Following up on their acclaimed debut EP Yagana in 2022, the 5-piece band Pigeon return with a brand new offering: Backslider.
As Pigeon develop and hone their sound further, Afro-disco remains at the core while jazz and no-wave make way for new elements of electro, rock and synth pop.
With their debut Yagana EP gaining critical acclaim, each member has found themselves heavily in demand on top of their own individual pursuits – Falle Nioke is releasing his solo work as well as other projects, while Steve Pringle and Graham Godfrey play in various bands (Michael Kiwanuka and SAULT to name a few). Adding to the creative melting pot, Tom Dream pursues filmmaking and bespoke music composition via his own studio, and Josh Ludlow runs his own record label M.A.D. Records.
Lead single 'Backslider', a laid-back, 80s funk-rock bassline is backed by a deliberate, plodding drum kit - frontman Falle Nioke proceeds to sing in English and French - calling someone a 'backslider', for their dishonesty and bad behaviour.
Track 'Ikanabore', is a fast-paced, Afro-disco workout primed for the dancefloor, driven by a catchy chorus, guitar hooks, a heavy rollicking kick drum and plenty of modulated synth - highlighting the band's ability to effortlessly cross between tempos and genres.
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Using only analog synthesizers, Mr Firechild creates poppy musical landscapes which take you to the past, present and into the future. Limited to 300 Copies.
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Freestyle Records are proud to reissue Ambiance II Fusion's mid-80s fusion rarity "Come Touch Tomorrow" - originally recorded in Hollywood CA October/November 1984 and released in 1985.
Following a yearly run of 4 albums self-released between 1979 and 1982, Nigerian-born saxophonist, flutist, and clarinettist Daoud Abubakar Balewa then took a few years off before returning with 1985's "Come Touch Tomorrow", the first of two albums issued under the updated name of Ambiance II Fusion. Combining the afro-spiritual jazz & be-bop inflected fusion of his earlier work as Ambiance, this record took the project into more modern & distinctly cosmic planes with the introduction of spacey pads and drum machines working alongside somewhat tighter arrangements and solid rhythm sectons. Of particular note here is the B1 track "Boy What a Joy" on which a sublimely funky synth & drum machine throwdown is presented in prophetically lo-fi fashion - recalling recent stylistic approaches from the likes of Dâm-Funk among others.
Recorded at Sound Images Recording Studios - Sound Images Entertainment Complex - North Hollywood, CA & Classic Sound Studios - Hollywood, CA. October/November 1984.
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The Search for God is a wake-up call for a troubled world that’s still worth saving, animated by a belief in the power of small connections to add up to big changes. At 10 songs delivered in a brief 15 minutes, Jimmy Whispers’ long-awaited sophomore album feels present in a way that feels brand new for the cult auteur. Like many of us, Jimmy has been affected by the pressure of the past few years. After embracing sobriety in 2019, and now as a filmmaker sharing the stories of lesser known Los Angeles community members, he’s brought his dreaming down to earth, while turning its direction even further out.
Recorded with his longtime friend Ziyad Asrar of the band Whitney (and re-recorded after a hard drive incident destroyed the original files), The Search for God was created in the wake of Jimmy’s COVID isolation, and returns to some teen influences that are out of step with the chill/lo-fi LA indie rock scene he’s found himself lumped in with. Created mostly with two vintage synths, a single Roland CR5000 drum machine, and a busted karaoke machine, it channels Midwestern emo, the Beach Boys’ Smile, subtle nods at hyper-pop production, and forgotten jewel-box era college radio of the early aughts into a pure pop sound that transcends easy categorization.
The album’s standout single—and its statement of purpose—is “Hellscape,” which packs more into a minute and 40 seconds than you’d think possible: multiple immediately-unforgettable hooks, kaleidoscopic keyboards, and a bracing reminder that even the most transcendent moments are rooted in a world full of suffering. “This is a fucking hellscape,” Jimmy sings. “This is real life / this is happening.”
That may sound like punk nihilism, but The Search for God is anything but. Every lyrical acknowledgment of how fucked things are right now comes with a promise that we can still make positive changes. Jimmy calls it “God”; you might call it Love or Peace or A Place In the Universe That Makes Some Kind of Sense.
Will The Search for God deliver whatever that is to you? Of course not. At its heart, it’s still just a really good pop album. But maybe that’s enough. For a minute or two at a time, Jimmy’s music cracks open a space where the divine can enter our lives. The utopia we’ve all been dreaming of is already here if we’re just willing to build it. Jimmy Whispers is there, ready to add his voice, whenever we want to reach out.
The continuing growth of Maik Krahl as a melodic improviser, bandleader, and composer is distinctly evident in this new release. In-Between Flow, Krahl’s third outing as leader, is a portrait of a young artist who has gone through many years of dedicated hard work, study, experimentation, and refinement in order to achieve this level of instrumental and artistic progress. Krahl belongs to a new generation of improvisers who have acquired a breadth of technical and theoretical facility, while not losing the spontaneity and rawness of this music we call jazz. As a bandleader, he chooses his colleagues wisely and for this date is joined on a few tracks by the visionary guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, whose brilliant playing adds a cherry on top of this already delicious line up.
The title In-Between Flow refers to ever evolving progression of our human condition. As in nature, the human spirit can expand and unfold, maturing to a new state where it may settle for a while until some new impulses inspires another transition. These transitions, sometimes subtle, sometimes abrupt; as well as the times of contentedness and serenity are the inspirations for this music.
The record opens up with an ode to the town Krahl calls home. Cologne 4 AM, begins with a haunting melody by Krahl’s soft yet powerful horn before settling into a perfect vehicle to display his command of melodic and motivic story telling. There is something about the time of 4 AM that seems to permeate literature and music, and this track will add to the canon of artistic references to this magical time where the night meets the morning.
Mr. Rosenwinkel joins the band for Slosetta, which is a great example of Krahl’s ability to craft a tune. As is to be expected, Rosenwinkel weaves through the changes with grace and mastery, obviously enjoying the communication with the rhythm section, who are undeniably inspired by his harmonic, rhythmic and melodic ingenuity.
Jakob Kühnemann, a Bandleader and composer is his own right, has been an in demand bassist on the German and European scene for several years, and his contribution to this record is proof of why that is. Although Krahl takes the lead on Drizzle Counter, in a great display of technical virtuosity, it is Kühneman who stands out on this track. It is not only in his improvisation, but more so in his poly rhythmic pulses dancing up from the deep and the harmonic insinuations in his accompaniment of Krahl’s solo that demonstrate his musical mastery.
