My Back Was A Bridge For You To Cross, ANOHNI"s sixth studio album, expresses a world view by shape-shifting through a broad range of subject matter. Through a personal lens, ANOHNI addresses loss of loved ones, inequality, alienation, acceptance, cruelty, ecocide, devastation wrought by Abrahamic theologies, Future Feminism, and the possibility that we might yet transform our ways of thinking, our spiritual ideas, our societal structures, and our relationships with the rest of nature. On her first full album since 2016"s HOPELESSNESS, she explains the creative process was painstaking, yet also inspired, joyful, and intimate, a renewal and a renaming of her response to the world as she sees it. "Some of these songs respond to global and environmental concerns first voiced in popular music over 50 years ago." ANOHNI"s approach since her last record has shifted from someone tasked with challenging global denial, to an artist seeking to support others on the front lines. "I learned with HOPELESSNESS that I can provide a soundtrack that might fortify people in their work, in their activism, in their dreaming and decision-making. I can sing of an awareness that makes others feel less alone, people for whom the frank articulation of these frightening times is not a source of discomfort but a cause for identification and relief. On "It Must Change," ANOHNI soulfully describes systems in collapse with a note of compassion for humanity: "The truth is I always thought you were beautiful in your own way // That"s why this is so sad." ANOHNI"s voice is sensual and smoothed, selectively reaching to the edges of what it can contain. "We"re not getting out of here // No one"s getting out of here // This is our world," she murmurs. A portrait of legendary human rights activist Marsha P. Johnson taken by Alvin Baltrop features on the cover, reflecting a 25-year relationship with the memory of Johnson that ANOHNI has held space for in the presentation of her own work. Elsewhere, the album artwork states "IT"S TIME TO FEEL WHAT"S REALLY HAPPENING". In some ways it feels as if she is reaching across her life"s expression, and has found a moment of unique composure, wearing her long exploration of disarming intensity, with the maturity of a painter carefully choosing her colors. "I want the work to be useful, to help others move through these conversations we are now facing, to move with dignity and resilience through this bitter dawning."
Search:free time
- Keep Me On Your Mind
- Lover Take It Easy
- I Know You Know
- Grinch / Funeral
- Old Dutch
- When I Was Younger
- Waiting And Waiting
- Hare And Hound
- Rock The Cradle
- Singing To The Mandolin
- The Clover
- Into The O
- Don't Know Why You Move Me
- Speak To Me Muse
- Think Of The Royalties, Lads
- Tumblin Down
- I Wanna Be Where You Are
- Over The Pass
- Your Arms (All The Time)
- See You Free
Pink&Blue[30,04 €]
Bonny Light Horseman - das gefeierte Trio aus Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson und Josh Kaufman - hat heute angekündigt, dass ihr drittes Album und Jagjaguwar-Debüt, das Doppelalbum Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free, am 07. Juni 2024 erscheinen wird. Außerdem haben sie die Leadsingle "I Know You Know" zusammen mit ihrem allerersten Musikvideo veröffentlicht. Der Song, der von Mitchells und Johnsons stets eindringlichen Harmonien getragen wird, zeigt die Fähigkeit der Band, emotionale Erschütterung mit einer Pop-Sensibilität zu verbinden, wie das Wohlfühl-Arrangement und der hymnische Refrain.
- Keep Me On Your Mind
- Lover Take It Easy
- I Know You Know
- Grinch / Funeral
- Old Dutch
- When I Was Younger
- Waiting And Waiting
- Hare And Hound
- Rock The Cradle
- Singing To The Mandolin
- The Clover
- Into The O
- Don't Know Why You Move Me
- Speak To Me Muse
- Think Of The Royalties, Lads
- Tumblin Down
- I Wanna Be Where You Are
- Over The Pass
- Your Arms (All The Time)
- See You Free
Black Vinyl[29,62 €]
Bonny Light Horseman - das gefeierte Trio aus Anaïs Mitchell, Eric D. Johnson und Josh Kaufman - hat heute angekündigt, dass ihr drittes Album und Jagjaguwar-Debüt, das Doppelalbum Keep Me on Your Mind/See You Free, am 07. Juni 2024 erscheinen wird. Außerdem haben sie die Leadsingle "I Know You Know" zusammen mit ihrem allerersten Musikvideo veröffentlicht. Der Song, der von Mitchells und Johnsons stets eindringlichen Harmonien getragen wird, zeigt die Fähigkeit der Band, emotionale Erschütterung mit einer Pop-Sensibilität zu verbinden, wie das Wohlfühl-Arrangement und der hymnische Refrain.
