Contemporary pianist and composer James Heather announces his
second album, ‘Invisible Forces’, via Ahead of Our Time, Ninja Tune
founders Coldcut’s first record label.
An album influenced by the sensibility of electronic, ambient, orchestral
and post-rock music but channelled through solo piano and Heather’s
classical and jazz grounding.
With regards to his “superb” (Crack Magazine) and “masterful”
(Electronic Sound, Dummy) debut, ‘Stories From Far Away On Piano’,
the songs are grander, deeper and broader in emotional range and are
developed through a series of improvisation techniques. Heather
describes it as ‘pulse music’, with each track performed in a single take
and with their roots in this live improvisation, often honed on the road
where he moves between tender to more propulsive, trance-inducing
dynamics.
For fans of Jean-Michel Blais, Sarah Davachi, John Carroll Kirby, Otto A.
Totland, Ólafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm, The Cinematic Orchestra.
CD in slipcase with printed inner.
140g violet vinyl with holofoil detail sleeve.
“The sound Heather makes is captivating.” - Electronic Sound
“Masterful contemporary piano.” - Dummy
“A remarkable piece of music that yields more secrets the more it’s
played” - Clash
Featured in Coldcut’s ambient compilation ‘@0’ alongside Suzanne
Ciani, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Helena Hauff, Skee
Mask, Julianna Barwick, Steve Roach, Laraaji and Mira Calix.
Notable supporters of Heather’s music include James Lavelle (UNKLE),
Nils Frahm, Cillian Murphy, Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder (via the live
session he did for them in 2021), The Cinematic Orchestra, The Bug,
Leandro Taub, Actress, Bicep, Martyn and Tim Noakes (Dazed).
James has collaborated with the likes of Dawn Richard, Coldcut,
Mumdance and Roger Robinson (King Midas Sound).
Buscar:j rob
Improvisation and experimentation are at the core of Robocobra
Quartet’s DNA, almost intentionally at odds with their roots as a
post punk band.
Including members with no musical training alongside European
music conservatoire innovators, the result is a groove-driven but
cerebral blast, invoking the likes of Fugazi, Talking Heads and
contemporaries such as Squid and Black Country, New Road.
The eclectic free nature of their live shows allows them to
channel hop from moments of joy and playfulness to periods of
intense fury, creating a unique sound that has earned them
invitations to Montreux Jazz Festival and Latitude.
Robocobra Quartet have a rule: No Guitars Allowed. Their
unique sound, concocted and self-produced in Belfast, Northern
Ireland, sees that ‘middle’ space filled by other instruments such
as saxophones, samplers, keyboards and sound effects,
swirling around the melodic basslines and powerful drum
rhythms which prop up the core of each of their songs.
On top of this music sits a single vocal from behind the drum kit
amid a fury of rhythm, sometimes marrying perfectly with the
pulse of the drums and occasionally at complete odds with it.
Live dates / tour to be announced.
“I genuinely don’t think there is another band like ‘em, anywhere
in these islands” - Tom Robinson
“Free-floating musical explorers” - Hannah Peel
“Fugazi meets Mingus.” - Drowned in Sound
“Exploratory pioneers.” - BBC Radio 3 Late Junction
“A cunning marriage of jazz, spoken word and punk” - The
Quietus
Debut full length album on the Valley of Search label by Mexican born, New York-based vibraphonist, marimbist, improviser and composer Patricia Brennan. The twelve original instrumentals that make up the album were composed and performed solo by Brennan on vibraphone and marimba. Employing unusual performance techniques and occasional electronics, many of the compositions were borne from improvisations created live in the studio at the time of recording. At times exploring silence and space, stillness and patience the album investigates new sonic territories with an endless sense of curiosity. "This album is a personal statement not only as a vibraphonist but also as an improviser and composer," says Brennan. "From bowing and bending pitch, to the use of extended effects via guitar pedals, this album reflects my vision for the vibraphone and the potential of all the possible ways it can be played. I wanted to not only incorporate all those techniques in the compositions but also wanted them to become part of my general improvisatory language." Patricia has performed with many renown musicians including singer and composer Meredith Monk and Theo Bleckmann, saxophonists Jon Irabagon and Scott Robinson, trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, drummer Marcus Gilmore, guitarist Mary Halvorson and many others. She has performed in venues such as Newport Jazz Festival, SF JAZZ, and Carnegie Hall, as well as international venues such as Wiener Konzerthaus in Vienna, Austria, Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Germany, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Limited to 1000 copies.