Rosenwinkel joins again for No Claim Claim, a composition so balanced that I would not be surprised to hear other artists recording or performing it in the future. After Krahl’s melodically inventive statement, Rosenwinkel shifts the band to the next gear building the intensity towards the out head.
Constantin Krahmer has been Krahl´s piano player since his debut record, Decidophobia. His patience, ingenuity, and big ears make him a perfect accomplice to Krahl, and his sensitive yet powerful approach and accompaniment on Reconstruction of a Dream as well as his harmonic and melodic inventiveness on Vinaceous Clouds (where he plays Fender Rhodes) make it clear why he is an integral part of this unit.
Ms Ludgate is a funky composition with angular melody that is another feather in the cap of the band leader. Kurt Rosenwinkel is back, and seems more than willing to engage in some rhythmic dialogue with the spectacular young drummer on the date, Fabian Rösch. Throughout this entire record Rösch is subtly but strongly guiding the band, playing his role as a supportive and interactive proponent to the music. We will surely be hearing much more from this young man with such a refined sound and clear rhythmic conception.
Flawless Sunday, a perfect closing statement for this record. The melody is another great example of Krahl’s growth as a composer. The whole rhythm section really shines on Krahmer’s choruses, where the three colleagues push and dare each other rhythmically as well as harmonically before Krahl enters and brings the record to a close with his beautiful rich tone and melodic playing.
It is a great pleasure to hear the growth of a young artist with such dedication and vision. Hearing how Krahl and his band mates navigate through the vicissitudes of this music is an inspiration that can be mirrored in everyday life. A lesson in accepting the ever changing flow from one state to another. Growing, learning, and evolving into a new state, until the process begins anew. In-Between Flow.
Over the course of eight thrilling tracks, ‘Royal’ leads listeners on a topsy-turvy journey from Middle Eastern exotica to Spaghetti Western style scores, via scorching Mediterranean beaches.
Highlights of the album include the surf-meets-Western delights of “Silver Lining”, where irresistible guitar lines are piled high and topped with euphoric synths and rock drums, resulting in a timeless soundtrack for both headless nights in dive bars and heedless days at the funfair.
“Juda” follows, a deadly combination of Zepellin and Middle Eastern rock with subtle hints of synth funk. The track is named after living legend and Middle Eastern guitar hero, Yehuda Keisar, who also joins the band for this song, contributing a scorching solo. The thunderous guitar riffs are matched pound-for-pound by the irresistible percussive groove.
Boom Pam, widely renowned for their spellbinding Middle Eastern guitar music, have unveiled their highly anticipated fifth album, 'Royal'. Celebrating their twentieth anniversary, the Tel Aviv based band combine cinematic atmospherics and high-powered surf rock on
their first album for international ambassadors of Middle Eastern grooves, Batov Records.
Boom Pam “Rock the Casbah” on title track “Royal”, revealing another card up their sleeve, as they transform a famous 80's Israeli radio theme into a discoinspired super jam with a punk edge.
The band maintain their reputation for first-rate and distinctive surf rock on the fast paced “Daber Yafé” and “Monsour”.
The sonic imprint is both warmed and widened by the rare addition of a tuba supplying the lower frequencies.
Meanwhile, opener “Lava Tongue”, and “Golden” emphasize the melodic side to the band, conjuring dreamy sunset mirages to hypnotize the listener.
Boom Pam have established themselves as pioneers of modern Middle Eastern surf rock, combining sophisticated yet catchy guitar riffs, with roaring tuba basslines and fiery drums. In the past decade the band have frequently collaborated with and backed legendary Turkish folk singer-songwriter, Selda Bagcan, on stage and record, and performed at some of the world's most renowned festivals, including Primavera Sound, Lollapalooza, Fuji Rock, the Montreal Jazz Festival and many more.
An engaging listen from beginning to end, ‘Royal’ is the perfect representation of Boom Pam’s incredible 20-year journey, showcasing their superior skills in pushing the boundaries of their genre.
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Balearia series stunning with a more groove-driven tracks made for the dancefloor. Starting with four new dancefloor tracks, a combination of 90s underground energy with modern grooves, a summer feelings the sea spoils you just like good wine and lots of sun... Includes Ricky Montanari remix
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Born from the fractal innerworld of Vymethoxy Redspiders,
better known as Urocerus Gigas from Leeds-based xenofeminist
crisis energy rock duo Guttersnipe, The Ephemeron Loop's
debut is a synaesthetic acid bath that cracks open the doors of
perception to reveal a sonic landscape of ineffable beauty,
divine femininity and continual transformation.
"PsychonauticEscapism" sublimes Guttersnipe's teeth-gnashing spacegrindaesthetic leaving washes of dream pop ambience, dilated
speedcore fusillades and shapeshifting psychedelic dub effects.
It's an album that lodges itself creatively between Cocteau
Twins, Arca, Basic Channel and Napalm Death, lysergically
fluxing imperceptibly between seemingly contradictory sonics
and philosophies. Miss VR took 14 long, difficult years to write
the album, which developed cautiously as she broke through
the misery of her pre-transition life with shoegaze music, rave
and psychedelic drugs in Leeds' queer underground. An
existence languishing in negativity, soundtracked by extreme
music was replaced with the opportunity to experience
euphoria, elation and ecstatic freedom, emotions that coalesce
sensually on "Psychonautic Escapism".
These formativeexperiences are the album's initial building blocks, assembled between 2007 and 2018 as Miss VR came to grips with her
reality as an autistic/ADHD trans woman and the multidimensional psychotropic experiences that assisted that realization. And as V's worldview expanded and shifted as she lived a fresh life, the music itself developed spiritually. In 2018,after being impressed with producer Ross Halden's work with Guttersnipe, Miss VR asked him to assist her with developing The Ephemeron Loop's fragmented songs and visions. "I learned a lot about why people don't usually combine various kinds of sounds or styles in music," she admits. "It is very difficult to get it to all work together!" But after two-and-a-half years of the duo navigating a "labyrinth of fragmented Reason 5 and Logic
projects," re-recording and processing, and working tirelessly on
complex arrangements and compositions, they eventually found
a light at the end of the tunnel. The finished album is towering
and ambitious, Escher-like in its illusory reconstruction of
familiar elements into brain-altering forms. The album begins
with 'Psychonautic Escapism (Cold Alienation)', decorating Miss
VR's disembodied moans with throbbing dub techno synths,
insectoid digital percussion and disorientating high-BPM
electronics.