- A1: Castle Cats
- A2: Variation
- B1: Suzu No Uta
- B2: Alfie
- B3: Passion
'Monumental work that captures the transformation of Japanese jazz', Variation is a buzzing free jazz juggernaut that effortlessly bridges the gap between chaos and cool. First released in 1969, a year considered as the absolute pinnacle of free jazz in the nation (after which many artists also began to incorporate a national flair into their music), Masahiko Togashi was but one of a few composers to achieve widespread recognition for his craft at the time. This collab with Hiroshi Suzuki hears cuts like 'Suzu No Uta' blissfully enthrall with gossamer tuned percussion and trembling metal shakers, while ordered cacophonies like the closer 'Passion' describe the ups and downs of love through many a scalic decrescendo.
- A1: All I Really Want From You Is Love 04:26
- A2: Nowhere To Go But Home 05:48
- A3: In My Time (We Don't Belong) 03:13
- A4: Tonight (I Wanna Make It Out) 05:52
- B1: (I Gotta) Get It Together Again 04:22
- B2: Stara Paris Rescued Me 06:22
- B3: Just Get It Down 02:25
- B4: Let's Throw Some Mud Against The Wall 02:42
- B5: You Know I Feel Alright Now 04:33
Remastered vinyl of the original album which came out on CD only in 2005. Limited to 200 copies on classic black vinyl. This is an album that’s as alive as any could be. Indeed, far from sounding like the last desperate set of half-baked ideas from a once vital band (hello Oasis?) Artists Cannibals Poets Thieves is more like a debut album from a bunch of teenage upstarts: free from cynicism, fired with worldly wonder and chock full of ideas. This is certainly a different outfit from that of 1998, when they first wowed us (via John Peel, naturally) with the utterly essential sprawling noise that was The Things We Make. Long since stripped down by a series of resignations from a five strong collective to a taut three piece featuring founding members Chris Olley, James Flower and Chris Davis, the music has simplified considerably. Gone are the soundscapes of old, and in their place we have a series of sharp basslines, swirling keyboards, cutting guitar lines and the passionate hollering of frontman Olley. Opener All I Really Want From You Is Love is a perfect introduction to proceedings – a truly wonderfully distorted slab of indie rock, recalling early Jesus And Mary Chain in both its fuzz and, crucially, its wonderfully crafted tune. Next, Nowhere To Go But Home sounds like New Order if they’d emerged from Detroit in 1966. Tonight (I Wanna Make It Out) follows likewise with the best bassline Peter Hook never plucked. Throughout, Six By Seven manage to sound so natural, so refreshing free of the flab and introspection that a band on its last legs would usually succumb to. And whilst the momentum is momentarily lost as the drum machine makes an appearance to fashion the Suicide-esque trawl of Stara Paris Rescued Me, it’s not long before Just Get It Down muscles things back on course with a whispered Olley diatribe perched on top of more raw cacophony, before we reach the bitter end via the Depeche Mode-on-smack You Know I Feel Alright Now. Tracklisting:
First time released on Vinyl. Unheard since 2007. Artwork by Maliq Griffin aka DJ Porno (Tame’s long-time collaborator and friend.)
An unreleased Stretch Armstrong HOT 97 freestyle ft. Redman and Rah Digga. Remastered production by Shape, Mishap, and others.
We’re honoured to reissue an album by a truly unique voice in hip hop and dearly missed friend, Tame One. The year is 2007, Fresh off collaborations with the likes of El-P, Cage, and The Weathermen, Tame One - one half of the Newark duo The Artifacts, was approached by a Montclair skateboard shop Division East, as he personified their East Coast new school culture of skating, graffiti, and MCing. This relationship gave way to Division East Records and their first full length release entitled "The Grudge." Despite its merits and the efforts of those involved, the album went largely unheard outside of NJ hip-hop circles. Call it a casualty of the post-CD/pre-streaming musical landscape of the early 00’s. Now, 17 years later and almost 2 years after his heartbreaking transition, issued for the time on purple vinyl, Tame One’s The Grudge
For singer/songwriter Jesse Daniel, country music is nothing short of a life force. Hailing from a rural mountain town on California’s Central Coast, the Austin-based artist first explored his innate passion for music by playing drums in punk bands, then drifted down a troubled path that included years of battling addiction and spending time in and out of jail and rehab. As he took his first steps toward getting clean, Daniel immersed himself in the pure joy of writing country songs, fully embracing the unbridled vitality of California country and bringing a lived-in honesty to his lyrical storytelling. Since releasing his 2018 self-titled debut on his own record label, he’s earned great esteem as a country traditionalist and built a wildly devoted international following—thanks in no small part to his freewheeling live show and tendency to tour nearly 200 days a year. Recently signed to Lightning Rod Records, Daniel now offers up his fourth studio album Countin’ The Miles: a high-powered body of work born from his ardent belief in preserving country’s legacy.
