quête:roots

Recorded over five nights at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, Los Angeles’ cutting edge Ace Theatre and the legendary Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island, the songwriting superstar delivers a masterclass in Roots music -- from Rock, Pop, Gospel, Blues that is psychedelic in places and Country in others -- as well as friendship and the joy of being alive. Joined by friends, influences and rising stars such as Brandi Carlile, Emmylou Harris, Jason Isbell, Lucius, Maren Morris, Natalie Hemby, Amanda Shires and Stevie Nicks, LIVE FROM THE RYMAN & MORE captures a zeitgeist of knowledge, power and the rapture of utter freedom stretched over some of the tersest playing this side of The Rolling Stones. RADIO: BBC Radio 2 Play, Absolute Country, Chris Country, Downtown Country, Smooth Country. TV: ITV This Morning. PRESS: Country Music Publications. TW: TW: 327.9K, FB: 2M, IG: 297K. Available as a 2 CD and a 4 LP in double capacity gatefold jacket vinyl (available 03/09/21).

Priya Ragu’s story is just as fascinating as her music. She was born and raised in Switzerland following her parents' escape from the Sri Lankan civil war in the early eighties. As she grew older, the Swiss and Sri Lankan cultures began to clash. Although they are now fully supportive of their daughter, Priya’s parents were initially strict, she wasn’t encouraged to listen to Western music or hang out at the mall after school. However, her musical ambitions soon began to take root.

At the age of 16, she performed Alicia Keys’ ‘Fallin’’ to her brother, who insisted she perform at a show he was doing with his rap group. Her father discovered their plans and stopped her from performing, but Priya wasn’t deterred. She instead made her ambitions more covert, sneaking out to jam sessions and open mic nights, before decided to fully pursue her ambitions by moving to America with the help of her friend, the rapper Oddisee. Working remotely with Japhna, the pair created several tracks which would provide the launchpad for where she is today.
‘damnshestamil’ Priya Ragu’s debut mixtape is a result of her highly productive creative partnership with her producer and brother Japhna Gold, featuring all Priya’s singles to date, including the international sensation ‘Chicken Lemon Rice’, ‘Good Love 2.0’, ‘Forgot About’ as well as her most recent single ‘Kamali’ which launched with a BBC Radio 1 ‘first play’ – with Annie Mac, and most recently A-Listed with the BBC Asian Network – showing no signs of slowing down.
Priya has coined the term ‘Raguwavy’ for her vibrant sound which defies standard genre definitions. It signposts the next era of forward-thinking R&B and electro-pop by tapping into the sonic accents of her Sri Lankan roots.
The current single ‘Kamali’ was inspired by a short BAFTA nominated film of the same name. It explores the story of Suganthi a single mother living in a small village in India, who was raised in a culture in which gender roles are clearly structured and as a result she stayed at home until she was old enough to marry. Suffering through abuse– she escaped to create a better future for herself and her daughter – Kamali. Musically and visually Priya connected to the story of Kamali and brought her world to life through song, placing emphasis on the important of motherhood and the circle of life.
As the road to the mixtape approaches - Priya fulfilled a lifetime ambition when she played a sold-out show as part of the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Later Latitude Festival in July, and scheduled to perform at All Points East in August, where she begins to peel back the layers of her first body of work, to a live audience.
She will end the year on a high by embarking upon her long awaited debut UK & European headline tour. Consisting of nine shows spanning six countries, the tour includes a London show at the Jazz Café which is now sold out and will culminate with a homecoming show in Zurich a week later.