Her vocals hover weightlessly between My Bloody Valentine's Bilinda Butcher and Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser, and on 'Lattice Dysmorphism of Lysothymic Oneiroid Cytoterrain' drift against grinding industrial hardcore kicks, serrated bass and Lorenzo Senni-esque trance pointillism. On 'Trench Through Pink Death', Miss VR's voice mutates into a shrill scream as she directs the music from splattered freeflowing doom into harsh hyper-speed death metal and
breakcore. Woven together with both precision and delicacy, "Psychonautic Escapism" turns a rough patchwork of ideas,
experiences, feelings and vivid emotions into a glorious neon
tapestry. In living and exploring the realities of autism, ADHD
and trans identity, Vymethoxy Redspiders has masterminded a
sonic language that feels fresh, urgent and shockingly honest.
Psychedelic is a term that gets thrown around far too loosely at
the moment - in this case there's just no better way of
describing the album's scope.
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The ever-prolific and established artist Alan Abrahams aka Portable makes a swift and very welcome return to Circus Company with the impressive lead single "Guiding Me", giving us an early taste of his forthcoming album Augmented Dreams to be released in the fall.
Conceptually the direction of this new project refers to the use of technology to alter our dreams, inadvertently or not, as so much tech advancement becomes available and ingrained in our daily lives. The timely lead single here inspired by Abraham's South African ancestors the Khoi San people and the guidance they provide, appropriately exuding both futurist formed sonics and dream-like tenderness in content, led by his dulcet-toned vocals and delivered with the super solid production we've come to expect. Wonderful multi-purpose electronic music which will find itself right at home on late-night discerning dance floors, or indeed guiding the listener through their respective travels, solo meditations or get-downs in headphones.
Along with the excellent "Guiding Me" original mix, we are graced with a masterful remix by Hamburg's Lawrence of Smallville and Dial fame, who takes the track into an even more floor-focussed realm with his patented rolling sub-bass lines which will guarantee plenty of summertime sound system finessing, as well as the EP-exclusive B2 track "Vigor" in which Portable goes even deeper in tone with classic styled vocal cut-ups and repurposed shards of tasty sound design added to keep the dancers endlessly entranced when and wherever they may be.
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In collaboration with Timmion Records, Daptone is proud to present My Echo, Shadow and Me, the debut album from the soulful Chicano brother, Johnny Benavidez. Hailing from San Diego (via El Paso, TX), Johnny's desire to sing was influenced by his grandfather, John Lorenzo Guzman, who as a teen in the early sixties spent some time harmonising with groups in El Paso, most notably Sonny Powell and the Night Dreamers. When he was 13, Johnny was given a record player and a box filled with R&B, Doo-Wop, and Soul 45s that he studied obsessively, employing the harmonies and melodies therein to cultivatehis own unique voice. After a chance encounter with the legendary Dimas Garza, Johnny's career began to blossom and soon he would find himself singing alongside stars like Eugene Pitt and Archie Bell, garnering the interest of Timmion Records..
Backed by the incomparable Cold Diamond & Mink (Bobby Oroza, Pratt & Moody) two incredibly successful singles were cut and plans for a full length were struck, culminating in 11 original songs penned by Benavidez. From the uplifting bounce of the title track, the doo-wop dinged "Dedicated to You", the Latin flare of "Uncle Sam," to the Sweet Soul masterpiece "Somebody Cares" (licensed and released on a Penrose Records 45), My Echo, Shadow and Me is not only an aweinspiring display of Jonny's versatility as an artist but also serves as a window into the eclectic array of soulful sounds that inspired him to fall in love with music and become a singer. A must have for fans of Daptone, Timmion, Penrose, et al.
In February 2017, Midnight Oil announced The Great Circle World Tour from the Sydney Harbour. The tour was the band’s first in over 15 years, commenced in Sydney, travelled to 16 countries, completed 76 performances in six months and concluded at The Domain in November 2017. The performance of their final show at the Domain was recorded and now available on 3 LPs. They performed both their gigantic solo hits, such as “Beds Are Burning” and “Blue Sky Mine”, as fan favourites like “Read About It” and “Only the Strong”. It’s a fantastic live experience full of energy and with much attention to their often political subjects. Armistice Day: Live At The Domain, Sydney showcases Midnight Oil at their absolute finest.
This release is available as a limited edition of 2000 individually numbered copies on transparent red vinyl and the package includes an extensive 12-page booklet.
Ex Wiish is a fleeting dream. The new musical project of Ben Shirken, a sound artist and composer based in New York City.
Shirken is the founder of record label & performance series 29 Speedway which features improvisational electronic music, 4-point guerrilla sound installations, live multimedia performances and has hosted Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, Poncili Creación, Debit, Pent, James K and various other New York-based artists. Shirken also produces for and plays modular synths in acclaimed free jazz group ‘Nu Jazz’ with Dan Orlowski of electronic hardcore staple Deli Girls.
Their debut record, “Shards of Axel'', is out on Incienso June 23, 2023. Born from a story-based video game composition; the listener finds themselves as the disoriented main player respawned into a harrowing, metallic landscape, wandering through cable ridden labyrinths, caught in progress traps as digital noises grind past submerged cityscapes.
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Cory Hanson"s third solo LP follows upon 2020"s luminescent Pale Horse Rider, upping the heat to molten levels, six strings at a time. In search of further adventures, Cory draws with vampiric glee from the madness coursing through the world outside; a spiraling shitshow that"s reawakened a compulsion in him - an old ambition, even! - to crush brutality and elegance together into a fresh set of rocks to hail down upon us. Western Cum is a high-stepping, hard-dancing, first love/heartbreak, tonight"s-the-night, future nostalgia kind of good time - the sound of guitars through the speakers of luxury cars. Like the dream you had once, alone, asleep in an amplifier, blasting Guns N" Roses through every last orifice in your body. And it"s coming through! Western Cum"s map to the treasure is less about pastiche, though; more toward executing the songs by executioner"s axe, rolling their decapitated rhythm heads and soaring melodies, the panoply of Cory"s melodic impulses with guitars, guitars, guitars. Harmony leads are just the tip of the iceberg, but be quick - the guitars like to melt everything in their path! The eight songs of Western Cum are driven by the stalwart bass of brother Casey Hanson and the drums of Evan Backer with a few passing acoustics from Cory and the intermittent spirit-moans of Tyler Nuffer"s steel guitar. The quartet sound - two guitars, bass and drums - acts as beat-making principle/phrasing device, as well as template for Cory"s layers of six-string and vocal textures. From the rooftop of their musical safe house - the band in their makeshift hut and Cory ensconced in an outhouse - they let loose with a blast both face-melting and mind-blowing: a social service that gives constipation a good name.