- A1: Joe Dukie & Dj Fitchie - Midnight Marauders 7 21
- A2: Ian Brown - The Gravy Train (N O W. Mix) 5 01
- A3: Tony Allen Ft Damon Albarn - Every Season 4 07
- A4: The Rootsman - Show Some Love 5 39
- B1: King Kooba - California Suite (Vagabond Mix) 6 03
- B2: Quincy Jones - Listen (What It Is) 4 14
- B3: Cortex - La Rue 4 27
- B4: Tom Scott And The L A Express - Sneakin’ In The
- C1: Search - Action Tape 1 (Madscope Mix) 5 29
- C2: Large Professor - 'Bout That Time 4 03
- C3: Tranquility Bass - Cantamilla 4 31
- C4: Mad Doctor X - Intergalactic Throwdown 6 04
- D1: Dusty Springfield - Spooky 2 44
- D2: Focus - Having Your Fun 3 43
- D3: Nightmares On Wax - Brothers On The Slide Dub (Exclusive Cover Version) 4 23
- D4: Brian Blessed - The White City Part 1 (Exclusive Spoken Word) 10 18
The Late Night Tales compilation is a bit of a ‘stealth’ project for me personally. I’m very proud of it, but at the time, I probably didn’t appreciate it as much as I do now because there was so much going on. You do these things in-between touring and you don’t really have time to reflect on them because you’re immediately onto the next thing. It’s nice to know that it’s getting re-released. George Evelyn - Nightmares on Wax May 2024 This ain't no normal nightmare, kid. This is Nightmares On Wax, aka DJ EASE, aka George Evelyn. Born under a bad sign, with lino in hand, Mr. Evelyn went forth into the world and breakdanced (brokedance?). It's what you did in the 80s when you were young, loved hip hop and couldn't rap for toffee. When house arrived they turned their clever hands to it. Bleeps and beats is what it was. That's what everyone said. But there was always a bit more than a bunch of bleeps to what Nightmares On Wax did. The north never really took the name very seriously (Sweet Exorcist even named their album Clonk as a pisstake). Then George flipped the script and went and did Smokers Delight, the beats not so much seminal as semolina: gloopy and slow and sweet and lovely. And now we have this: a 2024 reissue of his seminal Late Night Tales compilation. Tom Scott's 'Sneakin' In The Back' — one of the most sampled beats in hip hop — makes an appearance in its full glory, while Quincy Jones, the inspiration for NOW's 'Nights Interlude', backs up the classics with ‘Listen (What It Is)’. Evelyn's hip hop sensibility is to the fore throughout and nowhere is this more evident than on ‘Intergalactic Throwdown' by former Freestylers' DJ, Mad Doctor X. And can we forget the sublime version of the Classic IV's 'Spooky' by darling Dusty? No, we can't. Finally — oh, finally! — there is the now-traditional cover version, with George serving up a soupy version of 'Brothers On The Slide' that gives a nod of respect to the original British funk soul brothers, Cymande. This ain't no nightmare at all: it's Nightmares On Wax.
- A1: Happy (Feat Mark Foster)
- A2: Check The Technique (Feat Tony D, Jazzy Jeff, Agent 86)
- A3: 1975 (Feat Diagrams)
- B1: Still Here (Feat Gita Langley)
- B2: Travis
- B3: Dancer (Feat Mel Uye Parker)
- C1: The Ballad Of Roza Shanina (Feat Ed Harcourt)
- C2: Still Life Freefall ( Feat Kate Rogers)
- C3: A2B (Feat Mystro, Masta Ace And Pete Simpson)
- D1: Favourite Game (Feat Jake Emlyn)
- D2: Sweethome
- D3: Mercury Rising
repressed !
'Mercury Rising' is the third studio album to be released by Rae & Christian. The duo weave together exceptional musicianship paired with a British song writing sensibility and the finest elements of studio production. 'Mercury Rising' was created at producer/musician Steve Christian's studio in Yorkshire with additional recording at songwriter/vocalist/DJ Mark Rae's London base. In London a song writing bond was formed with Ed Harcourt and Gita Langley who make excellent contributions with vocals, songs, strings and keys. Sam Genders of Diagrams threads a story of redemption lost on the Ubahn on '1975', Kate Rogers is on imperious form and rising star Jake Emlyn unravels a whole new level of microphone skills on 'Favourite Game'.
The international guests include the one-and-only Jazzy Jeff and Australia's Agent 86 dealing out world class scratch treatments on 'Check The Technique' (Tony D's vocals taken from a session recorded at the birth of Grand Central Records), Brooklyn rapper Masta Ace and Mark Foster of Foster The People, a collaboration born from Mark's L.A. excursion.