Within Melbourne’s burgeoning cinematic-soul scene, which includes
breakout acts Surprise Chef and Karate Boogaloo, mysteriously sit
The Pro-Teens.
Helmed by prolific drummer and percussionist Hudson Whitlock, who also
plays in both aforementioned bands, this breakaway studio project involves an
interchangeable collective of incognito, Melbourne-based, esteemed instrumentalists playing under outlandish pseudonyms such as “’Dead Honest’ Dean
Amazing” and “Libby Clique-Baite”.
Symbolically led by keyboardist “Snooch Dodd”, new album ‘I Flip My Life Every
Time I Fly’ is the latest musical concoction from Whitlock’s eccentric brain,
marrying the soul/funk roots of sample culture with the principles of boombap hip hop.
Incorporating the colourful comic book stylings of MF DOOM and Kool Keith,
or the dark and exotic flavours of Gravediggaz and The Wu-Tang Clan, The ProTeens also take cues from their composing heroes Galt MacDermot, Richard
Evans and Marc Moulin.
The Pro-Teens bop, zip, whip and fling on this phantasmagorical journey - an
unorthodox patchwork of cinematic soul, hip hop-guided funk breaks, vivid instrumental textures and film score-esque moods.
The Pro-Teens work on the same analogue recording model adopted by the
tight-knit College Of Knowledge label, self-recorded and produced with the ragtag crew of musicians putting tracks down live to tape in crammed attic studios
and sharehouse recording spaces.
The first limited pressing of ‘I Flip My Life Every Time I Fly’ was released on the
‘College Of Knowledge’ imprint in late 2020. It was one of the highlights of the
year at Mr Bongo HQ who loved the concept and felt this tripped out masterpiece from Melbourne needed to be heard well beyond those lucky enough to
have bagged those limited first copies.

New Yorker Singer-Songwriter entdeckt den Westcoast-Sound. Das 2019 erschienene Album "The Unseen In Between" etablierte den amerikanischen Musiker Steve Gunn als einen Großmeister des US-Songwritings - mit seinem neuen Album "Other You" unterstreicht er nun diesen Anspruch. Gunn, der ursprünglich aus Pennsylvania stammt und mittlerweile in Brooklyn lebt, ist für die Aufnahmen zu seinem neuen Album an die Westküste gereist. Das passt perfekt, denn seine Musik ist der ideale Soundtrack für Roadtrips von der Ostküste an die Westküste des Landes. Sein fein destillierter Sound lässt sich dabei zwischen Roots Rock, Americana, Folk und Jazz treiben. Steve Gunn ist Traditionalist und Suchender zugleich. Zumeist geht er nur mit losen Ideen ins Studio, bei denen er am Anfang nie so genau weiß, wo sie ihn am Ende hinführen werden. Ähnlich gestaltete sich das auch dieses Mal. Sein sechstes Studioalbum "Other You" nahm Steve Gunn zusammen mit Produzentenlegende Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith, Kurt Vile) in dessen Mant Studios in Los Angeles Ende 2020 und Anfang 2021 auf. Schnapf hat großen Anteil an der Entstehung dieses Albums. Er schüttelte nicht nur das Soundbett auf, sondern mischte auch Steve Gunns Stimme in den Vordergrund, um den poetischen Lyrics des Songwriters die richtige Bühne zu bieten. Mit Hilfe von befreundeten Musikern wie Juliana Barwick, Mary Lattimore, Bridget St. John, Jeff Parker, Bill MacKay, Ben Bertrand und dem Schlagzeuger Ryan Sawyer (TV On The Radio, Thurston Moore, Gang Gang Dance) entstand mit "Other You" ein Album, mit dem Steve Gunn nicht nur die Grenzen von Genres auslotet, sondern auch seine eigenen.