Black Duck captures a band already deeply in tune with one another. The three-piece super-group consists of Douglas McCombs, Charles Rumback, and Bill MacKay each has a distinct musical voice that is instantly recognizable, yet blends seamlessly with one another-their time performing together, playing to the moment and reading each other and the spaces they"re in formed a fluency between the trio which allows them to follow each other down winding paths and short tangents alike. McCombs is a founding member of Tortoise, Pullman, and Brokeback and the long-standing bassist for Eleventh Dream Day, an artist whose contribution to the music world can not be overstated. MacKay began releasing records in the early 2000s. He has released several acclaimed solo albums with Drag City as well as a duo album each with Nathan Bowles (Banjo, Black Twig Pickers), and Katinka Kleijn (Cello, Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO)), and two beloved records with Ryley Walker. Rumback burst onto the fertile Chicago improvised music scene in the early 2000"s. His fluid technique and expressive playing garnered him much attention. In addition to his solo releases, Rumback has recorded with Ryley Walker, jazz greats such as Jim Baker, James Singleton, and Greg Ward. Black Duck"s debut is a testament to that fluency, an expedition led by three veterans into alluring worlds bathed in myriad splendors. Black Duck is a gallery of sonic tapestries, unbound by any genre constraints. Black Duck redefines what two guitarists and a drummer can do, pieces move from breezy shuffles to stormy blues rumbles to gorgeous textural drones. Playing entirely improvised live sets for years helped develop the trio"s acute senses for one another, knowing precisely how to listen to the others and bolster whatever direction they move in. In the short time the trio have played together, they have performed at Big Ears Festival and alongside acts like Yo La Tengo.
Introducing "Beats on Boat Vol. 2" - the highly anticipated compilation album featuring some of the most talented and respected names in the lofi hiphop scene With tracks from the likes of FloFilz, Made in M, digitalluc, and Klaus Layer, to name a few. This project promises to deliver a unique blend of chill beats and groovy rhythms that
will transport listeners to a world of laid-back vibes.
Released through ear-sight, tracks from "Beats on Boat Vol. 2" will be released every two weeks starting from
May 31st and will be accompanied by a live set, filmed on Berlins river Spree.
One of the standout features of this album is how each artist brings their own unique style to the table. From FloFilz's jazzy beats to Made in M's dreamy soundscapes, listeners can expect a diverse range of sounds and textures that will keep them hooked like fish on a rod.
Another thing that sets "Beats on Boat Vol. 2" apart from other compilations is the focus on both lofi hiphop and lofi house. While these two genres may seem vastly different at first glance, they actually share a lot of common ground - both are built on a foundation of warm textures, and infectious grooves.
A must-listen for anyone who loves lofi music, chill beats, or just wants to experience something truly unique. With this roster of top-tier artists, the focus on both lofi hiphop and lofi house, and its live beat sets on a boat in Berlin, this compilation is sure to make waves. Hop aboard and tune in!
Mastered by digitalluc
Cover design by Otto Stobbe
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Nach dem Erfolg der ersten drei Alben 'White on blue', 'Secret Love' und 'Carousel' veröffentlichen Crossfade aus Schweden nun 'Innocent Days'. Herausgekommen ist ein tolles Rock-Album, das den charakteristischen Klang von Crossfade mit würzigen Zutaten von Toto, Steely Dan und den Eagles zu kombinieren weiß. Gemastered von Tony Cousins (Peter Gabriel), und das Artwork stammt von Steven Knee (David Gilmore). Jetzt erhältlich als LP.
*BLACK VINYL* Eight years in the making, Santa Cruz, California’s reclusive sons of tectonic riffage Mammatus return with Expanding Majesty, a sixty-nine minute magnum opus of kaleidoscopic guitars, soaring analog synths, wall-ofamps fuzz bass and one hundred feet drums. Four sidelong pieces unfold across a double album in unstoppable riffs that span the meditative and joyful un-earthed flight of ’70s kosmische godfathers like Popol Vuh and Tangerine Dream to the kinds of sub-surface thunder pioneered by Melvins and Sleep.
When I first heard Natalie Rose LeBrecht's time-suspending, air-ionizing music, more than twenty years ago, I thought "this kid is on to something." She's been proving that thought right ever since. Her recordings, from the teenage 4-track tapes she made as Greenpot Bluepot to the recent albums under her own name, have been fascinating dispatches from her progressively deeper dives into her gorgeous, weird, wildly idiomatic aesthetic. Holy Prana Open Game is a jewel of intensely personal cosmic music, created through a remarkable process of openness, craftiness, addition and subtraction. It belongs to a tradition of albums that document a rich, meditative sound as it rises up to join the world outside its creators' minds: Alice Coltrane's Universal Consciousness, Harmonia's Musik von Harmonia, Philip Glass's North Star, Talk Talk's Laughing Stock.
"Meditative" is specifically the idea here: Holy Prana Open Game had its origins in the fourteen days LeBrecht spent silently meditating in her home's small music room in the summer of 2019. "I came out of that bursting with the will to create new music," she says, and she created it sound-first. LeBrecht taught herself to program an analog synthesizer's timbres from scratch, and built a new set of glacial, heady compositions out of them, eventually singing to accompany the keyboard parts she was playing.
Then she closed her eyes at her computer, "let my mind be clear and open, imagined light pouring down through me, and began auto-writing to my memory of the music playing through my mind. Most of the lyrics emerged this way, and then I used my conscious mind to refine them a bit at the end." One other song came along with LeBrecht's new pieces, a cover that seems wildly unlikely from the outside and makes total sense in its context: it's a version of Atoms for Peace's "Amok" (which had been created by improvisation and editing, too), mutated into her own idiolect.
