himself in other cultures and languages immediately. Miller spent a year in Iran with his family, picking up Farsi after a few short months, and steadily gaining more and more of an appreciation for how deep the roots of Persian art run. However, still committed to his decision forge a career in jazz, Lloyd left Tehran in 1958 to head to Europe to see if he could make a living from jazz music. Miller kicked around the continent, first in Germany, then in Switzerland, Sweden and Brussels. He collaborated and performed alongside 60s jazz legend Jef Gilson, and experimented with exotic instrumentation before returning to America to resume his studies at Brigham Young University in Utah. In the years following his stint with Gilson, Miller had become more and more disillusioned with both modern music and modern society, which had ashewed jazz for rock music, which he detested. In Miller’s conception, for a music to have value it had to have a deep connection to a tradition, specifically connecting jazz to African lore. To Miller, something like “Tuareg African music is blues, just with no chord changes.” Oriental Jazz was recorded, compiled and self-released in 1968 while Miller was studying at Brigham Young. The record, originally pressed in a quantity of 300 copies, sought to combine a cool, modal style with the exotic arrays of instruments and styles that Miller had picked up during his travels. Miller included songs he’d cut with Gilson in his Parisian studio years before, and a solo piano piece that he recorded in one of the school’s practice rooms. Despite Lloyd’s professed aversion to modernity, there nevertheless is something strikingly new sounding about this music, which fits together in startling juxtapositions. Traces of Bill Evans, Stan Getz and Jimmy Giuffre rub shoulders with Persian santur, Arab oud and Turkish saz music. Copies of Oriental Jazz languished in Miller's home for years after numerous failed bids for record contracts, before finally ending up in the hands of record collectors decades later. After its release however, he would find a second life after returning to Iran, doing field recordings, and eventually hosting a weekly television show that programmed both American jazz and the best traditional Persian musicians he could find. It was not to last however, as he abruptly abandoned the country to return to the US in the late 1970s, predicting the arrival of the Islamic Revolution.
2017 eröffnete Jameszoo das Amsterdam Dance Event mit einer ganz besonderen Zusammenarbeit mit Jules Buckley und dem mit dem Grammy-Award ausgezeichneten Metropole Orkest im legendären Konzertsaal Melkweg. Die Aufnahmen dieser bedeutsamen Zusammenarbeit wurden im Mai 2019 digital veröffentlicht und erscheinen nun endlich auch bei Brainfeeder auf Doppelvinyl. Die Magie und die Chemie im Raum an diesem Abend war sowohl berauschend als auch herzerwärmend, als Buckley – seit 2013 Chefdirigent des Metropole Orkest – das 49-köpfige Orchester plus Richard Spaven (Schlagzeug) und Niels Broos (Orgeln, Synthies, Rhodes), Frank Wienk alias Binkbeats (Percussion), John Dikeman (Saxophon) und Mitchel van Dinther alias Jameszoo (Elektronik, Synths und Wurlitzer) auf einer wirklich freudigen Reise dirigierte, die die Kompositionen aus van Dinters Album „Fool“ von 2016 in transzendente Bereiche hebte. Format: - Schwarzes Doppelvinyl (140g) inklusive Downloadcode. Photography by Reinout Bos
Ende der 1950er hauchten Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes und Joao Gilberto mit Samba-Rhythmen eine neue Sensibilität in die musikalische Landschaft Rio de Janeiros hinein, die einen derartigen Einfluss auf US-amerikanische Jazzmusiker hatte, dass der Bossa Nova zum dominierenden Stil der ersten Hälfte der 1960er Jahre wurde. Der Sampler "Jazz Bossa Nova" reflektiert mit 22 Aufnahmen von Quincy Jones, Lalo Schifrin, Stan Getz, Klaus Doldinger, Cal Tjader, Sergio Mendes, Ramsey Lewis, Charlie Byrd, u.v.a. diese Epoche in hervorragender Art und Weise.
A groundbreaking album, "El Maja" was released by The Robin Jones Seven in 1972. With originals now going for a wallet busting $400 (and up!) Jazz Room Records are pleased to make this long lost classic available once more. Uptempo, four hundred feet or more on the floor stompers like "El Maja", "Carica Papaya"and the track that Robin himself said is the first recorded Samba tune in the UK: "Batucada Da Vida" are complemented by the Afro-Boogaloo of "The Wailer", the soulful grooves of "Chant Afrique" and a particular highlight being the funk drenched "Atlas". Roy Edwards: Trumpet and Flugel horn. Olaf Vas: Alto, Tenor and Soprano saxes. Flute, Alto Flute and Piccolo. John Porter: Keyboards, Vibes . Percy Borthwick: Bass. Tony Uter: Congas. Simon Morton: Bongo's. Robin Jones: Drums, Timbales, Percussion.