Pressed on Blue Vinyl.
Includes postcard and poster.
The Bluebells have dug deep into their archive to give us the earliest recordings of these tracks, which have never been released before and are exclusive to this 7”
‘Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool’ is longer and more vibrant containing an extra verse and guitar solo which are not on previous versions. This is the closest recording to the one that was originally intended to be released on Postcard in 1981. The sleeve, designed by Bobby Bluebell features 2 of the earliest photos of the band.
THE BLUEBELLS were formed by songwriter / guitarist Robert Hodgens aka Bobby Bluebell in 1980. When deciding to form a group to start performing his songs, Hodgens remembered two punk musicians from Bothwell (brothers Ken and David McCluskey) he had interviewed for his fanzine, 10 Commandments. David (drums/ backing vocals) and Ken (vocals / harmonica) joined Robert and The Bluebells started performing live in and around Glasgow.
The Bluebells were soon involved in the burgeoning scene coalescing around Postcard Records in Glasgow (Orange Juice, Josef K, Go Betweens, Aztec Camera, Jazzateers), and it wasn’t long before The Bluebells were sharing stages throughout the UK with some of the Postcard groups. A single (Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool) was scheduled for release on Postcard, however after appearing on the
front page on Melody Maker and in NME / Sounds etc, major record companies started making serious offers to sign the group. The Bluebells appeared on BBC music program The Old Grey Whistle Test, the first unsigned group to do so, and it wasn’t long after this television appearance that the group signed a major record contract with London Records.
The Bluebells were soon in the studio working on songs for their debut album, with Elvis Costello producing. They were invited to open on UK tours for Haircut 100 and Elvis Costello & The Attractions, and started releasing singles to critical acclaim (Forevermore, Cath, Sugar Bridge). However it was their fourth single I’m Falling (co-written by Robert and Ken) that finally resulted in commercial success, chart success, and appearances on Top of the Pops.
The Bluebells released their debut album, Sisters, in 1984 to further commercial chart success, which was continued when their next single, Young At Heart, gave the group their second big hit single. However, when Young At Heart was reissued
in 1993, it reached number 1 in the chart for a month, making The Bluebells regular fixtures on Top Of The Pops
Two all-time undisputed anthems from Robin S, much sampled, oft covered but nothing beats the originals. Champion now reissue both Stonebridge Club Mixes of ‘Show Me Love’ and ‘Luv 4 Luv’ loud and proud on either side of a limited 12 inch housed in a Champion picture sleeve. Impossible not to have a whole crowd belting out the words or smiles straight on their faces from the get go, these are two tracks that every collection needs – regardless of taste. It’s all love baby!
A Toolroom veteran of 15 years and longstanding member of the #ToolroomFamily, Dave Spoon (aka Simon Neale, or the better-known Shadow Child) made his label debut way back in 2005 with his 21st Century EP. Having released an incredible amount of music during his time with Toolroom, he is most known for his massive 2006 hit ‘At Night’ which saw a huge level of physical sales and massive radio support. Eventually being reworked with So Solid Crew’s Lisa Maffia on vocals, turning into ‘Bad Girl (At Night)’.
2012 onwards saw Simon shelve his Dave Spoon identity, creating the Shadow Child alter ego and his own Food Music record label. Having huge success with records such as 23, Climbing (Piano Weapon), Ooh Tune and his remix of AlunaGeorge – ‘Best Be Believing’.
He is a prolific artist and producer in his own right, having remixed records from high-profile artists Robyn, Paul van Dyk & Dizzee Rascal. As well as scoring multiple hit records under the Shadow Child moniker, the time is right to bring the Dave Spoon pseudonym back online. Taking form of ‘Steels’, a refreshingly new, fiery and fun party record that you won’t be able to get out of your head.
Legendary Polish Dance duo Catz ‘n Dogz are on remix duties for this one. The duo bring a refined, Disco-tinged, festival flavour to Dave Spoon’s summer hit, adding a slick groove with an emphasis on the insanely hooky records brass section. Throwing in similar elements such as the brass swells, melodic steel drum hits and the vocal cuts, Catz ‘n Dogz have created a remix that doesn’t stray too far from the original but lives completely in a world of its own.