'Mercury Rising' is the first new material in many years from R&C. Their 1998 Mercury Music Prize nominated debut 'Northern Sulphuric Soul' ("Vitally fresh and timelessly classic...deserving a place alongside Massive Attack's Blue Lines' Uncut) and 2002's 'Sleepwalking' ("Another triumph, brimming with soulful, languid grooves, deft samples and well-chosen guest singers' Q Magazine) were both released on their Grand Central Records label (Aim, Riton, Boca 45, Only Child), a defining imprint of the late 90s soul/funk/hip-hop/beats scene. Guest vocalists over the two albums included Bobby Womack, Texas, The Congos, The Pharcyde, The Jungle Brothes and Jeru The Damaja.
Celebrated producer and musician Danger Mouse and prodigiously talented New York rapper Jemini are gearing up to release their long delayed collaborative album, Born Again Remarkably this soul and funk infused hip-hop tour de force arrives two decades after its creation and the duo's debut LP, Ghetto Pop Life which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Enthused by the response to Ghetto Pop Life, soon after Danger Mouse and Jemini began to tour and to write and record Born Again. Finally, having been recorded two decades ago and indefinitely shelved until now, Born Again will finally be released to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of Ghetto Pop Life. The previously unheard record retains many of the elements of Danger Mouse and Jemini's debut; the fun- loving, shit- talking innocence, but also adopts a noticeably more introspective and confessional tone. This time, in addition to lighthearted topics such as being an incredible artist (Knuckle Sandwich II, Brooklyn Basquiat), living large and being a magnet for attention (Me), Jemini also delivers highly- personal and occasionally devastating lyrics about missed opportunities and redemption (All I, Born Again), his time in prison (Locked Up) and complicated relationship with his father (Dear Poppa). His effortless free flowing cadence and indelible sing-song delivery elevate each track with a melodic infectiousness whilst Danger Mouse exhibits an affinity for resonant instrumentals built from sampled organ, vibraphone, or guitar loops and infused with his trademark minor key magic. The result is a classic, timeless hiphop record.
very dope.
With this EP an attempt is made at documenting the vibrant action happening during the late 1970s and early 1980s in the Pioneer Valley area of Western Massachusetts, US. The story is richer than the snapshot we present here, and a more detailed account is to be found in the accompanying book that can be purchased separately.
The Five Colleges in Hampshire County congregated a vast student population that inevitably interacted with the towns in the area. Bars, music and record stores, live music and a lot of experimentation and free thinking. Hampshire College, especially, promoted new approaches to teaching, subjects that might be considered radical by some even today, although a more favourable context would now surely exist for openly debating such topics as American Indians, Kayak Design, Black Oral Tradition, Food Management, etc. And the music? The immediate "punk effect" motivated the creation of numerous bands, many short lived, others evolving into New Wave / Power Pop territory, eventually crossing into Post-Punk experimentation. What is captured in "Noho EP" is a more electronic disposition, favoured by the existence of EMS gear and other equipment at Hampshire College and University of Massachusetts. We chose to focus on a group of musicians who, for a time, played together in different combinations under the loose umbrella of the Tekno Tunes label and the structure around it.
These musicians come from very different backgrounds and the nucleus portrayed here consisted of Christopher Vine, Elliott Sharp, James Whittemore and Nicholas Brown.
Of the several line-up changes The Scientific Americans went through, it was actually only the duo of Chris Vine and Jim Whittemore who recorded "Among Bodge Watt". Never before released, it is a companion piece to their track "El Salvador" available on the 1981 ROIR tape-album "Load & Go!". The Sci Ams were founders of the Tekno Tunes label and also created the Tekno Tours "concert promotion agency", under which name they exposed local audiences to bands such as The Stranglers, The Slits, Pylon, Pere Ubu, The Psychedelic Furs, The Bush Tetras, Steel Pulse, etc. Their own sound kept progressing but at its best there's a solid dub undercurrent, pretty obvious in "Among Bodge Watt".
Human Error was born out of a collective jam by Chris Vine, Elliott Sharp, Jim Whittemore and Nick Brown. Elliott Sharp had moved to Northampton in August of 1978 and naturally became involved in the local music scene, hooking up first with Whittemore at a hi-fi audio store where he worked at the time. Basement jams followed stimulating conversations, and other musicians joined the sessions. "Clandestinator" sounds gorgeously loose, an effortless groove coming from a quasi-dub set-up. Nothing here seems calculated, the music just flows, contagious and irregular as the handclaps in the mix.
The Higher Primates later evolved into a "proper" band but started as Nick Brown's solo project. The Primates only ever released a (now sought-after) 7" single in 1980 (on the Tekno Tunes label, precisely). Both tracks on "Noho EP" were recorded the following year and never released until now. "Auto Music in the Disco Dub Style" is self-explanatory, with a steady, mid-tempo TR808 beat running through, supporting synth squelches, echoes and reverbs, a fat bassline, dissonant melodic lines and odd vocal snippets. Kind of a DJ tool when the concept was barely in place. The more uptempo "Teresa Variations" adds a Fender Jazz bass and Selmer sax to the electronics. It actually sounds more "Disco", even with the robotic, unintelligible vocals. On top of this, the vibe is sealed by the overall Radiophonic Workshop analogue strangeness applied to a dance beat.