In early March of 2020, LeBrecht recorded Holy Prana Open Game's analog synth parts with Martin Bisi at his studio in Brooklyn--and then the world shut down. As you may have gathered, LeBrecht is very much a spiritual, head-in-the-stars type. She is also extremely hardcore, and if making the art she wants to make means doing things the hard way, she cracks her knuckles and gets down to it. Within weeks, she had taught herself how to record, mix and edit with a digital audio workstation. She recorded her vocal parts (sometimes multi-tracked into a radiant choir) at home, assembled a rough mix of the album, and sent it off to her collaborators.
LeBrecht spent some years studying with and assisting La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela at their legendary sound-and-light installation, the Dream House. As with their work, her singular, precisely focused vision is shored up by its openness to artistic voices beyond her own. For Holy Prana Open Game, she worked with the Australian guitarist Mick Turner and drummer Jim White (both of Dirty Three, the Tren Brothers and innumerable other projects), as well as woodwind player David Lackner, a longtime presence on her recordings.
Turner and White have been playing together in one context or another since 1985; in the summer of 2020, they were only blocks from each other in Melbourne, Australia, whose strict lockdown meant they couldn't meet up to record together. So both of them, as well as Lackner, recorded their improvisational additions to LeBrecht's rough mixes individually, often without hearing each other's contributions. "I had asked them to play as much as they could on each track," she says, "and told them that I would edit it all down in post, so I had a lot of source material of theirs to work with."
LeBrecht arranged and edited the recordings from all four of their homes to flow together like breath across the duration of her suite. Prana, one of the album's central conceits, is in fact the Sanskrit word for breath, with the connotation of the breath of life. Like LeBrecht's music, prana flows at its own pace, and demands stillness to take in fully--but it's also subtly playful and surprising, a force that can be as light as air or as immersive as the atmosphere itself.
Zorza is an emerging artist from Toronto, Canada. Known for crafting bass lines that evoke saccharine nostalgia with eccentric pop melodies, she's a rising powerhouse that has released a string of singles to date. Her track "Bodiless" propelled the artist on Spotify in 2022, earning her a spot on RADAR Canada's list of Ones To Watch for 2023 and the cover feature for Planet Rave.
Her upcoming release on Saike showcases the natural evolution of her signature sound. Drawing inspiration from the realms of techno, trance, and hyperpop, Zorza fearlessly combines these genres to forge a sound that is uniquely her own.
Fall into Zorza's world where Techno meets Pop.
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Jeder, der den extremen Metal-Underground in den letzten drei Jahrzehnten auch nur halbwegs verfolgt hat, sollte mit Schlagzeug-Phantom-Lord Perra Karlsson vertraut sein. Von seinen bescheidenen Anfängen bei Wortox/Altar über frühe Vorzeigebands wie Suffer und Nasum bis hin zur Präsentation seines einzigartigen Schlagzeugspiels bei legendären Bands wie Nominon, In Aeternum, Benediction und Deströyer 666 und dem Verleihen seines Könnens an neuere Bands wie Kvaen, Devil's Force und AngelBlast scheint die Liste seiner Beiträge zum Metal schier endlos.
Nach einem Leben, das er im Underground verbracht hat, mit einer nie erlahmenden Hingabe an das Handwerk des Metals, ist sein Name zum Synonym für harte Arbeit und eine wahre Liebe für alles, was mit Metal zu tun hat, geworden. Frustriert über den Mangel an Aktivität in seinen derzeitigen Stammbands, nutzte Perra seine Unzufriedenheit, um das Feuer der Kreativität zu schüren, und so wurde "Underdog" geboren.Um dieses Monster von einem Album zu realisieren, rief der außergewöhnliche Drum-Lord zu den Waffen, die von einem Geschwader von Legenden des Metal-Undergrounds beantwortet wurden, die selten auf einem Album versammelt sind.
Mit herausragenden Leistungen von Marc Grewe (Morgoth, Insidious Disease), Hellbutcher (Nifelheim), John Zwetsloot (Dissection, Cardinal Sin), Anders Jacobsson (Nasum, Necrony, Axis of Despair), Dave Hunt (Benediction, Anaal Nathrakh), Jörgen Sandström (Grave, Entombed, Torture Division), Simon Wizén (Valkyrja, Die Hard), K. K. Warslut (Deströyer 666, Bestial Warlust) und Gord Gord Olson (Darkened) wird dieses Biest weder verleugnet noch enttäuscht werden.
Raveena Aurora’s debut album was released on EMPIRE in 2019. As she wrote on social media the evening of its release, “What a dream to be able to give u this piece of my soul.”
The album features 12 songs exploring themes of sexuality, womanhood, and her Indian heritage. Raveena cites Sade, Corinne Bailey Rae, Minnie Riperton, and Indian singer, Asha Puthli, as inspirations.
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Taken from Skinshape’s ‘Nostalgia’ album. For fans of Khruangbin, El Michels Affair, Tame Impala and Bonobo.
‘Turn Away’ is a song in two parts” explains Skinshape aka Will Dorey. “The front section is intended to be classic songwriter style, with a focus on the chord progression and lyrics. The second half perhaps represents a curious epiphany, a realisation of something profound”. As the plot develops, Dorey’s clandestine charisma creates an alchemic, and most gentlemanly, cleansing of the soul. From his director’s chair, Dorey expands that “following the theme of film music, ‘Dreams of Panama’ could be an exotic scene in the movie, featuring a slight Latin twist and an epic introduction with full choir”. The track also makes the most of an opportunity to use a solo female vocal as the main melody.
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“Solid foundations of polished drums and deep sub bass are coloured with moody, cinematic melodies and intricate effects” - begins to unearth the futuristic sounds of KREED.
Based in Bristol UK, his signature sound is commonly interpreted as contemporary sound system music, as first and foremost it fully delivers that essential low end needed to generate waves in the dance whilst making regular visits down some well trodden paths across a wide scope of genres. As we move forwards through KREED’s soundscape, we find that each track cleverly hooks you in with a combination of theatrical songwriting, dynamic arrangements, twisting melodies and naturally intricate production values. Imagine an orchestra playing Casio keyboards to a silent movie set in the Wild West but filmed in Bristol - or something like that. KREED dreams up a world for his music to exist in, with each track being complete with scenery, characters and a story to tell.