A cut that has it all, Catz ‘n Dogz has nailed definitely nailed this remix by putting their own spin on the record whilst staying true to the originals fiery but fun feel. For sure, ‘Steels’ is a record you won’t be able to get out of your head.
- A1: Althea & Donna - Uptown Top Ranking
- A2: Susan Cadogan - Hurt So Good
- A3: Sophia George - Girlie Girlie
- A4: Judy Mowatt - I Shall Sing
- A5: Marcia Griffiths - Steppin' Out Of Babylon
- A6: Janet Kay & The Kaylets - Lovin You
- B1: Marcia Aitken - I'm Still In Love With You
- B2: Joya Landis - Angel Of The Morning
- B3: Phyllis Dillon - Perfidia
- B4: Sylvia Tella - Spell
- B5: Nora Dean - Barbwire
- B6: Mille Small - Honey Hush
- C1: Phyllis Dillon - Love Was All I Had
- C2: Faye Bennett - Back Wey
- C3: Lorna Bennett - Good Woman
- C4: Sonya Spence - Come With Me
- C5: Sandra Robinson - Sensi For Sale
- C6: Althea - Downtown Thing
- D1: Marcia Griffiths - Give You & Get
- D2: Dawn Penn - I Let You Go
- D3: Paula Clarke - Dynamic
- D4: Susan Cadogan - If
- D5: Hortense Ellis - My Willow Tree
- D6: Doreen Shaeffer - Back In My Arms Again
Trojan have pulled together some of reggae's finest moments here, and importantly they come from some of the genre's most vital female talents, who can often be overlooked in favour of their more visible male counterparts. Across four sides of vinyl the likes of Millie Small, Althea & Donna, Marcia Griffiths, Phyllis Dillon, and Susan Cadogan all deservingly feature and personal sleeve notes from musician Rhoda Dakar also add real value. Big hits, unknown rarities and some brilliantly wonky numbers like Sandra Robinson's "Sensi For Sale" make this an instant NEED!
- A1: Endangered Species
- D7: Sensitive Boys (Demo)
- D8: I Don't Need Your Love (Demo)
- A2: Living Dead
- A3: Countdown
- A4: Ambition
- A5: Lie Down & Die
- A6: Fear Of Girls
- A7: Down On The Farm
- B1: Sensitive Boys
- B2: ÷8×5
- B3: Ice Age
- B4: I Robot
- B5: Flesh Wound
- B6: Plan Of Action
- C1: Self Destruct
- C2: Police State
- C3: War Of The Roses
- C4: New Barbarians
- C5: Ship Wrecked
- C6: Enemy Awaits
- C7: I Don't Need Your Love
- D1: Limo Life
- D2: Cocaine
- D3: Shoot You Down (Demo)
- D4: ÷8×5 (Demo)
- D5: Countdown (Demo)
- D6: Ambition (Demo)
pink vinyl[46,85 €]
- A1: Endangered Species
- D7: Sensitive Boys (Demo)
- D8: I Don't Need Your Love (Demo)
- A2: Living Dead
- A3: Countdown
- A4: Ambition
- A5: Lie Down & Die
- A6: Fear Of Girls
- A7: Down On The Farm
- B1: Sensitive Boys
- B2: ÷8×5
- B3: Ice Age
- B4: I Robot
- B5: Flesh Wound
- B6: Plan Of Action
- C1: Self Destruct
- C2: Police State
- C3: War Of The Roses
- C4: New Barbarians
- C5: Ship Wrecked
- C6: Enemy Awaits
- C7: I Don't Need Your Love
- D1: Limo Life
- D2: Cocaine
- D3: Shoot You Down (Demo)
- D4: ÷8×5 (Demo)
- D5: Countdown (Demo)
- D6: Ambition (Demo)
blue vinyl[46,85 €]
- A1: Beauty, Mind And Body _1
- A2: Open The Sense
- A3: Gaze On Your Palm
- A4: Breathing Wave (With Foodman)
- A5: Have A Noble Meal (With Jim Orourke)
- A6: Moisture Of View (With Mc.sirafu)
- B1: Beauty, Mind And Body _2
- B2: Isometrics
- B3: Can You Hear A New World
- B4: Treadmill (With Lisa Nakagawa)
- B5: Aroma Oxygen
- B6: Beauty, Mind And Body _3
The 4th full-length by Tokyo Metropolis electronica entity UNKNOWN ME, Bishintai, is a sublime synthetic suite of cosmic wellness transmissions exploring “the unknown beauty of your mind and body,” appropriately named for a kanji compound meaning “beauty, mind, body.” Crafted with software, synthesizer, steel drum, rhythm boxes, and robotic voice by the core quartet of Yakenohara, P-RUFF, H. Takahashi, and Osawa Yudai, the album unfolds like a holographic guided meditation, soothing but cybernetic, framed by subways and sky malls. Latticework electronics flicker with texture, glitch, wobble, and mirage, themed around sensory perception and body parts.