New Yorker Singer-Songwriter entdeckt den Westcoast-Sound. Das 2019 erschienene Album "The Unseen In Between" etablierte den amerikanischen Musiker Steve Gunn als einen Großmeister des US-Songwritings - mit seinem neuen Album "Other You" unterstreicht er nun diesen Anspruch. Gunn, der ursprünglich aus Pennsylvania stammt und mittlerweile in Brooklyn lebt, ist für die Aufnahmen zu seinem neuen Album an die Westküste gereist. Das passt perfekt, denn seine Musik ist der ideale Soundtrack für Roadtrips von der Ostküste an die Westküste des Landes. Sein fein destillierter Sound lässt sich dabei zwischen Roots Rock, Americana, Folk und Jazz treiben. Steve Gunn ist Traditionalist und Suchender zugleich. Zumeist geht er nur mit losen Ideen ins Studio, bei denen er am Anfang nie so genau weiß, wo sie ihn am Ende hinführen werden. Ähnlich gestaltete sich das auch dieses Mal. Sein sechstes Studioalbum "Other You" nahm Steve Gunn zusammen mit Produzentenlegende Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith, Kurt Vile) in dessen Mant Studios in Los Angeles Ende 2020 und Anfang 2021 auf. Schnapf hat großen Anteil an der Entstehung dieses Albums. Er schüttelte nicht nur das Soundbett auf, sondern mischte auch Steve Gunns Stimme in den Vordergrund, um den poetischen Lyrics des Songwriters die richtige Bühne zu bieten. Mit Hilfe von befreundeten Musikern wie Juliana Barwick, Mary Lattimore, Bridget St. John, Jeff Parker, Bill MacKay, Ben Bertrand und dem Schlagzeuger Ryan Sawyer (TV On The Radio, Thurston Moore, Gang Gang Dance) entstand mit "Other You" ein Album, mit dem Steve Gunn nicht nur die Grenzen von Genres auslotet, sondern auch seine eigenen.

Hassle Hindsight if a new sub label of Hassle Records, created to facilitate the occasional one off re-issues of releases and records from the past that the people at the label have loved and still love. Having already reissued Reef's debut 'Replenish', Kerbdog's self titled and the critically acclaimed 'On The Turn', and Skindred's much loved 2007 album 'Roots Rock Riot' - the latest release comes from UK industrial rockers Pitchshifter, with their fan favourite album 'dot, originally released in 1998.

Burning Saviours doom-monger spreads his wings into the northern darkness with his new project Heathen Rites. Heaving earthy Doom, inspired by nordic folklore and ancient landscapes, Heritage is an epic and melodic hymn to northern nature and history. Formed in Sweden in 2018 by Mikael Monks, Heathen Rites create A-level, brooding, lingering, godless doom perfection, that swells from ornamental euphony to rousing, up-tempo doom rock with a Scandinavian flair. Lovers of nostalgic proto-metal, funeral doom and blues Americana will revel in the dark folk setting of Heritage, where tone-full riffs echo across the hoof-thundering wilderness. Beautiful droning passages and punishing sermons to please fans of classics like Candlemass and Pentagram but with a decidedly modern nordic folk-horror flavour. Dig into Heritage and discover your dark and gloomy roots.

Fuelled by an uncertain future and conflicting feelings towards the
connectivity and intensity of the modern world, Press to MECO’s eagerly
awaited new album ‘Transmute’ follows up from 2018’s critically acclaimed
‘Here’s to the Fatigue’.
Produced by Machine (Clutch, Lamb of God, King Crimson) in a 16th century
tower in the UK, ‘Transmute’ feels more defined, where the heavy moments
are brutal, the quiet aspects are beautiful, and the cinematic flourishes make
the whole thing feel epic.
FFO: Foals, Biffy Clyro, Billy Talent.
Print ads going in Kerrang, Rock Sound, Upset/Dork, Alt Press in UK, Visions DE
plus more EU TBC.
25k+ across socials, plus 300+ Discord group and guitarist has 500+ Twitch
channel
Key supporters of the band include BBC Radio 1, MTV Rocks, Kerrang! Radio,
Kerrang! Magazine, Alt Press, Rock Sound, Upset alongside editorial support
from Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and Amazon Music.
Previous touring includes touring Europe with Shinedown, UK tours with
Don Broco, SikTh and Arcane Roots alongside performances at festivals
such as Download, Slam Dunk, Truck Festival, 2000 Trees, NAMM and Teddy
Rocks.

2 jungle and one solid raggatek for the finish... Don't miss that roots parl !! Authentic brlloy stuff !!