Artist and musician Gillies Adamson Semple explores the material resonance of drone
on new vinyl-only album Volumes.
In 2022, Gillies Adamson Semple made a pilgrimage to the Valère Basilica in the Swiss Alps to play the oldest functioning pipe organ in the world. Built in 1435, this unique instrument is the centrepiece of this sensitive and stirring 6-track release, tracing the elemental themes of spirituality, anatomy, ecological collapse, and the nature of listening in its glacial minimalist drones.
Drawing inspiration from the long-form compositions of Sarah Davachi and Kali Malone, Volumes was built from in-situ recordings Semple made in Switzerland, with the aim of capturing the physical qualities of the sound, from the stops and pedals to the air rushing through the organ’s ancient pipes. Treated like sculptural material and re-assembled at Semple’s London studio in the tradition of musique concrète, the tracks evoke a sense of exquisite timelessness, at once part of and floating free of their environment.
As Semple explains: “What I like about the organ is that you can make it feel very physical. It has all these mechanical parts that sound really beautiful. And the piece is never performed. It is something that is rooted in the site. The whole pilgrimage to see this organ in Switzerland ended up acting like that, where you’re going to this very sacred place to see this specific instrument, but all you’re taking back is recording.”
Released on vinyl via Fourth Sounds, Volumes was initially conceived as the soundtrack to Semple’s 2023 exhibition of the same name at Cedric Bardawil in London.
Edition of 200 with risograph insert, liner notes by Anton Spice. Fully remastered for vinyl.
BBE Music is thrilled to present J Jazz: Free and Modern Jazz From Japan 1954-1988, a
remarkable large-format book covering some of the deepest, rarest, and most innovative
jazz music released anywhere in the post-war era. Compiled by Tony Higgins and Mike
Peden, co-curators of BBE Music's acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series, the book also
features a foreword by Japanese jazz icon, Terumasa Hino.
This is the first time a book of this type has been published outside of Japan and the first
anywhere of this size and scale. It is a unique collection of over 500 albums of free and
modern jazz released in Japan during a period of radical transformation and constant
reinvention. An era that saw Japan return from the ravages of World War Two to become a
global economic power and emerge as both a technological leader and an international
cultural force.
Through a unique gallery of albums, J Jazz charts the development of jazz in Japan from the
first stirrings of the modern jazz scene in the mid to late 1950s and on through the hard bop
and modal jazz of the 1960s. It steers the reader into the radical directions of the 1970s when
free jazz, fusion, post-bop, and jazz-funk opened up a growing number of Japanese jazz
artists to a new global audience before consolidating in the mid to late 1980s with a musical
scene that laid the path for the contemporary jazz generation to follow.
Over 500 full-colour sleeves from many of the leading names in Japanese jazz sit alongside
rare and private pressings that tell a story of constant change and musical exploration. J
Jazz includes profiles of several leading record labels such as East Wind, Frasco, King
Records, and Nippon Columbia as well as critical independents such as Three Blind Mice,
ALM, and Aketa’s Disk.
J Jazz includes interviews with celebrated jazz photographer Tadayuki Naito, and pianist
Tohru Aizawa, bandleader on the totemic spiritual jazz album, Tachibana Vol 1, as well as
free-jazz record collector and jazz musician Mats Gustafsson.
The book also features a chapter on albums by non-Japanese artists that only received a
Japanese release, with collectible, rare, and obscure releases by figures such as Herbie
Hancock, Miles Davis, Mal Waldron, Steve Lacy, and Art Blakey. J Jazz includes Japanese
jazz charts from some of the world's leading jazz DJs including Gilles Peterson, Toshio
Matsuura, Paul Murphy, and Shuya and Yoshihiro Okino. Among the specialist content is a
feature on obi strips by record dealer and Japanese jazz expert, Yusuke Ogawa, plus a
special article on Japanese Blue Note albums.