A diverse cast of collaborators assist in actualizing the collection's uniquely urban expression of new age ambient, from psychedelic footwork riddler foodman to multi-instrumentalist institution Jim O'Rourke to Japanese underground shape-shifters MC.Sirafu and Lisa Nakagawa. Although the group cites a therapeutic muse (“made for the maintenance of the minds of city dwellers”), Bishintai shimmers with an alien strangeness, too, like decentralized relaxation systems obeying sentient circuits. This is music of utopia and nowhere, channeling worlds within worlds, birthed from a sonic ethos as simple as it is sacred: “in pursuit of beautiful tones.”
The eagerly anticipated second remix package of André Hommen’s More Than This album is set for release in April on his These Eyes imprint. Following the Remixes Pt.1, featuring Robag Wruhme and Jonathan Kaspar, André recruits heavy-weight’s Donato Dozzy, Michael Mayer and Manuel Tur to deliver the remixes of Pantone. Donato Dozzy kicks things off with a tribal-esque remix. A bass-heavy, rolling drum at the heart of the track is met with intricate percussion and bird sounds, which take you on a tropical journey. Michael Mayer’s remix gets to work with a punchy, up-tempo bassline, perfectly partnered with airy synths and soothing pads. Rounding off the release, Manuel Tur’s remix offers darker drums that progressively build, enhanced with finely chopped vocals that echo in and out combined with minimalistic melodies. Italian native Donato Dozzy is widely acclaimed in techno circles across the globe. Displaying a large variation in terms of sound and method, his releases can be found on Tresor, Spectrum Spools and his own Spazio Disponibile. As a co-founder of Kompakt, Michael Mayer works closely with artists on their releases for the label. With three studio albums under his belt and numerous remixes for the likes of Miss Kittin, Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode, it’s easy to see why Mayer has such an acclaimed status in the dance world. Manuel Tur was born and raised in Essen, Germany. He released his debut EP at the age of sixteen and has gone on to release on labels such as Freerange and Running Back.
Die letzten zwei Jahre seit seiner ersten Veröffentlichung
bei der Deutschen Grammophon waren turbulent für den
aus Berlin stammenden Klaviervirtuosen, Produzenten und
Sänger Dario Lessing : mit einem eklektischen Mix aus
wunderschönen Klavierstücken (DNA I), Kooperationen mit
anderen Produzenten (Robot Koch, Andrew Applepie, AK
und mehr) und alternativen Popprojekten (Better Days EP
mit Rezar uraufgeführt auf COMPLEX) wuchs seine
Online-Anhängerschaft von null auf fast eine Million
monatliche Hörer. Dario Lessing bereitet jetzt sein
Collab-gefülltes Album "Frequency" vor. Hier sind Gäste
bei jedem der elf Tracks zu hören. Kurzum - Lessing
steht für eine neue Generation von Selfmade-Künstlern
und Produzenten, die ohne musikalische oder
geographische Grenzen zusammenarbeiten. Seine
Fähigkeit, den Kern der Kreativität anderer Künstler zu
erfassen, führt zu einzigartig direkten und intuitiven
Aufnahmen mit einem spirituellen, oft mystischen
Charakter.
Neben Stimulus enthält Frequency die Stimmen von
James Chatburn (AUS), Graham Candy (NZ), Rezar
(AUT), SHAMS (GE) und Mario (GE). Jeder der 11 Songs
ist eine Geschichte von zwei Frequenzen, die
aufeinandertreffen, sich gegenseitig beeinflussen,
kollidieren und eine neue Welle erschaffen.