Als sich die Kluft zwischen akademischem Jazz, New Age und Pop in den 1980er Jahren verringerte, fanden D.I.Y.-Praktiker von metronomgesteuerten Riffs in einer aufkeimenden Manager-Mittelklasse, einem kommerziellen Publikum, das in Zahnarztpraxen und Wartezimmern in ganz Amerika gefangen gehalten wurde, neues Wachstum. Die Session-Spieler gingen in Midi-Banken, die mit allen erdenklichen Instrumenten bestückt waren, und erfüllten den durch die Wut auf der Straße hervorgerufenen Wunsch, gleichzeitig cool, entspannt und konzentriert zu bleiben. -Softpack-Stil oben offene Schachtel mit "zertifiziert frisch" Siegel. -Die unbeschichtete Hülle zeigt acht extrabreite Mentholzigaretten. -NuLeaf-Ausrüstung und ein minzig-frisches Aroma, erhältlich über das Leaf Notes-Belohnungsprogramm.
Zusammen mit den Südlondoner Produzenten Kwake Bass und Wu-lu kreiert sie eine futuristische Soundpalette aus elektronischen Formen pulsierend-hypnotischer Afro-Rhythmen wie Kumina und Nyabinghi, Dinki Minki und Gerreh, und balanciert diese mit ihrer unverkennbaren Stimme und ihrem lebhaftem Songwriting perfekt aus. Dieser exzellente Tribut an das schwarze Kulturerbe ist eine neue musikalische Richtung für Zara McFarlane, eines der innovativsten Gründungsmitglieder der vibrierenden UK Jazzszene.
Exzellente Werkschau der Bossa Nova-Phase von Stan Getz, einem der größten Saxofonisten des Jazz. Während er mit Kompositionen wie "Early Autumn" (1948) und "Long Island Sound" (1949) zu einem Aushängeschild des Cool Jazz wurde, liess er sich Anfang der 1960er Jahre vom Bossa Nova inspirieren, nahm Spirit und Rhythmus dieser ausserweltlichen neuen Musik auf und erschuf seine eigene, sehr elegante Prägung, die einen massgeblichen Einfluss auf weitere Musikergenerationen haben sollte.
Nat King Cole war neben Louis Armstrong der bedeutendste schwarze US-Künstler der 1940-1950er Jahre, der 1956 seine eigene TV-Show bekam und von den Präsidenten Truman und Kennedy zu komplexen Rassenthemen konsultiert wurde. Angefangen als Pianist, entwickelte sich Cole zum begnadeten Sänger mit Hits wie "Unforgettable", "Mona Lisa" und "Nature Boy" und 50 Millionen verkauften Alben. Neben seinen Evergreens enthält diese Kollektion exzellente Aufnahmen mit Jazz-Orchester (Seite A), dem Nat King Cole Trio (Seite C) sowie seine Trips in die musikalische Latin-Welt.
Greg Foat's 9th album 'The Mage' joins the dots between the past and future of British jazz. Enlisting the talenst of jazz/library/soundtrack legends Duncan Lamont, Art Themen, Ray Russell and Clark Tracey to collaborate with their modern contemporaries Greg Foat, Moses Boyd and Heliocentric's drummer Malcolm Catto to create something undeniably British but outward looking and global. A long time personal ambition for Greg was to work with Trinidadian songstress Kathy Garcia, on 'The Mage', this wish is granted as she joins him to re-imagine the deep Xian masterpiece 'Of my Hands', 45 years after recording it as a young girl. Greg's compositions and arrangements showcase the old and new, downtempo folkscapes, free jazz with notes of hip-hop and soul from the young team flavouring the mix. Featuring Simon Ljungman and Friends as a male choir, Greg's EMS Synthi AKS experiments (made famous by Dr Who) the album is a testament to the versatility and pure musicality of all those involved and Greg Foat's ability to bring artists together to record beautiful, timeless music. #Greg Foat's 9th album joins the dots between the past and future of British jazz. Bringing Jazz/Library/soundtrack legends Duncan Lamont, Art Themen, Ray Russell and Clark Tracey to the table with modern contemporaries Moses Boyd and Heliocentric's drummer Malcolm Catto. A long time personal mission for greg was to work with Trinidadian singer Kathy Garcia, she joins him on The Mage to re-record the deep Xian masterpiece 'Of my Hands' 45 years after recording it as a young girl. Greg's compositions and arrangements showcase the young and old, downtempo folkscapes, free jazz with Notes of Hip-Hop and Soul from the young team flavouring the mix. Featuring the Simon Ljungman male choir, Gregs EMS Synthi AKS experiments (made famous by Dr Who) the album is a testament to the versatility and pure musicality of all those involved and Greg Foat's ability to bring artists together and make beautiful timeless music that moves deeply.
Multi talented UK Jazz Pianist Greg Foat has teamed up with Mercury Award nominated "The Bees" member and multi instrumentalist Warren Hampshire to collaborate on a new LP drawing on their diverse musical influences. Classic British library music, 60s Italian soundtracks & lost Americana combined with touches of modern classical, minimalism, Jazz and Folk. Featuring many members of Greg and Warren's previous bands and one of the U.Ks finest Jazz drummers, Clark Tracy, the LP also features an Edinburgh orchestra and soloists hand picked and scored by the boys. Recorded all analogue onto 2" multitrack in Edinburgh, mixed down by Mattias Glavå at his studio in Gothenburg, Sweden then mastered and cut in Helsinki, Finland, it's truly a European affair flying in the face of the brexit nightmare.