Across its 300-plus pages, J Jazz includes a detailed introduction contextualising the music,
tracing the story of Japan's fascination with jazz back before the war. It also features
biographical information on many of the key artists involved in shaping the post-war
Japanese jazz scene including Sadao Watanabe, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Masabumi Kikuchi,
Masahiko Togashi, Terumasa Hino, Yosuke Yamashita, Fumio Itabashi, Masayuki
Takayanagi, Takeo Moriyama, Isao Suzuki, and many more
In The Red Records is proud to announce a previously unreleased new album by Brooklyn-born master of minimalism Alan Vega, Insurrection. The eleven songs here showcase the unparalleled vision and uncompromising force from one of the most influential artists of all time. Alan Vega was born in Brooklyn in 1938. He co-founded the legendary New York City punk band Suicide with Martin Rev in 1970. Suicide’s groundbreaking 1977 debut is considered one of the most influential albums of all time. Vega considered his solo records the audio counterpoint to his visual art that reflected the world around him while simultaneously exploring universal themes. It makes his work as relevant today as it was when he created them. It was during his highly experimental period beginning in the late ’80s that he began working with Liz Lamere, who became the most crucial collaborator of his solo career until his death in 2016. Lamere, along with Jared Artaud, resurrected these newly unearthed collection of lost recordings, which they co-produced and mixed. Lamere and Artaud spearhead the Vega Vault project, which aims to bring rare, unreleased and back catalog work spanning Alan Vega and Suicide’s career to the public for the first time. On Insurrection, Lamere says: “Insurrection was created in the time period around 1997/98, after Mutator and prior to Vega’s 1999 release of 2007 and captures the intense energy of NYC in the ’90s rife with crime, killing, hate, fascism, racism, and moral bankruptcy. You can hear the tortured souls floating through this album. Post-Gulf War angst still enveloped Alan. He was having premonitions about a major terror attack in the US, well before 9/11. The upcoming birth of his son raised further awareness of the state of our world. All these emotions are mirrored in the sounds he magnetized. And true to Vega form, there remains hope and empowerment coursing through the tracks. In the almost three decades of going into the studio with Vega, we recorded significantly more material than the seven albums released. Vega’s intention was to experiment with sound which would become the canvas for the poetry that reflected his vision of the universe. Because the goal wasn’t to make albums, he had no timeline or constraints and would freely follow new paths uncovered along the way.”
Following the release of Eric Chenaux's last album Say Laura (2022), The Guardian wrote "the Canadian songwriter has one of the all-time great singing voices in popular music, an intensely romantic Chet Baker-ish instrument that seems to float with piercing direction, like a paper aeroplane thrown hard through mist." With Uncut describing his songcraft "as delicate and lovely as a rare orchid" and Record Collector praising the album's "sublime alien balladry" such are the accolades that have accrued throughout Chenaux's unique and consummately uncompromising solo music for well over a decade now. Delights Of My Life opens a new chapter for the singer/guitarist and formally introduces the Eric Chenaux Trio, with Toronto-based musicians Ryan Driver on Wurlitzer organ and Phillipe Melanson on electronic percussion. Driver is a longtime collaborator, appearing on several of Chenaux's solo albums (even embedded into the very title of the 2010 masterpiece Warm Weather With Ryan Driver). Melanson has a long list of involvements that include Bernice, Joseph Shabason, and U.S Girls, and a recent release with his Impossible Burger project on Chenaux's own experimental label Rat-drifting, but this marks the first fulsome involvement between the two as players on a recording. In many ways Delights Of My Life also picks up right where Chenaux's previous album left off, in its subversions of a classic, timeless jazz-inflected balladry, while the interplay of the trio formation indeed unfurls many new delights. Recording together at Chenaux's spartan home studio in rural France, Driver's harmonically warped organ and Melanson's electroacoustic sampling and percussion hold time in newfound ways. Where previously Chenaux relied on a freeze/sustain pedal and minimalist rhythmic triggers to generate both pulse and chordal foundations, Melanson now paints timekeeping with expressive and intricate colourations, through live deployments of fluid sampled percussion (including orchestral timbres like timpani, kettle drums, and woodblock) that blur the boundaries between acoustic and electronic. Driver also ramps up his role in the song arrangements (prefigured in his support playing on Say Laura), teasing out chords and melodic filigree on Wurlitzer that percolate more prominently with Chenaux's signature fried guitar solos and succulent singing. Both trio members add dulcet backing vocals, most notably on the 10-minute tour-de-force of fuzzed and ring-modulated swing "This Ain't Life" that opens the record. All seven songs on the album groove and sway, simmer and sparkle, like nothing in the inestimable Chenaux discography to date. Chenaux's tunes have the uncanny ability to sound like jazz standards; songs you feel you've heard before, though certainly never quite like this. Yet these are of course all originals, compositionally and interpretively, bent through an inimitable avant/out-music lens. Delights Of My Life conveys warm familiarity, shot through with the exuberantly experimental subversion and playful, even mischievous, iconoclasm that continues to mark Chenaux as defiantly, virtuosically, and genially one-of-kind.