- A1: Goin On A Plane Today
- A2: Flyin (Like A Fast Train) (Like A Fast Train)
- A3: Palace Of Okv In Reverse
- A4: Like Exploding Stones
- A5: Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone) (Way Gone)
- A6: Hey Like A Child
- A7: Jesus On A Wire
- A8: Fo Sho
- A9: Cool Water
- A10: Chazzy Don't Mind
- A11: (Shiny Things) (Shiny Things)
- A12: Say The Word
- A13: Wages Of Sin
- A14: Kurt Runner
- A15: Stuffed Leopard
"On his major label debut album, Kurt Vile pulls his talents as a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer in unexpected directions — and the result is a vibrant, yet meditative record propelled by laid-back charm and curious spirit.
“Like Exploding Stones”
Kurt Vile’s signature brand of laid-back and meandering rock takes center stage on the lead single off his first major label album, (watch my moves). Produced by Kurt Vile & Rob Schnapf. A10
"
Peter Brötzmann - alto & tenor saxophone, E flat clarinet, A clarinet, bass clarinet; / Misha Mengelberg - piano, voice / Han Bennink - drums, tenor saxophone, clarinet etc. - Recorded by Jost Gebers on February 26th, 1979 at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin. Produced by Peter Brötzmann and Jost Gebers. - Cover Design by Peter Brötzmann, Photograph by Roberto Masotti. This album was originally released on FMP in 1979 Remastered by Martin Siewert in 2021.
Donny Hathaway (arr, voc, keyb, b); Johnny Board (ts); Clifford Davis (as); Robert A. Lewis (tp); King Curtis, Phil Upchurch (g, b); Louis Satterfield (b) Ric Powell (perc, dr); Morris Jennings (dr) & The Vashonettes (voc) u. a.
Von den vielen Kirchenchor-Karrieren der schwarzen Musik ist die von Donny Hathaway eine der steilsten. Dabei mag der Rang 49 von 100 der besten Stimmen aller Zeiten, die ihm das Lauscherteam des Rolling-Stone-Magazins bescherte, zahlenmäßig abstrakt wirken. Doch bereits die ersten Takte des Starters »Voices Inside« versprechen ein Programm, in dem instrumentale wie menschliche Stimmen gleichberechtigt zu Wort kommen: So beeindrucken satt klingende und durchsichtig gestaffelte Bläsersätze, die sich von dezent bis brassy in Szene setzen.
Mit pfeffrigen Clavinet-Salven gewürzt bricht sich Hathaways Seelensound harmonisch frisch geschlagene Blues-Bahnen (»I Believe To My Soul«), erhebt sich in leidenschaftlichen Tönen (»Misty«) und ackert sich durch perkussiv trockenes und fröhliches Durcheinander im Titel »Sugar Lee«. Jedes Arrangement schöpft aus dem Vollen des exzellenten Musikerpersonals und bleibt für sich einzigartig. Weich abgefedertes und wohlklingendes Miteinander (»Tryin' Times«) wirkt ebenso natürlich wie gebetartiger Gospel (»Thank You Master For My Soul«), der zum Gotteslob Höhenflüge in freie Jazzharmonien wagt.
Zum guten Schluss wieder Hathaways bis ins hohe Register geschmeidig schwebender Solo-Gesang, dessen kurzer Titel »A Dream« treffend für das gesamte Album steht.
Diese Speakers Corner Produktion wurde unter Verwendung von analogem Masterband und Mastering 100% rein analog gefertigt. Alle Lizenzen und GEMA-Beiträge wurden abgeführt.
Danish singer-songwriter Soren Munk releases his debut solo album Purr Show on 15 April 2022 via Navarino Records.Soren also travels the world as a cameraman for Channel 4 News, and the album was written and recorded in between trips to cover some of the major global events of recent times, from the war in Mali to the Taliban resurgence in Afghanistan
Soren also co- wrote the much- loved theme tune to the hit animated TV series Charlie and Lola – which is currently trending on TikTok with millions of views.Despite the nature of his news work, the songwriting on Purr Show has a more private focus, dealing in intimate but ambiguous moments of love and loss.