LTD. BLUE SEAGLASS WAVE TRANSLUCENT VINYL

Last spring, Devendra Banhart and Noah Georgeson started to make a record that was like nothing they had made before _ an ambient album that would be both a haven from a suddenly terrified world and a heartfelt musical dialogue between two artists who have been friends and collaborators for over two decades. Refuge is an album of profound meditative beauty which offers the listener a much-needed sense of peace and renewal. But while it was recorded in 2020 its roots go back much further _ all the way to the start of their friendship and, beyond that, to the shared sounds and ethics of their childhoods. Devendra grew up in Venezuela while Noah, six years older, is a native of Nevada City, California. But as they got to know each other, they realised that they had a similar history in the New Age subculture of the 1980s: a world of meditation, Eastern music, the Bhagavad Gita and The Whole Earth Catalog. Childhood memories were coloured by the aromas of health food stores and the sound of New Age labels like Windham Hill Records. Noah, whose production and mixing credits include Joanna Newsom and the Strokes, came on board as co-producer of Devendra's 2005 album Cripple Crow and they have been working together ever since. It was while making Devendra's 2019 album Ma that the pair finally decided to make their ambient record. Despite complicating logistics, 2020 created an emotional craving for music with this contemplative, therapeutic quality. Inspired by both memories of the past and the needs of the present, Refuge is an act of companionship and generosity which gives the listener room to breathe. "We're hoping to create a sense of comfort and coming back to the moment," Devendra says. "It's really important to have a little bit of space between us and our anxieties and impulses. What you do with that space is up to you." Dorian Lynskey May 2021

Louie Vega and Dave Lee remix Anané’s single ‘Tell Me That I’m Dreaming’ on Nervous Records this summer.

The powerful yet intimate voice of Anané Vega, owner of Nulu Music, radiates rhythm, soul and style. Billboard Magazine described Anané as “combining earthiness with glamour and roots-deep house music knowledge with pop wise diversity” - a quote that her music and fashion adhere to effortlessly.

‘Tell Me That I’m Dreaming’ sees Anané join the legendary NYC label's roster as she combines funky electronic, funk-infused grooves and a compelling voice that gracefully floats over Louie Vega’s sensual production. A leader in global dance music and Grammy Award Winner, Louie Vega has painted an award-winning career from a palette mixed with everything from house, salsa and afro-beat, to jazz, hip hop, gospel and soul. Vega continues to lay down genuinely timeless music, rightfully earning him the title as one of The Kings of House Music.

Renowned UK artist Dave Lee blends low-slung disco rhythms, irresistible slap bass and acid zaps in his remix that sits wonderfully above Anané’s vocals that inspire strength and pure love.

Latin-infused Hip-Hop project by The Breed and Richard Holzmann feat. FLKS, Cy Leo, Kid Taro, Phlocalyst and Franz. Cover photo by the legendary Estevan Oriol (Netflix / LA Originals)

It all started in 2020 when producer The Breed and guitarist Richard Holzmann decided to start their own project called PAPI CHURRO. The two german musicians came up with a unique combination of latin-folk and HipHop Sounds. Almost like a Lo-Fi Beat version of guys like João Gilberto or Carlos Jobim. But also the typical Mexican sounds of Druglord Movies like „Narcos“ are part of their soundcollage. In very short time PAPI CHURRO gained a fanbase and millions of streams on the net. Since all the instruments are played live the songs are not your average Samplebeat but come with some more complex arrangements. But still producer The Breed clearly references those „Chops and Breaks Roots“ on the songs.

Now it’s time for their first full-length LP. El Clásico features all of their recently released tunes but also comes with a bunch of new material. It features a lot of talented guest musicians. Blue-note artists Phlocalyst on some trumpet parts, Harmonica world champion Cy Leo from Hongkong. Lo-Fi producer Kid Taro and Bassplayer and producer FLKS appear throughout the record.