In November 2021, Portland-born rapper Aminé released his latest project, TWOPOINTFIVE. The twelve-track release finds Aminé using the project to explore new sonic territory. This exploration is best evidenced by the project’s lead single "Charmander,” the video for which was lauded by GQ as the "Most Menswear-y Music Video of 2021" for its incredible styling and featured by Pitchfork as one of the best music videos of October 2021. After six months of anticipation, Aminé has prepared a vinyl offering for fans of the project to add to their collection for the very first time. Since its release, the album has amassed over 100 million streams and garnered praise from Billboard, Complex and Highsnobiety, in addition to the aforementioned support from Pitchfork and GQ. The vinyl will be sold online this summer and in-store with select retail partners. Speaking on the project, Aminé shares: "The POINTFIVE projects are the breaks in between albums where I give myself the freedom to make music without expectations, focusing instead of spontaneity and the best of what comes from stream of conscious creation, which is why they arrive unexpectedly without a long rollout. It’s an opportunity to create for my day one fans the way I used to in my bedroom. Thanks for listening." TWOPOINTFIVE takes inspiration from various strains of club and dance music, synthesized in a way that feels distinct to Aminé and his brand of clever lyricism. TWOPOINTFIVE acts as the second act to his 2018 project ONEPOINTFIVE, which is also lead with an introduction from Rickey Thompson and arrived in between Aminé's debut album Good For You and sophomore album Limbo. ONEPOINTFIVE solidified Aminé's status as a hitmaker in the modern hip-hop landscape with tracks like "REEL IT IN" and "BLACKJACK." Listen to TWOPOINTFIVE above and stay tuned for more from Aminé coming soon. Full Press Report PDF - Artist Bio - PR Report
In November 2021, Portland-born rapper Aminé released his latest project, TWOPOINTFIVE. The twelve-track release finds Aminé using the project to explore new sonic territory. This exploration is best evidenced by the project’s lead single "Charmander,” the video for which was lauded by GQ as the "Most Menswear-y Music Video of 2021" for its incredible styling and featured by Pitchfork as one of the best music videos of October 2021. After six months of anticipation, Aminé has prepared a vinyl offering for fans of the project to add to their collection for the very first time. Since its release, the album has amassed over 100 million streams and garnered praise from Billboard, Complex and Highsnobiety, in addition to the aforementioned support from Pitchfork and GQ. The vinyl will be sold online this summer and in-store with select retail partners. Speaking on the project, Aminé shares: "The POINTFIVE projects are the breaks in between albums where I give myself the freedom to make music without expectations, focusing instead of spontaneity and the best of what comes from stream of conscious creation, which is why they arrive unexpectedly without a long rollout. It’s an opportunity to create for my day one fans the way I used to in my bedroom. Thanks for listening." TWOPOINTFIVE takes inspiration from various strains of club and dance music, synthesized in a way that feels distinct to Aminé and his brand of clever lyricism. TWOPOINTFIVE acts as the second act to his 2018 project ONEPOINTFIVE, which is also lead with an introduction from Rickey Thompson and arrived in between Aminé's debut album Good For You and sophomore album Limbo. ONEPOINTFIVE solidified Aminé's status as a hitmaker in the modern hip-hop landscape with tracks like "REEL IT IN" and "BLACKJACK." Listen to TWOPOINTFIVE above and stay tuned for more from Aminé coming soon. Full Press Report PDF - Artist Bio - PR Report
Freedom is deeply rooted in the working-class rock of the 70's and 80's, giving us a sound like no other. With meaningful lyrics, power chords and mighty choruses, they're inevitably creating a soundtrack to the journey of life itself. Nicke Andersson once described Freedom as a "bargain basement Springsteen" - a band making music meant to follow you through thick and thin, far into those never-ending summer nights.
Since Freedom first started in 2019, they've established themselves as an amazing live act, filling clubs throughout Sweden with both energy and audience. In 2022 they were honorably chosen to play at the official release party of The Helicopters at the notorious Hamburger Börs in Stockholm.
The band recently added two new members to the crew: Ola Göransson (Heavy Feather, Stacie Collins) and Matte Gustafsson (In Solitude, Siena Root, Heavy Feather). Their combined experience of heavy roots-rock and sense of stage presence, makes Freedom one of Swedens strongest live bands - guaranteed.
Their self-titled debut album from 2021 became a great topic of conversation, leaving a permanent mark in the rock-world of Sweden. Finally, it's time for the awaited second album to be released - once again produced by Martin "Konie" Ehrencrona (Viagra Boys, Håkan Hellström and Les Big Byrd).
Mr Bongo proudly presents the debut album from Tasmania-born, Melbourne-based, Finn Rees. Gliding across a swirling palette of saturated hues, Dawn Is A Melody feels vintage yet vibrant, new but familiar at the same time. A spiritual, deep and textured jazz record, tipping its hat to greats from the past, capturing memories and reformulating them into new ideas with the help of some of Melbourne’s finest talent.