Melodic and intense, the album has elements of Dream Pop, Slowcore and classic songwriting, while the blend of electric guitars, analogue synths and vocals draws on the work of artists that combine restraint and power, such as Neil Young, Low, Big Star and Elliot Smith. Soren worked with Andy Ramsay from Stereolab to record the album, and Jimmie Robertson (Depeche Mode, Arctic Monkeys) during the mixing Soren explains, “I wanted to create slow pop songs. Romantic and melodic but with an edge of strangeness that makes them harder to pin down. That's the music I respond to – things that are assertive but fragile at the same time. Where every element counts.”Soren drew together a strong lineup of musicians and collaborators, including guitarists Garo Nahoulakian (Emiliana Torrini, Gaz Coombes, Piney Gir) and Nick 'Growler' Fowler (Gaz Coombes, Luke Haines); a Danish rhythm section of drummer Nikolaj Bjerre (Lamb) and bassist Andreas Jensen (Dub Pistols); and
pianist Tom Dyson (co-writer of the Charlie and Lola theme). Soren's vocals are often combined on the songs with the soft alto of backing singer Emma Faulkner, creating a sense of something confidential, like snatches of pillow talk.
The Ricardo Villalobos / Samuel Rohrer partnership has yielded increasingly interesting results over the past few years, with the former’s remixes of the latter’s trio Ambiq being supplemented by further reinterpretations of Rohrer’s solo work and live meetings at select events like Berlin’s Funkhaus and Radialsystem V. As should be the case with any strong collaboration, this partnership has been based on mutual challenge rather than compromise,
seeing each participant shuttle key technical and emotive aspects of the other’s work to previously unexpected places.
Those who have been closely following this relationship will notice a definite sense of continuity between previous outings and the new collaborative release entitled MICROGESTURES. As with those earlier Villalobos / Rohrer pairings, these four new pieces are defined by a special quality of being many things that once: that is to say, depending on the listener’s own level of focus, these can feel very tightly constructed and disciplined, or playful and freely wandering. That the tracks are equally engaging regardless of one’s chosen listening “mode” is a testament to the level of thought put into them; you could almost imagining the creators poring over some elaborate sketched set of architectural blueprints rather than coolly monitoring the usual multi-track editing software.
Altogether the music here is firmly a-melodic and percussive, but within these deliberate limitations there is still a greater variety of individual sounds than most would bother with. Each track is its own observatory of microgestures clustering together into a dense communicative fog or a sort of robotic sound swarm. Yet while all
these tracks are variations on that theme, each one has its own character and, consequently, its own rewards in terms of the exact sectors of the imagination that it activates.
Take for example “Cochlea” and its twin “Helix,” on which the magnetizing, busy layers of percussion are tempered with mischievously disruptive blossomings of digital noise, as well as sampled radio communications (which again bring us back to the idea of listeners’ attentiveness changing the meaning of this music - these
curious transmissions can either be taken as a purely aesthetic element or as something to be actively decoded).
Club-oriented elements are also not absent from this suite, particularly on “Incus” with its traditional sequenced baseline, crisp synthetic trap and hats, and dizzily sliding set of bell-like tones laid on top.?
Yet this track, too, is powered as much by its restless desire to deviate as by its rhythmic consistency: throughout the eleven-minute running time, a mass of ambiguous and restless machine sounds build a parallel narrative, and will maybe prompt the occasional glance over the shoulder as they seem to be taking on their own life. “Lobule” rounds out the program with the most rhythmically eventful sound set off the five.
What this all adds up to is a confident music which builds that quality from its faith in possibilities rather than firm conclusions: it’s an inspiring addition to both the musical landscape and reality in general
Twice JUNO-nominated and two-time Polaris Prize listed, Toronto's soul songstress Tanika Charles unveils her album "Papillon de Nuit: The Night Butterfly".
"Papillon de Nuit: The Night Butterfly" is the third studio album from Canadian Soul/R&B powerhouse Tanika Charles and is slated to be released worldwide on Milan-based Record Kicks label on April 08th. Composed and recorded while in and out of lockdowns, "Papillon de Nuit" is an album anchored in growth and maturity. The thematic inspiration came from an unlikely source, a creature that soars after the sun sets, but often goes unnoticed until the light shines on it. It is the "papillon de nuit" to some, but drably referred to as a moth by others, revealing a bias in language alone.