A very clear recommendation for all music lovers, especially for the fans of the Big Band Sound with full dynamic range! Originally released in 1986 here's the 2LP edition from 2016, each vinyl 180 gram heavyweight, halfspeed mastered with a fantastic press quality, playing at 45rpm for optimum sound quality, with both records housed in lined inner sleeves. Recorded at the legendary Criteria Studio, Miami, Florida with additional recordings and final mix at Arco Studios, Munich. Caterina Valente (born 14 January 1931 in Paris, France) is a French-born Italian multilingual singer, guitarist, dancer, and actress. Valente is a polyglot; she speaks six languages, and sings in eleven. While she is best-known as an international performer, Valente also spent part of her career in the United States, where she performed alongside Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Perry Como, and Ella Fitzgerald, among others. Wikipedia (in 22 languages): https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterina_Valente The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 1950s, the band survived long past the Big Band era itself and the death of Basie in 1984. It continues as a 'ghost band'. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Basie_Orchestra
Jaga Jazzist veröffentlichen nach 5 Jahren ein neues Studioalbum auf Brainfeeder! Jaga Jazzist kehren Anfang August mit ihrem neuen Album „Pyramid“ zurück, auf dem das legendäre norwegische achtköpfige Kollektiv tief in seine Post-Rock-, Jazz- und Psychedelic-Einflüsse eintaucht. Es ist ihr erstes Album seit „Starfire“ aus dem Jahr 2015, ihr neuntes Album in einer mittlerweile vier Jahrzehnte währenden Karriere, aber es markiert das Debüt der Gruppe auf Brainfeeder, dem in L.A. beheimateten Label von Flying Lotus. Auf „Pyramid“ haben Jaga Jazzist einen kosmischen Sound entwickelt, der zu ihrem neuen Label passt, während es ihre Vorgänger, wie die 80er-Jahre Jazzband Out To Lunch und dem norwegischen Synthesizer-Guru Ståle Storløkken bis hin zu Zeitgenossen wie Tame Impala, Todd Terje und Jon Hopkins zitiert. Jeder der vier langen Beiträge des Albums entwickelt sich über sorgfältig ausgearbeitete Partituren, in denen sich die technisch-farbigen Fäden der Stücke verträumt entfalten. Die Band, die von Lars Horntveth und seinen Kompositionen angeführt wird, nahm einen sehr direkten Weg zur Entstehung von „Pyramid“. Während sie bei „Starfire“ die Idee einer traditionellen Studioaufnahme auf die Spitze trieben, bei der verschiedene Mitglieder in der Aufnahmekabine ein- und ausgingen, um über zwei Jahre hinweg zu schreiben, aufzunehmen und zu experimentieren, war der Prozess hinter „Pyramid“ fast das genaue Gegenteil: es dauerte nur zwei Wochen, um die Aufnahmen fertigzustellen. Beide Platten wurden zwar vom selben neugierigen, experimentellen Geist angetrieben, aber die Prozesse waren sehr unterschiedlich. Sie zogen sich in ein abgelegenes Waldstudio im benachbarten Schweden zurück und bunkerten sich dort täglich 12 Stunden lang ein.
Nist-Nah geht aus Guthries umfangreicher Arbeit mit Metal-Percussion in den letzten Jahren hervor (wie zum Beispiel auf seiner 2015er LP für iDEAL, Sacrée Obsessio). Die hier präsentierten Stücke sind gleichermaßen von Guthries Interesse an Free Jazz, elektroakustischer Musik und verschiedenen experimentellen Musik-Exkursen geprägt.
Erste Vinyl-Reissue des 1982er Albums "Behind The Mask" von The Warriors (aka Incognito), das eigentlich das zweite Incognito-Album werden sollte, dann aber unter "The Warriors" erschien, um Incognitos Talkin' Loud-Deal nicht zu gefährden. Bester britischer Jazz-Funk inklusive des Dancefloor-Smashers "Destination"!
Back in stock! Dedication by Herbie Hancock is an anomalous entry in the discography of the revered jazz-fusion keyboardist. The album was recorded over the course of a single day, in the middle of a tour of Japan at Koseinekin Hall in Tokyo, and for years would be available exclusively in Japan. Produced a month ahead of his 1974 studio album Thrust, the follow-up to his career-defining album Head Hunters, Dedication's tracks were noteworthy for how drastically different they were from the material that followed. Gone was the dangerously funked-out rhythm section goodness of the Headhunters; instead Hancock is alone, performing four solo pieces on grand piano, electric keys, and synthesizer. Side one features Hancock at his most introspective, featuring romantic, ballad-like takes on two of his 60s pieces: "Maiden Voyage", and "Dolphin Dance." Side two, on the other hand, is almost a polar opposite, utilizing early techno rhythms through Fender Rhodes electric keyboards, and the sample-and-hold features of the ARP 2600 synthesizer, rendering spacey, exploratory jams such as the original track "Nobu", and an electro-funky take on "Cantaloupe Island". (Two tracks which predicted Hancock's eventual electro-funk dominance in the 1980s.) A unique and momentous obscurity of Herbie Hancock's catalog, Dedication has never seen a vinyl release outside of Japan prior to now. Nearly 30 years later, Get On Down has sought to allay that, with a premium-grade Record Store Day reissue worthy of any jazz collector's archives, or any crate digger's armament.