Expert keys player for the likes of 30/70 and Elle Shimada, alongside one-half of Close Counters, this debut LP was Finn’s conscious departure from the realm of groove-based jazz. Instead, Dawn Is A Melody places the piano and arrangements centre stage, giving Finn and his fellow Melbourne crew freedom to explore the spaces in between, new emotions and alternate soundscapes.
In Finn’s own words: “My intention with Dawn Is A Melody was to create a world; a microcosm of colour. Something rich and beautiful that allowed the melodies and compositions to reach their full potential. It was driven by hope, curiosity and the search for beauty and reassurance in this ever-changing world. The emotion behind the music is really about the journey of life, growing up and changing, as well as my relationship with Tasmania’s natural landscapes where I grew up, a part of the world that is incredibly unique and beautiful.”
The album arcs between opening, middle and end. Beginning with the optimism of ‘Looking Up’ and ‘Lagoon’, the former a celestial, string and harp marbled slice of positivity, the latter a spiritual journey of exuberance and hope, Finn’s fingers dancing across the ‘70s Yamaha grand piano. From there the songs blossom outwards with the cinematic soulful journey of ‘It’s Behind Me Now’ and Brazilian-inspired ‘Expansion’, as the divine ‘Crossing’ signals a transition to a new realm. The energy is transformed from the rich cosmic textures to a more intimate and personal feeling with ‘Ablaze’, ‘Between Spaces’ and ‘As It Passes’ which blissfully fades down to simply piano and strings to close out the record.
Recorded at Rolling Stock in Collingwood, Melbourne, Henry Jenkins was drafted in as recording and mix engineer, his minimal vintage mic setups giving a live aesthetic and warmth to the arrangements. Lucky Pereira and Blakely McLean Davies form the rock-solid rhythm section, with a hand-picked line-up of other Melbourne talent on display, including Cheryl Durongpitikul on tenor sax, Siwei Wong on harp, Audrey Powne on trumpet and Allysha Joy on vocals to name only a few.
Plotting a course from Alice Coltrane, through Herbie Hancock, to Arthur Verocai, this is a debut nourished by the past but firmly made in the present. A record unable to be age-stamped, casting ambiguity as to when, what era and by whom it has been crafted. Like a vintage lens capturing a current scene, Dawn Is A Melody is warm and familiar yet focused on the here now.
- 1: La 2020 (Feat. Exile)
- 2: Ca All Day (Feat. Vcl Tha Moslem)
- 3: In Living Color (Feat. Skye Louise)
- 4: I’m G (Omg) (Feat. Chuuwee And Born Allah)
- 5: La Summer (Feat. G Kidd, Jack Davey, And Like)
- 6: We Originals (Feat. Longevity, Sahtyre, And Onwun)
- 7: We Bang (Feat. Med, Thurz, And Yah Ra)
- 8: The Joy (Feat. Speed Walton And Mykestro)
- 9: West Coast (Feat. Iman Omari And Imani)
- 10: Weekdays (Feat. Polyester The Saint)
- 11: Roll Up (Feat. Jimetta Rose, Donel Smokes, And Tiron)
- 12: Red, White, & Me (Feat. Colin Devane)
- 13: Out Of The Blue (Feat. Shaq Husayn, Ta’raach, Ayun Bassa, Propaganda, And Jo Roq)
- 14: Colorful (Feat. Cashus King, Self Jupiter, And Myka 9)
From weaving thought-provoking poetics to channeling the spirit of vintage West Coast gangsta rap, acclaimed Los Angeles emcee Blu is a dynamic musical presence, forever evolving and defying expectations. Supremely talented producer and musician Shafiq Husayn has a similarly diverse skill set, with a storied history as a member of Sa-Ra Creative Partners and solo production credits for top artists across the musical spectrum, from Erykah Badu to Ice-T to Anderson .Paak to Jurassic 5 and many more. After linking up for the mixtape The Blueprint back in 2018, Blu and Shafiq Husayn are reuniting for the new album Out Of The Blue, elevating their collaboration to a new level. “The Blueprint was just me rhyming over some of Shafiq's beats that I found online,” Blu explains. “This time we were actually in the studio together. We’ve been working together since 2008, but this is our first official album.” Awash in Shafiq’s dense sonic architecture, Out Of The Blue showcases the intricacy of Blu’s spiritual street talk while simultaneously delivering a series of bass-heavy L.A. anthems. Entirely produced by Shafiq Husayn, the collection features guest appearances by MED, Exile, Chuuwee, Thurz, Speed Walton, Jimetta Rose, and Freestyle Fellowship members Myka 9 and Self Jupiter. “Out Of The Blue is my G-Funk album,” Blu explains. “Big brother Shafiq gave us a master class in production. We just in here being funky and having fun.”




