"I always thought it was a strange insect. Once while in Paris, a friend swatted at one and I asked: 'Was that a moth?'. I was told: 'No, that's a papillon de nuit.' I thought that was the most beautiful description for this otherwise overlooked creature. When I later learned of the symbolism associated with it, I felt that really spoke to both my own situation and also what we've all been going through." Production on "Papillon de Nuit" was helmed by a mixture of old and new collaborators. The Safe Spaceship Records production team, consisting of Scott McCannell (Lydia Persaud, Claire Davis), Ben MacDonald and Chino de Villa (re.verse, Jessie Reyez), produced four songs on the album. The group also assisted as session musicians for songs produced by newcomer Todd "HiFiLo" Pentney (Allison Au Quartet, JUNO Award winner). "The Gumption" contributor Kevin Henkel ("Tell Me Something", "Look At Us Now") returned with three compositions, and old friend Jesse Bear (Sean Kingston, Stan Walker) contributed to one song.
Following the success of "Soul Run" (2016/17) and "The Gumption" (2019), Tanika had found a comfortable pace of releasing albums then hitting the road the following year to bring her show to new markets far and wide. So when things changed for all of us, and plans of touring "The Gumption" properly fell through, there was a realization that getting to work on the next project was the healthiest choice to make.
"I was in some dark places. My energy was stagnant and the only reliable constant was this perpetual uncertainty. I had gone from feeling like I was everywhere to only being in one place. From seeing so many new faces, to only my own, in the mirror, everyday and having to face that. Getting back to work on music allowed me to explore these feelings through the format I know best. And I wanted to make sure that when things were ready to resume, I'd be ready with something new for my audience too."
Tanika, who took part in the writing of most of the album, was also assisted by regular co-writer Robert Bolton ("Soul Run", "Remember to Remember") and accomplished solo performer Tafari Anthony (Priyanka, of RuPaul's Drag Race). Featured guests include the multi-disciplinary artist Khari McClelland and rising Toronto rapper, DijahSB. Both Dakarai Morris-James (Joanna Majoko, BeBe Zahara Benet) and Sean "D/SHON" Henderson ("Love Overdue", Serena Ryder) assisted with vocal arrangements across multiple songs.
"I think this album represents my best work to date. And yet, it also represents me coming to terms with who I am as an artist. For the first time I think I've actually accepted my own voice. I can hear beyond the imperfections, and I realized that when paired with the right music, it can sound pretty good. I still have my doubts and my dark places, but a little less of them."
- A1: Travis - The Beautiful Occupation
- A2: Avril Lavigne - Knockin On Heaven's Door
- A3: Paul Mccartney - Calico Skies
- A4: David Bowie - Everyone Says Hi (Metro Mix)
- A5: George Michael - The Grave
- B1: Ronan Keating - In The Ghetto
- B2: Beverly Knight - Love's In Need Of Love Today
- B3: Moby - Nearer
- B4: New Order - Vietnam
- C1: Basement Jaxx - Love Is The Answer (Feat Yellowman)
- C2: Spiritualized - Hold On (War Child Mix)
- C3: The Charlatans - You Gotta Have Peace
- C4: Beth Orton - Ooh Child
- D1: Tom Mcrae - Border Song
- D2: Billy Bragg - The Wolf Covers It's Tracks
- D3: Yusuf Islam - Peace Train
Hope was first released in partnership with The Daily Mirror in April 2003 as a response to the Iraq War, the artist community came together for War Child once more with some of the biggest names in music recording an album of exclusive tracks in just three weeks to raise vital funds to give hope to the children of Iraq. The vinyl release of Hope features alternate artwork using the original concept designed by Nick Robertson that has never been used before. Hope is part of a series of four re-releases by War Child Records making the amazing music artists have donated to the charity available on DSPs and vinyl for the first time. All proceeds from these releases will directly fund War Child’s life saving work with children affected by conflict.
Exclusively premiered by Afrodeutsche on BBC Radio 6 Music and supported by Mr Scruff, the new Band on the Wall-released 7" from Manchester's Lovescene is a devastating encapsulation of the collective's multiple personalities.
Finding each other amidst the more soulful side of the Manchester club scene, Suits You/Overnight (Dancefloor Mix) comes out hot on the release of the group's debut album and is an irresistibly rich mix of velvet RnB, groove-laden soul and driving floor filler. The group deliver both in widescreen opulence, a direct link to their name which comes from band leader and vocalist Pops Roberts' love of cinema.




