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Growing up with and influenced by the sounds of TR-909 or TR-808 which surrounds you, then you would recognize Adham Zahran's signature sound and his unique skills when he plays with rhythms and catchy melodies, especially on this 'Grain Galaxy'. He also brings us tracks such as 'Ocean Falls' and 'Synth Funk Suit 1' full of pleasant dreamy vibrations that would sound amazing at your local venue, as
well as if you just let the decks play at home for your own listening session. Head of Umanuto Records Javas remixed the original 'Grain Galaxy' as a classic house leg warmer to get it moving on the dance floor.
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Richard Lamb’s second and (presumably) final release under this moniker is a bit of a special one. Lamb starts off with ‘Salt Lick’. A track with beautiful, lush, sunny sounds that lure you into an unexpected world of electro, heavy bass and more dance orientated tracks like ‘A Life In Harmony’.
Following up his first EP ‘Automatic Tango’ on his own Montreal based Temple imprint, there’s still hints of early Moog greasiness but overall it’s a more decisive production compared to the previous one. Intricately layered percussion mixed together with dreamy pads take you on a journey to a hidden Utopia where tight arrangements and tribal-esque rhythms dictate the pace. Once more we are shown how versatile Lamb’s productions are and how he juggles genres freely, ranging from dub to electronica, experimental, idm and techno.
The second side of this EP features two remixes by non other than Norwegian DJ and producer DJ Sotofett. A heavyweight in the electronic music scene who needs little introduction takes on the EP’s title track ‘A Life In Harmony’ and turns it into two electro-acid pieces ready to tear up any dance floor, or anything else for that matter. Surrender to the acid and indulge in these masterful tracks.
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Abstrakce recover this lost gem recorded in 1999 and published by Keliehor himself in a very short-run CD named "Create Music", which had almost no diffusion.
An outstanding collection of exotic tracks with a wide range of influences from primitive cultures all over the world. An unexplored region where the Minimalism concepts developed by Steve Reich, La Monte Young, or Terry Riley and renewed by Midori Takada meet Jon Hassell's 4th world ideas.
You will find here repetitive patterns that evolve and transform the sound space, unlikely instruments gathered together in a perfectly harmonic way, making flow an unusual melodic sense when the uncommon combinations of these instruments interact with one another. Simple instruments, yet exotic, primitive sound makers with complex personalities, timeless sound treasures unchanging a hundred years. Crude or sophisticated, most of the instruments, compel us to listen to them. A more flexible and wider range of tonality is discovered by limiting the number of instruments that play together and choosing those whose tones and harmonics resonate together.
The record results from a didactic project for nursery and primary school environments while searching for ideas to guide children in following the details of music. The music architectures are often transparent, even repetitive, but the culminative effect soon becomes more than that. These pieces are aural landscapes for dreams and adventures, doorways to imaginative worlds.
The Artists:
Jon Keliehor and Signy Jakobsdottir performed together in Seattle, Venezuela, and Scotland. During their stay in Seattle, both had studied gamelan music with Gamelan Pacifica under the direction of Jarrad Powell. After returning to Scotland, they continued to study and perform with Gamelan Naga Mas, in Glasgow, in projects directed by dhalang Joko Susilo, dancer/director Nyoman Wenten, and Professor Matthew Issac Cohen.
In Scotland, they created adult and children's workshops under the banner of Luminous Music. Preceding the formation of Luminous Music, Keliehor had worked as percussionist and composer with contemporary dance companies, both in London and Seattle. Following on studies in percussion music at Dartington College of the Arts, Signy moved to Seattle to begin work with Jon. The partnership that ensued brought them to Caracas, Costa Rica, Brazil and Spain to create music for the dance company DanzaHoy. In 1996, they returned to Glasgow, and continued to work together at the newly created Luminous Music Studios. Signy's involvement with musicians/groups has continued beyond this to include genres in Scottish/Celtic traditions, in Jazz, as well as music innovations of her own design.
Remotely Together introduces new works by claire rousay & Morita Vargas, Maria Chavez & Valentina Magaletti, and KMRU, all commissioned through remote residencies for Rewire’s 2021 - online edition. In the midst of COVID-19 lockdowns, Rewire initiated these collaborations between disparate artists from all over the world, connecting them remotely to explore new creative practices both online and in isolation. The audiovisual results of these residencies were presented during the online edition of the 2021 festival. Newly edited versions of a selection of these performances have now been compiled for this release.
Featuring an enthralling mix of ambient, noise, field recording, and experimental sound art, the scene of Remotely Together is set by the crunching sounds of footsteps over a grassy environment on atmospheric opener Humo De Margatina Dulce, a collaborative song between North American percussionist and improviser claire rousay and Argentinian vocalist Morita Vargas. rousay’s textural mix of field recordings, everyday sounds, and deep electronics coalesce with Vargas’s ethereal vocals, paving the way for compelling music that gradually draws its listeners deeper into its mysterious soundworld.
Meanwhile, New York–based turntablist Maria Chavez and celebrated Italian percussionist Valentina Magaletti collaborate on Particle, featuring hypnotic textures and dreamlike percussion that seems to sonically propel itself forward, slowly expanding into a rich and layered work of stretched-out free jazz.
During his online residency, Kenyan sound artist KMRU teamed up with Dutch filmmaker Donna Verheijden. MicroVerse showcases his evocative mixing of field recordings, entrancing noise, and improvisation, resulting in a piece where the seemingly gentle sounds of the natural world begin to blend in with the artificial muck of droning noise.
Peruvian-born and Amsterdam-based graphic designer Jonathan Castro Alejos has designed the artwork of Remotely Together. It was thought of as a sculptural documentation of the unnoticed urban gestures between Amsterdam and Lima during the pandemic – further reinforcing the relationship between isolation and interconnectivity explored during the remote residencies of Rewire.