Back in stock! David Axelrod delivered one of the great psychedelic albums with 1968’s Song of Innocence, based around the poetry of William Blake. It is considered by many his masterpiece. Song of Innocence is this weird hybrid that no one, not even Axelrod himself, could ever really describe. The listener is pulled in by his melodies, simplistic at first blush, but colored by odd chord progressions and turn arounds, grounded by the drummer Earl Palmer and Carol Kaye’s funk, torn between the juxtaposition of musical elements – a jazz vibraphone solo here, a fuzz guitar tear here, a nod to the baroque in Don Randi’s clavichord comps – and put at ease, always, by Axe’s arrangements, which utilize brass and strings in a way that no 1960s arranger did. It’s worth noting that there are really count-on-your-hand examples of anything that might even be compared to Song of Innocence. Perhaps Arthur Verocai’s self-titled and only artist album, issued on the Brasilian Continental label in 1972, or the collaborations between Serge Gainsbourg and Jean Claude Vannier, which found their epitome in 1971’s Histoire de Melody Nelson. But even these albums, superb, in any thinking music fan’s canon of the best from this era, perhaps in their lives - and perhaps in line with Song of Innocence - are one-offs. Axelrod’s Song of Innocence set in path a series of artist albums on Capitol and other labels and influenced the world countless times over, from The Verve to DJ Shadow to Madlib to J.Dilla. Remastered from the original tapes in a new transfer, with extensive liner notes and unpublished photos.
2014 Barclaycard Mercury Prize - An Album of the Year "Jazz, techno, hip-hop and dubstep are glimpsed here, but for all the looping motifs and dance floor vibes, this is the work of three sure-footed improvisers with deep jazz roots". The Guardian "I think they're special...;and the response has been amazing" Gilles Peterson 6 Music To celebrate the inclusion of v2.0 as a Barclaycard Mercury Prize album of the year, GoGo Penguin are releasing a deluxe digital edition of v2.0 with three killer tracks from the original album sessions! Released here for the first time is the incessant 'Break' featuring a killer groove that offers a not to the one and only Squarepusher, 'Wash', a haunting slice of the band at their most ambient and the wonderful 'In Amber', the first track that the band wrote completely together. The title of which was inspired by a book by Kurt Vonnegut where he describes us all as 'trapped in the amber of the moment' in reference to time happening all at once rather than in a linear fashion. The release is launched with an intimate hometown gig at the Soup Kitchen on October 21st, with support from local lad and rising star Werkha in a live performance. In addition the guys are giving fans a chance to win a meet & greet and package of goodies with a remix completion in conjunction with SoundCloud. See here http://gogopenguin.co.uk/remix-competition/ GoGo Penguin's skittering break-beats, telepathic interplay and a penchant for anthemic melody all contribute to a sound that's wholly their own. Pianist Chris Illingworth's yearning classical influenced melodies are filtered through the dance music energy of bassist Nick Blacka and drummer Rob Turner. Their instrumentation might be the archetypal piano trio but while the melodic, harmonic and structural ideas are influenced by both classical and jazz the rhythms are drawn from left field electronica and it's this meeting of opposites that makes their unique acoustic-electronica sound so exciting and creates such an interesting and emotionally rich palate for the listener - as drawing on a heady brew of influences from Brian Eno, John Cage and Squarepusher to Manchester's grey rain-streaked urban streets they create a brave new sound all their own. UK press praise for GoGo Penguin v2.0 "It's obvious why the Manchester clubs are jumping to this band." The Guardian "Jazz, techno, hip-hop and dubstep are glimpsed here, but for all the looping motifs and dance floor vibes, this is the work of three sure-footed improvisers with deep jazz roots". The Guardian "[v2.0] showcases a group marking out their own musical world" The Times "A really brilliantly modern piano trio that takes in the whole history of music. I think they're really special." - Jamie Cullum / BBC Radio 2 "I think they're special...;and the response has been amazing" Gilles Peterson 6 Music "A stirring re-evaluation of what a piano trio should sound like in the 21st century"'¨ - Barclaycard Mercury Prize "GoGo Penguin have barged their way to the front of this crowded playing field with a sharp-elbowed sound that's as intelligently accessible as it is belligerently danceable"'¨ - Jazzwise "GoGo Penguin will win an audience way beyond the jazz dives" - MOJO "v2.0 has the potential to be one of those rare albums that genuinely resonates with an audience outside jazz" - JazzUK "Anthemic riffs and skittering grooves..pushes the acoustic piano trio into the future" Jazzwise "v2.0 is an energetic album... it takes classical and jazz rhythms and pushes them into the world of electronica". Echoes "GoGo Penguin continue to stretch the piano-trio formula into the future" - The Quietus "v2.0 is the sound of a band moving forward...; further establishing GoGo Penguin as one of the most exciting young bands on the contemporary scene" All About Jazz "Sometimes an album stops you in your tracks. The brilliant jazz-meets-electronica release from this remarkable Mancunian trio, is one of them". Spotify "This music has all the hallmarks of 21st century Britain, an island afloat on an ever shifting sea of underground beats and rhythms". Ancient to Future "v2.0 could easily stake its claim as the most original and accessible jazz piano trio album of new music to emerge from these shores" - Marlbank "GoGo Penguin courageously stretches the boundaries of modern hybrid music into new and incendiary regions...;smoothly incorporates elements of electronica, trip hop, jazz and classical music, with the explosiveness and anthemic melodiousness of quality rock"."'¨ - Igloo Magazine