LTD. BLUE SEAGLASS WAVE TRANSLUCENT VINYL

Last spring, Devendra Banhart and Noah Georgeson started to make a record that was like nothing they had made before _ an ambient album that would be both a haven from a suddenly terrified world and a heartfelt musical dialogue between two artists who have been friends and collaborators for over two decades. Refuge is an album of profound meditative beauty which offers the listener a much-needed sense of peace and renewal. But while it was recorded in 2020 its roots go back much further _ all the way to the start of their friendship and, beyond that, to the shared sounds and ethics of their childhoods. Devendra grew up in Venezuela while Noah, six years older, is a native of Nevada City, California. But as they got to know each other, they realised that they had a similar history in the New Age subculture of the 1980s: a world of meditation, Eastern music, the Bhagavad Gita and The Whole Earth Catalog. Childhood memories were coloured by the aromas of health food stores and the sound of New Age labels like Windham Hill Records. Noah, whose production and mixing credits include Joanna Newsom and the Strokes, came on board as co-producer of Devendra's 2005 album Cripple Crow and they have been working together ever since. It was while making Devendra's 2019 album Ma that the pair finally decided to make their ambient record. Despite complicating logistics, 2020 created an emotional craving for music with this contemplative, therapeutic quality. Inspired by both memories of the past and the needs of the present, Refuge is an act of companionship and generosity which gives the listener room to breathe. "We're hoping to create a sense of comfort and coming back to the moment," Devendra says. "It's really important to have a little bit of space between us and our anxieties and impulses. What you do with that space is up to you." Dorian Lynskey May 2021

The Sublime Sculpture of Being Alive,’ the new album from
Los Angeles-based Media Jeweler, is a three-dimensional reckoning with
the contradictions of life in all its manic altitudes and claustrophobia.
Recorded over three chaotic weeks in Omaha, the band’s elaborate sonic infrastructures carry the same sense of studied experimentation as Palm, Guerrilla
Toss or Deerhoof, rollicking across an energetic spectrum that parlay the band’s
post-punk roots, jazz rhythms and art punk choruses into something greater
than the sum of its parts.
The most fully-fleshed release yet, a myriad of musical collaborators were enlisted uniting a finely-tuned sense of adventurousness that roves between the
personal and political to frame an acute portrait of modern day societal revelation.
‘The Sublime Sculpture of Being Alive’ is out on Fire Talk (Dehd, Deeper, Mama

After a year of silence, UK-based band Trash Boat
returned in February with their new single, ‘He’s So
Good’, a song about familial ties being destroyed
by people not being able to accept LGBTQ
members of their family.
The song set the stage for Trash Boat’s new
album, ‘Don’t You Feel Amazing?’, which was
produced by Grammy Award-winning producer
Jason Perry (Molotov, Don Broco, McBusted).
The album tackles more serious issues (sexuality,
drugs, hate) than their previous two releases and
sonically expands from their pop punk roots,
bringing in influences that range from metal to hiphop.
For fans of Don Broco, Boston Manor, Trophy
Eyes.

DNA Records is proud to present a Cambodian reggae 7” release to showcase some of the talent from this wonderful country and the power that Jamaican music has around the globe.

DUB ADDICTION - Founded in the tropical heat of Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh in 2011 by Sebastien Adnot and Jan Mueller (AKA Professor Kinski), Dub Addiction features a combination of
Cambodian, French, German and Nigerian members. They quickly captured the hearts of local Cambodians and Western expats in a beat.

Cambodian national and vocalist, toaster DJ Khla, is a political activist and is now living in exile in Europe after having fled his country because of military pressure on him and his family. He was able
to escape Cambodia while on tour with Dub Addiction in Denmark.
Their fusion of reggae combined with traditional Cambodian instruments like tro (violin), chapey (traditional Cambodian string instrument) and Roneat (xylophone), along with the toasting of
Cambodian vocalists DJ Khla (Nhem Palla), MC Curly (Kosal Dang) and a variety of traditional female vocalists and international MCs creates a very unique blend.

After all, though South-East Asia and The Caribbean might be far apart on the map, they both get light from one sun.
VIBRATONE - Also a multinational reggae band with members from Cambodia, France, The Philippines, and Brazil, Vibratone formed in Phnom Penh in 2013 with one aim: No cover songs, strictly original creations. With insightful lyrics, they embracing true roots to new roots reggae…with a touch of blues and soul thrown inna di mix! Text edited by Brian Offenther.