The Acid Series celebrates over 10 years of No Way Back, with music that directly references that experience. This is the third volume in the series, to be followed by BMG & Derek Plaslaiko, and there will be four more after this pair, with records by Tin Man & Ectomorph, Dona, Romans, and Pervocet (Patrick Russell & Jasen Loveland) yet to come. They all arrive in a unique sleeve especially created for this series, inspired by the decorations of NWB. Jordan Zawideh's music perfectly reflects his personal migration from Detroit to Chicago. It somehow combines the raw elegance of a Larry Heard demo (listen to the demos of "A Path" or "Acid Dreams" and cry) with Detroit Techno and an unconscious take on the sonic exploration of Drexciya, showcased in songs like "Magellanic Cloud" and "Trails of Sophia". In Jordan's sound, the raw power of the cassette era of Chicago House combines with a Detroit Acid Dream. His debut record was on K Starke Records in 2014, and while he was working at the store,
the concept for "No One (Jacks The Box)" came together. Kevin Starke proposed a concept for a collaboration, using an old Chicago radio ad, so Jordan borrowed a 303 & 707 from Kevin and some gear from Beau Wanzer, but Kevin never made the session. Ultimately we had master editor Gay Marvine edit this instant lost classic. Jordan has also released on the Nation box set, and is part of the No Way Back family. Jordan lives like a monk, in total dedication to learning his machines and advancing his craft. He is also an accomplished DJ. BMG on his edit of "Magellanic Cloud" - this is my fantasy version of this jam, its so lost in it, like a cool mature Chicago take on Gerald's jam for the Silicon Ghetto series on Accelerate, or Mika Vainio's "Spirality".
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Simoncino is back again on SKYLAX with the volume 2 of the Resurrection series ! The made in Perugia prodigy delivers us once again 3 titles paying homage to the sound of chicago, the fabulous triplet lost tape 1, 2 & 3. On A1, the aptly named Lost tape 1 us leads into the meanders of the jungle house in direct tribute to the great marshall Jefferson all sprinkled with some "detroit" sauce, this peaktime track will delight the most humid and demanding dancefloors. Lost tape 2 is more airy with these sparkling bells and its bass that lifts your guts, mental we tell you ! A bit as if paris gray was remixed in a hovering dub version. On lost tape 3, it is clearly the quintessence of the spirit of simoncino, his genius. This way of creating a universe that is both a tribute to the original chicago house and the italian dream house straight from the 90s. Completely trippy. And cherry on the cake on B2, we have a remix of the now classic "on the dancefloor", a title created in collaboration with Merwyn Sanders from Virgo Four (Chicago), from Detroit legend : Marcellus Pittmann ! 9 mn of pure madness. The Detroit - Chicago axis has never been so obvious. A must. Comes out on clear vinyl. Note that on the label's bandcamp, with the purchase of the vinyl, you can get 1 exclusive bonus track (& what a track !) : Simoncino & Merwyn Sanders of Virgo Four "On The Dance Floor" (Marcellus Pittman smooth remix).
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Metroplex dont need an introduction, arguably worlds first and longest running Techno label. OCb aka Driss Bennis is a new face at Metroplex. Since starting his own label Casa Voyager in 2017, the Moroccan artist has gained a reputation for being as versatile an A&R as a producer. Hie debuts his OCB project on Metroplex with ,,The Sequel", an expansive five-tracker, covering a wide range of musical territory from funk-infused breakbeats, fast-paced electro bass, chilled downbeats to focused techno. The astral pads in the opening track ,,THX (The Sequel)" give way to lush electro beats, a funky bass line and warm chords before a vocoded voice exclaims ,,trans human express". Despite its slightly menacing title, ,,Global Warning" has the same ethereal star-gazing vibe, driven by breakbeats and accentuated by dreamy piano chords. On the flip side, the fast-paced electro of ,,Syntax Error" does its title justice with highly-processed fragments of a robotic voice propel the track forward. ,,Translate" is classic Motor City techno - Metroplex style. ,,The Sequel" rounds off with a short, chilled downtempo track, that once again underscores Bennis' musicality. Metroplex is back!!
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In collaboration with Croatian label Sareni Ducan, Discom proudly presents an official reissue of a very rare self-titled album of Yugoslavian 80’s funk band Boom Selekcija.
Boom Selekcija was a short-living group of musicians from Belgrade, active from 1979 to 1983. They recorded their debut and only album for the label Diskos in 1983 and after that disbanded. The line-up included musicians from Boban Petrovic’s backing band and Silva Delovska from Kim Band on vocals. The quality of recorded material and the complete lack of information about the band set them as a cult act among DJs and crate diggers. This is one of the albums which makes you ask ”What is this?” when you hear it, but nobody around could tell you an honest answer.
A side of the record begins with a track called Moje Cake (eng. My Tricks). It is a groovy theme with mellow vocals-a story of the poser who thinks he is very interesting. The same groove continues in the song Rokenrol Štipaljke (Rock And Roll Easy Girls) where friends are preparing for a crazy go out in a discotheque. It ends in a Balearic atmosphere in the songs Studentski San ( eng. A Student’s Dream)- a song about dreaming luxurious life on the Adriatic coastline) and Vladina Gitara (eng. Vlad’s guitar)-a nice dreamy guitar instrumental in the 70’s Yugoslavian style.
Equally groovy and interesting B side portrays naive and charming 80’s Belgrade: discotheques, parties, girls, tough guys, urban stories about real-common people and their destinies … all packed with such style and grace like you are in New York City suburbs in the late ’70s and enjoy perfect funk/soul musicianship. In this sense, you can hear: amazing slap bass by Vladan Mracic in the song Zuljas Me ( eng. You Are Going To My Nerves); cool funky guitar licks by Aleksandar Stefanovic in the song Bora Klej; authentic soul singing style of Mile Perisic and beautiful electric piano solo of Oliver Polak in song Frizerka Nada (eng. Nada, The Hairdresser) and convincing funk rhythm drumming by Zoran SImovski all way through.
This record will remain a significant point for investigating Yugoslavian funk history and it will be welcomed on every dance floor in the world that favors lesser-known grooves. We hope that we will manage to bring it closer to the younger audience and show how people used to live and have a good time in Belgrade and Yugoslavia.
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Naarm alchemists Sleep D's revelatory new synthetic 'Electronic Arts' is ready for circulation.
Having released 4 EPs of mind-altering club tackle since 2019's 'Rebel Force', the duo overcome second album syndrome, boiling down their chaos with a more developed sense of songwriting. Never banging one drum, 'Electronic Arts' mirrors the anything goes mania of their DJ sets, tactfully shifting through different sounds and styles. Tempos intensify and decelerate, at times pushing the threshold to 150 bpm from docile canine dreamscapes to full tilt Space Invaders in AR mind games.