Berlin-based Swedish saxophonist Otis Sandsjö returns with the eagerly-awaited sequel to "Y-OTIS". On "Y-OTIS 2", released by Helsinki's We Jazz Records on July 24, Sandsjö and his close associate, bassist/producer Petter Eldh (of Koma Saxo), deepen their vision of genre-bending, forward-looking "liquid jazz" of tomorrow. The core group also includes Dan Nicholls on keys and Tilo Weber on drums, and also featured on the album are Swedish jazz greats Jonas Kullhammar (of Koma Saxo) and Per "Texas" Johansson, cellist Lucy Railton and trumpeter Ruhi-Deniz Erdogan. Diving deeper into "Y-OTIS 2", you'll find details and ideas galore. The album is an inviting and inspiring audio mosaic, which links back into the previous Sandsjö/Eldh collaborations, namely "Y-OTIS" and "Koma Saxo". The result is a balanced album which quenches your thirst while making you more thirsty in the process. In other words, the many micro moods and sonic levels herein invite repeated listening, while the underlying rhythmic approach is informed as much by hip hop and electronica as by jazz, making the music approachable in a very natural way. It seems unnecessary to pull the album apart by name-checking individual tracks but just for the sake of easy introduction, the single cuts "tremendoce", "ity bity" and "abysmal" offer one idea of signposts along which to navigate. "tremendoce" brings in Swedish jazz great Jonas Kullhammar (of Koma Saxo) and Per "Texas" Johansson, introducing an infectious flute loop integrating into the Y-OTIS sound, making it organic to the bone. "ity bity" could be built on a new wave synth sample (but it's not) and "abysmal" brings more serene, even ambient-sounding sonic pathways onto the map. It all belongs together, and makes for a sound that is instantly recognisable and constantly fresh. This is "Mauerpark liquid jazz" for the new decade. "Y-OTIS 2" will be released by We Jazz Records on vinyl, CD and digitally. The vinyl comes in two versions: standard black edition in a heavy-duty tip-on sleeve and a special "PSYCORE edition" on glow in the dark green vinyl in a heavy-duty tip-on sleeve. The CD comes in a cardboard digisleeve.
In February 2018, Roy Ayers performed four sold out shows in Los Angeles as part of the Jazz Is Dead Black History Month series. It wasn’t until 2020 that fans of Ayers discovered that in addition to those shows, the legendary vibraphone player had also recorded an entire album of new material with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Over the course of its eight original compositions, written collaboratively by Younge, Shaheed Muhammad & Ayers and recorded at Younge’s Linear Labs in Los Angeles, the resulting album sounds both like an unearthed an unreleased album from Ayers’ classic period in the 1970s (which produced the oft-sampled “Red, Black & Green,” “We Live In Brooklyn, Baby,” “Everybody Loves The Sunshine,” and “Running Away), as well as something startling, new and unexpected. Joining Ayers, Younge & Shaheed Muhammad on this musical journey are drummer Greg Paul, vocalists Loren Oden, Joy Gilliam, Saudia Yasmein, Elgin Clark & Anitra Castleberry, as well as Phil Ranelin & Wendell Harrison of the legendary Spiritual Jazz label Tribe Records. The 8 tracks on this album testify to the love not only of a legendary musician’s legacy, but to the vitality & necessity of this music and these sounds in the present era, a thread that will likely run throughout all of the upcoming releases from Jazz Is Dead Records.
US sax player Stanley J. Zappa and Finnish drummer Simo Laihonen come together on the new album "Muster Point" on We Jazz Records. The two students of Milford Graves add bassist Ville Rauhala on a couple of tracks to make a bold and adventurous album captured both live and in the studio while Zappa was touring in Finland with the Black Motor musicians. This is a set full of fire and thunder, but also features some more meditative spiritual jazz. RIYL: Milford Graves, ESP-Disk', spiritual jazz "Muster Point" consists of short trio bursts ("Muster Point I-IV"), deep duo cuts such as "Pleasant Avenue" and the inspired material linking the stylistic bookends. The music herein comes from the long standing tradition of independent improvised jazz music, and moves forward in the now, relying in the natural communication and the chemistry between the musicians. At its core, the album is a testament to the importance personal connections between like-minded creative musicians in creating something new. Stanley J. Zappa, originally from New Jersey, now based in Oliver, BC (Canada) is a highly expressive musician whose career has so far progressed largely under the radar. Part of the lineage of a musical family (his uncle Frank should need no introduction), Zappa's story is that of a true craftsman, now coming into fruition with a like-minded collaborator, Simo Laihonen. Laihonen is best known from his long-standing trio formation Black Motor, also featuring bassist Ville Rauhala featured on the trio tracks on this recording.
Far Out Recordings feiert sein 25-jähriges Jubiläum mit einer Kollektion bislang unveröffentlichter Aufnahmen aus der Frühphase der brasilianischen Jazz-Funk-Titanen Azymuth. José Roberto Bertrami (keys), Ivan 'Mamao' Conti (drums), Alex Malheiros (bass) und Ariovaldo Centesini (percussion) nahmen die Tracks zwischen 1973-75 in Bertramis Heimstudio in Rio de Janeiro auf. Nur wenige von ihnen wie "Manha" oder "Prefacio" wurden später ausproduziert und veröffentlicht, die meisten blieben ungeschliffene Rohdiamanten, die hier erstmals das Licht der Welt erblicken.