There has always been a Reggae inuence in the music of El Michels Affair. From their cover of "Hung Up On My Baby" done in a Reggae style, to the general sound and approach that permeates Leon's production style. While recording Bailey's 2020 Ekundayo album, they did some straight forward reggae tunes inspired by different eras alongside some modern R&B tracks that would t more comfortably next to Frank Ocean than Jacob Miller. It is this same notion that old and new can live so comfortably together that birthed the idea of Ekundayo Inversions. Traditional dub came out of reggae in the late 60s and early 70s when pioneers like King Tubby and Lee Perry started taking the multi track recordings of songs and running them back through the board adding effects and additional instrumentation. These recordings are called "dubs" or "versions" and are typically instrumentals with ourishes of vocals from the original tracks. El Michels decided to use the blueprints left behind and make something using the inuences of today. He wound up straying so far from the traditional format that it didn't seem right to use the word `Dub', hence Ekundayo Inversions. All the songs are tied together by WhatsApp messages between Leon and Liam that perfectly narrate the story of this record and their working relationship. One of the highlights on Ekundayo Inversions is a guest appearance from the legendary Lee "Scratch" Perry on the "Ugly Truth" version. L$P switches between singing and talking, proclaiming his powers one minute and playing with the track's title the next. On "Awkward take. 2" Leon takes one of the most experimental songs from Ekundayo and actually straightens it out. A track that once seemed to be oating in space has now been anchored by the addition of drums and bass. "Faded", a version of "Paper Tiger", is given the full EMA treatment with the addition of emotive horns over an uncomfortably sparse rhythm track peppered with Liam's voice drenched in delay and echo. "Champions" features a verse from Black Thought of The Roots and halfway through, El Michels sends the rhythm section 50 years back. At the end of the day, Ekundayo Inversions is a testament to how strong the original songs are. Whether they're in a R&B style, reggae style, stripped down to their bare bones, or loaded with production, the songs will move you.

Back to the roots of one of the most influential south-american songwriter and composer. A pioneer of the musical genre of bossa nova in the late 1950s, Joao was often called "father of bossa ", while in his native Brazil he was referred to as "O Mito" ("The Legend"). This compilation investigates his early career, showing the many sides of his sophisticated art.

With over 2.5 million album sales and over 2 billion streams under his belt, Kid Ink returns to his indie roots with this first independent release in nearly 10 years. Following the success of his previous independent album Up & Away, as well as two highly acclaimed releases for RCA, Ink returns with his fourth full-length release, Alive. The record’s lead single "Night & Day" is already a staple of radio and across social media platforms. The Los Angeles-based Kid Ink has brought his distinct style to the musical landscape since 2010, combining a contemporary aesthetic with an indie flair, and the spirit of the underground. Across multiple studio releases and innumerable mixtures he effortlessly dances the line between club bangers and more insular, emotive material. This deft penchant for smooth rhymes and seamless flow can be found across Kid Ink's many Billboard-charting singles, including top 20 hits "Show Me" with Chris Brown, and a noteworthy guest turn on Fifth Harmony's "Worth It". He has previously collaborated with the likes of Meek Mill, YG, DJ Mustard, Tyga, Wale, Fetty Wap, Lil Wayne, Usher, and Ty Dolla $ign, among many more.

Since Grazed is either the 14th or 16th record depending on how you count them (but who’s counting?) by Eleventh Dream Day, a Chicago band with Kentucky roots.
After 2015’s blistering guitar blast Works For Tomorrow, Janet Beveridge Bean, Rick Rizzo, and Douglas McCombs return alongside James Elkington and Mark Greenberg.
The hour of music on this 2xLP takes the long road home, spacing out at the wheel and reveling in the journey - celebrating those along for the ride. This is not a record about what is lost, but what is still there, however nicked up and grazed it may be. Built from the bottom up, the 12 songs here start simply with acoustic guitar and a voice and layer a lush symphony of sound over the band’s most melodic tunes to-date.