Ursprünglich inspiriert und mit dem legendären musikalischen Innovator Tony Allen zusammengespielt, ist Bukky zweifellos einer der wichtigsten Afro-Beatmusiker der Gegenwart. Bukky, der die Klänge von Afro-Beat, Jazz und Funk vereint, hat eine unglaubliche Anzahl von Live-Auftritten auf Festivals wie Love Supreme, WOMAD, Africa Oyé& The Brighton Festival und legendären Veranstaltungsorten wie Jazz Café, Ronnie Scotts, Dingwalls & Passing Clouds aufgezeichnet.Vor zwei Jahren, am 20. Jahrestag von Fela Kuti's Tod, inszenierte Bukky im Londoner legendären Jazz Cafe eine Felabration-Show - eine Hommage an die Musik des großen Mannes - die so erfolgreich war, dass er seitdem auf Tournee war und die auch auf zwei begehrten, limitierten Vinyl-EPs von Live at The Jazz Café aufgenommen wurde.
Repress! With this release, Comb & Razor Sound launches its exploration of the colorful world of popular music from Nigeria, starting with the post-disco era of the late 1970s and early 80s. The years between 1979 and 1983 were Nigeria's Second Republic, when democracy finally returned after twenty-three years of uninterrupted military dictatorship. They were also the crest of Nigeria’s oil boom, when surging oil prices made the petroleum-producing country a land of plenty, prosperity and profligacy. The influx of petrodollars meant an expansion in industry and the music industry in particular. Record companies upgraded their technology and cranked out a staggering volume of output to an audience hungry for music to celebrate the country’s prospective rise as global power of the future. While it was a boom time for a wide variety of popular music styles, the predominant commercial sound was a post-afrobeat, slickly modern dance groove that retrofitted the relentless four-on-thefloor bass beat of disco to a more laidback, upbeat-and-downbeat soul shuffle, mixing in jazz-funk, synthesizer pop and afro feeling. At the time, it was still mostly locally referred to as “disco,” but has since been recognized as its own unique genre retrospectively dubbed “Nigerian boogie.” A Brand New Wayo: Funk, Fast Times and Nigerian Boogie Badness collects 15 pulsing Nigerian boogie tracks in a lovingly compiled package chronicling one of the most progressive and creative eras in the history of African popular music.
Ayalew Mesfin stands aside the likes of Mulatu Astake, Mahmoud Ahmed, Hailu Mergia and Alemayehu Eshete as a legend of 1970s Ethiopia. Mesfin’s music is some of the funkiest to arise from this unconquerable East African nation. Mesfin’s recording career, captured in nearly two dozen 7” singles and numerous reel-to-reel tapes, shows the strata of the most fertile decade in Ethiopia’s 20th century recording industry, when records were pressed constantly by both independent upstarts and corporate behemoths, even if they were only distributed within the confines of this East African nation. Though Mesfin was forced underground by the Derg regime that took control of Ethiopia in 1974, he has returned almost 50 years later with this triumphant set albums – the first time that his music has been presented in this form. These albums give us a chance to discover a rare and beautiful moment in music history, in anthologies built from Mesfin’s uber-rare 7” single releases and from previously unreleased recordings taken from master tapes. Good Aderegechegn gives us a chance to discover a rare & beautiful moment in music history, in an anthology built from his uber-rare 7” single releases. Contains an oversized 11” x 11” 16 page book that tells the story of modern Ethiopian music and Mesfin’s role within it.
BILLY BROOKS CULT JAZZ-FUNK ALBUM OFFICIALLY REISSUED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES. FEATURING THE ICONIC 'FOURTY DAYS' SAMPLED BY A TRIBE CALLED QUEST FOR THEIR CLASSIC 'LUCK OF LUCIEN' Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the reissue of Billy Brooks' much sought-after album "Windows Of The Mind," released in 1974 on Ray Charles' Crossover Records. The album, co-produced by Charles and featuring such heavy players as Herman Riley, Calvin Keys and Larry Gales, includes one of the most famous samples in hip hop history in the form of 'Fourty Days' which forms the backbone of A Tribe Called Quest's 1990 anthemic 'Luck of Lucien.' Newly remastered, the reissue comes with original artwork. There's not a huge amount of information to be found about trumpet player Billy Brooks. A solid session musician who'd been around since the 50s, he played with the likes of Lionel Hampton, Cal Tjader and of course Ray Charles, who signed him to his sub label Crossover Records in the early 70s to release "Windows of the Mind." Interestingly Brooks also appears on Bea Benjamin's 1976 cult classic African Songbird produced by Dollard Brand. "Windows of the Mind" released in 1974 remains Brooks' only solo album. "Windows of the Mind" was recorded in Los Angeles and co-produced by Ray Charles. It is a skilful brass-led mix of jazz and funk performed by such cult players as bassist Larry Gales (Thelonious Monk), drummer Clarence Johnston (Freddie Roach, James Moody), Saxophonist Herman Riley (Side Effect, Pleasure, Earth Wind & Fire, Letta Mbulu), guitarists Jef Lee (Roy Ayers, Sylvia Striplin) and cult player Calvin Keys of Black Jazz Records fame. From the groove of "Rockin Julius", "Shetter Cheeze" and "Black Flag" to the mid-tempo Jazz mood of "Cooling It" and "C.P. Time" and the cinematic brass pyrotechnics of "The Speech Maker", "Windows Of The Mind" is a superb funked up big band jazz album. "Windows of the Mind" did reasonably well among the jazz circles when it came out but its fate would change fifteen years later when, in 1990, A Tribe Called Quest heavily sampled its closing track "Fourty Days" for their own "Luck of Lucien" featured on the group's debut album "People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm." The album revolutionised hip hop and "Luck Of Lucien" became one of the album's highlights, thus cementing the reputation of Billy Brooks original LP among DJs and collectors. Original LPs now change hands for a few hundred dollars. Wewantsounds is now glad to make this landmark album available again in partnership with The Ray Charles Foundation, with newly remastered audio and striking original artwork.
Born in Chiba, Japan, Yasushi Karasawa learned piano from his mother as a young child, and soon began the explorative process in music. His first influences were Yellow Magic Orchestra and the great Ryuichi Sakamoto, leading him to save the pocket money for a Yamaha CS-15 analog Synth and a double cassette deck for recording. As is the case, musical exploration leads one around the world to Jazz from the US, and in his case it was a borrowed record from Bill Evans that sparked his interest in Jazz piano. Studying at High School and then University, enamored with Evans and naturally Herbie Hancock, the stage was set. He performed at the Tokyo Jazz Clubs and he played in a pop band, but soon he turned to the studio and his own music with the project dubbed N’Sawa Saraca. The simple story is familiar, but the missing piece is the depth of Karasawa’s musical understanding that comes through on his second album Another Town. One can hear Evans, and the golden age of Jazz interpreted through the lense of an eager Japanese student. And yet the groove is quite modern, with tinges of influences pushing through, like Terrace Martin or Aaron Parks. All of this is done with full respect, crafting the influences to his own discreetly interwoven and dreamlike flow. N’Sawa Saraca manages to capture all of the hefty Jazz solos within a gentle floating frame, enhanced by the flowing vocals of Raphael Sebbag from United Future organization.
Dig right now into the Wamono sound - the cream of the Japanese funk, soul, rare groove and disco music developed throughout the years since the end of the sixties in Japan! - Fully licensed Nippon Columbia and Victor Japan masters available for the first time outside of Japan, featuring Akira Ishikawa, Jiro Inagaki, Chikara Ueda, Kifu Misuhashi, Toshiko Yonekawa and more! - Tracks selection by Japanese super diggers and Wamono specialists DJ Yoshizawa Dynamite and Chintam - Mastered and cut at Timmion Cutting Lab - Artwork by Yoxxx (Tokyo) - 180g heavy vinyl pressing Active as a professional DJ in Japan since the late eighties, DJ Yoshizawa Dynamite is also a renowned remixer, compiler and producer. An avid record collector and an expert of the Wamono style, Yoshizawa published the Wamono A to Z records guide book in 2015 which instantly sold-out. The book unveiled a myriad of beautiful and rare records from a highly prolific, but still then unknown, Japanese groove scene. After many years working as a record buyer for several stores, DJ Chintam opened his own Blow Up shop in 2018 in Tokyo's Shibuya district. A member of the Dayjam Crew and a specialist of soul, funk, rare groove and disco music, Chintam is also an expert of the home-brewed Wamono grooves. He supervised and wrote the Wamono A to Z records guide book together with Yoshizawa. With this first volume of the Wamono series, our two DJs here guide you through some of the best and rarest jazz funk and rare groove tunes produced in Japan between 1968 and 1980. Put the needle on the record, turn up the volume and dig right now into the Wamono sound - the cream of the Japanese funk, soul, rare groove and disco music developed throughout the years since the end of the sixties in Japan!
"The semi-classical drums/sax/piano trio Mammal Hands mutate into a high-volume rave act" The Guardian Mammal Hands are pleased to announce the release of their highly anticipated fourth album 'Captured Spirits', released 11thSeptember via Manchester tastemaker record label, Gondwana Records. Consisting of saxophonist Jordan Smart, pianist Nick Smart and drummer and tabla player Jesse Barrett, the trio have forged a growing reputation for their hypnotic fusion of jazz and electronica and have recieved glowing recommendations from the likes of The Guardian and Gilles Peterson. Drawing on their love of electronic, contemporary classical, world, folk and jazz music, Mammal Hands take in influences including Pharoah Sanders,Gétachèw Mekurya, Terry Riley, Steve Reich and Sirishkumar Manji. Forming in Norwich in 2012, brothers Nick and Jordan along with Jesse, developed their distinctive and polished sound with their meteoric live shows and release of three critically acclaimed albums: 'Animalia' (2014), 'Floa' (2016) and 'Shadow Work (2017). Landmark live performances have included shows at The Roundhouse London, the main stage at Field Day Festival, La Cigale Paris, Montreal Jazz Festival, Hamburg Elb Jazz, Athens Technopolis and Unit Tokyo. Teaming up once again with trusted producer George Atkins (Wiley, The Courteeners) at 80 Hertz Studios in Manchester, 'Captured Spirits' explores themes including existence and displacement. "The name has multiple readings but was first inspired by something Jordan was reading about past experiences of ancestors being caught and coded into our DNA and having an effect on who you are today. This ties in with themes that we have touched on before relative to identity and the collective unconscious ('Shadow Work'). It also toys with the idea of feeling contained/trapped and the need to break out of something and also the idea of people being spirits that are "captured" in a body",says Nick. Opening with the melodic rhythmic patterns of 'Ithaca', the tempo picks up with the mesmerising 'Chaser', as heavy percussion and Nick's frenetic keys draw the listener deep into Mammal Hand's distinctive soundsphere. North Indian influences dictate the meditative 'Versus Shapes' with Jesse's transcendental tabla playing taking centre stage while the dark and moody 'Spiral Stair' relies on a multitude of colliding and intersecting shapes and sounds. All three members of the band contribute equally to the writing process: one that favours the creation of a powerful group dynamic over individual solos. "I think with this record, there was a strong and renewed sense of collective enjoyment and appreciation for the process and each other's contributions. After a long period of touring and a slow build up to the actual recording sessions we were able to mull over ideas for long periods, build on lessons from the past and pull our playing connection to an even deeper place. Realising each other's visions for the whole and clearly understanding how they intersect", says Jesse. That vision is also realised by longtime collaborator and artist Daniel Halsall who designed the artwork for 'Captured Spirits'. His strong instinctive feel for the band's visual world is a key component to understanding the music. "Our work with Dan over such a long period of time now has become integral to the bands aesthetic and he always seems to grasp the themes and ideas that we send for each album and distills them into something striking and engaging that really complements the music. This is really important with instrumental music, as we need to be able to convey our ideas without being too literal or definitive and give the listeners space for imagination and to take their own journey when they listen to the music and look at the artwork", says Jordan. Elsewhere across 'Captured Spirits', 'Riddle' and 'Rhizome' are rich in texture and heavy on groove and both compositions showcase a complex, emotional range and demonstrate three like-minded musicians with a dazzling understanding of jazz, electronica and cinematic rhythms. "Music has the capacity to fill so many spaces in our lives, as I think fundamentally it is a more direct form of communication than even language. In this way it can be refuge, it can be social, it can be revelatory, it can be memory, it can be what we need at a given point in time", says Jordan. The high intensity of the trio's live shows is recreated with the spiritual jazz-influenced 'Into Sparks' as Jordan's sax exhibits an unrestrained energy and freedom but it's left to 'Little One' to bring down the curtain on arguably their most accomplished album to date, a soothing, breezy gift to Jesse's new daughter. Gondwana Records is an independent record label founded by Matthew Halsall in 2008. The label has gone on to release music by, Allysha Joy, GoGo Penguin, Hania Rani, Matthew Halsall, Phil France, Portico Quartet and Sunda Arc.
PRESSED ON TRANSPARENT RED VINYL This double live outing from Herbie Hancock was recorded in Tokyo in July of 1975. Backed up by The Headhunters, Hancock runs through selections from his albums Head Hunters, Thrust and Man-Child – that last project still being months away from release at the time of this recording. Get On Down’s reissue of the vinyl will be the first US release for the double LP, ever.
Metronomy, the effective alias of the talented Joseph Mount, have thus far released three albums, starting with the jagged electro manoeuvres of their debut ‘Pip Paine (Pay The £5000 You Owe)’, through to their two albums on Because, ‘Nights Out’, where Mount first sang, and last year’s brilliant Mercury-nominated ‘The English Riviera’. As a pop group, Metronomy that are more Four Tet than Fab Four, though with a sense of adventure that would’ve made the Fabs proud. Their outing under the Late Night Tales banner journeys through the inspirations of the bands’ ever moving sound – along with a few surprises. Mount’s old favourite Autechre is present and correct, but then so are Kate and Anna McGarrigle and the Sun Ra of hip hop Sa-Ra Creative Partners. Joining Sa-Ra on the hip hop front, we’ve got Tweet’s ace ‘Drunk’ from her Hummingbird album alongside OutKast ‘Prototype’, spiced with some Doctor Octagon. For pure pop, they don’t come more refined than Alan Parson’s ‘Eye In The Sky’, who is buffeted by outbreaks of unsettling weirdness, among them the sadly departed Mick Karn’s supple bass figurines on ‘Weather The Windmill’ or Tonto’s Expanding Head Band – the guys that brought the funk to synthesizers with Stevie Wonder – and ‘Cybernaut’. And just when you think you’ve got it figured, Pete Drake arrives with his 1964 pedal steel novelty hit ‘Forever’. This is a maze rather than a journey. Naturally enough, there is the Late Night Tales special with a sparkling Metronomy rendition of Jean-Michel Jarre’s ‘Hypnose’. We’ve always had a soft spot for Devon and her cobbled street delights, but seen through the prism of Joseph Mount, it takes on a new hue that makes Brigitte Bardot and that other, lesser, Riviera seem somehow pallid. To paraphrase Buzzcocks: another music in a different riviera.