Largely built on road tested material from their live performances, the album is a tangible Butter Sessions gathering, busting out the gate with Martian rave initiation Planet Waves, Outdoor System's polyrhythmic beatdown and the Orb-like hero dose affirmations of Sunrise In The Crater (I Exist). While 'Electronic Arts' is otherwise a self-dependent effort, Punch Drunk is brewed ever more potent by the hypnagogic vocals and lucid trumpet cycles of former futsal team member YL Hooi. Their unified energy incidentally manifests a profound matrix of ambient techno, motorik, Don Cherry and Everything But the Girl.
Also touching on apocalyptic doof and minimal, the album is not exclusively peak time with Maryos Syawish and Corey Kikos' specialty curveballs also playing their part. From Village To Empire finds the duo rooting down in Syawish's heritage with a tapestry of purposefully deployed Iraqi and Syrian ethnographic samples and field recordings, dubbed within range of Muslimgauze and On-U Sound. As minimal techno finale Textile trails off into footsteps wandering back to base camp with a satisfied exhale, one wonders where Sleep D's existential pathfinding could possibly take us next?
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A Colourful Storm presents Seance, a new set of songs by Maxine Funke.
Following a productive recording period beginning with Silk (2018) and ending with Forest Photographer (2020), Seance marks a remarkable levitation of Funke’s tender, softly spoken songcraft first documented on Lace (2008) and Felt (2012) into new creative heights. Folksong confessionals with the burden of memory. Ghostly confines, murmurs from the cracks. Soil, blood and skin. The beauty and mundanity of the everyday.
The voice of Funke is a distinctive instrument, one which perfectly elucidates her sometimes confessional, at other times deeply inward allusions to love, loss, joy and disquiet. Lyrics grounded in observation and adventure (“Eyeballs, asphalt, grass clippings, peppercorns”) unravel into uneasy truths daubed in self-consciousness and forbidden desire (“I’m not shy / There's just a sparkle in your eye and I don't feel right”). The simplest things can be the most difficult to express.
Opener ’Fairy Baby’ and ‘Homage’ are sensuous and probing, celebrating new beginnings while cautiously closing old chapters. ‘Quiet Shore’, a seven-minute reverie of guitar strum and poetry, conjures spirits long forgotten and shines as Funke’s first solo foray into longform songwriting. A perfect accompaniment to the album’s centrepiece, ‘Lucky Penny’, a euphoric, entrancing rush foreshadowing the delicate dreamspeak still to come.
An assertive, visionary recording by one of New Zealand’s most extraordinary voices, Seance is a lover’s lament, a revealing of self and a secluded wander through fields of enchantment.
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A gentle kickoff to the EP sees ASC flex the ethereal side of his compositional range with Dreamcatcher. Bleeps and subtle bongos intro the track before a cymbal-heavy beat rolls into play, urged along by warm 808 basslines. Several samples will trigger the scene veteran's nostalgia glands, and as the Arthur O'Shaughnessy quote proclaims: "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams", you cannot help but smile.
A2 - Tranquility
Filtered breakbeats with emphasised kicks begin our journey through Tranquility; a calming piece enriched with luscious synths, glorious pads and echoing vocal samples. ASC takes the listener through a crash course in DJ-friendly classic atmospheric drum & bass, inviting the crowd to take a step back from the chaos of the world and bask in the tranquility of the moment in true Spatial style.
AA1 - Drifting Thru
Remember Demon's Theme? For many it was their introduction to a new world of amen breaks in a birthing jungle / drum & bass landscape, and here ASC pays homage to that break - as well as a certain iconic classic on the Deejay catalog - rewritten impressively with a pure, intensely driven atmosphere and a thumping sub bass to boot as the eerie melody allows this incredible break to take center stage - as it should.
AA2 - Flotation
Closing the EP is Flotation, a building track which fuzes classic breakbeats chopped and punctuated with a slow-burning, gradually intensifying atmosphere. The interplay between breaks, bassline, pads and washing vocals is a delightful experience to behold, the bassline never relenting. Flotation is curiously catchy and will stay long in the memory.
Words by Chris Hayes (Spatial / Red Mist)
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The Flaming Lips will unveil a new limited-edition vinyl EP entitled Hypnotist on June 16, 2023. It notably collects four fan favourite tracks previously only available on the 6-CD Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots 20th Anniversary Box Set. Now, they grace the 32-minute Psychedelic Hypnotist Daydream, giving the songs a vinyl release for the very first time. The track listing notably boasts the immersive 24-minute sonic head-trip “Psychedelic Hypnotist Day Dream (demo),” which unfurls as one of the group’s most epic gems to date. Additionally, it includes the “Duck Dodgers Theme (Duck Dodgers Demo: With Wayne Scratch Vocal),” “I Know I’ve Got To Make That Dream The Real Thing (Demo),” and, finally, “Do You Realize?? (Instrumental).”
Brazilian soul, psych, bossa and jazz, reimagined from Berlin, via the Dead Sea, on Moriah Plaza’s dreamy first album for Batov Records.
Moriah Plaza co-founders Tamir Chen and Moosh Lahav first encountered and fell in love with the beautiful and hypnotic sounds of Brazilian bossa nova and samba as children in Tel Aviv in the nineties, via the many local bands and tribute groups that had sprung up since the first wave of bossa had hit swept across the world. Likewise
they developed a fascination with elevator muzak, film soundtracks, and even the hotel pianist performing day-by-day in the lobby of the Sheraton Moriah where Tamir’s mother worked, overlooking the Dead Sea.
Relocating years later to the vastly different environment of Berlin, capital of a country that enjoyed its own Brazilian moment, Tamir and Moosh’s shared passion for Brazilian music would encourage them to create their own songs inspired by the warm pulse of Brazil, albeit a world apart, through a vastly different lens.
Whilst the initial inspiration for Moriah Plaza can be traced back to Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea, the band itself was conceived by Tamir and Moosh in Solarium Studio, Berlin, from the broken fragments of their former shoegaze band, Soda Fabric, who had the honour of backing outsider legend Daniel Johnston. They would go on to write and record their debut album in close collaboration with two Brazilians and fellow Berlin residents,, poet and singer Cecília Erisman, and singer, songwriter, synth operator and Tropical Disco Club founder Flavia Annechini.
The album opens with “Desendereçada”. Dirty drum machine beats thud away under flutes and extraneous noises and a spoken word commentary. The oddness and allure of the intro is a perfect introduction to the world of Moriah Plaza.
The pace picks up on “Mais Amor”. A beautiful Brazilian soul jazz number with a sublime vocal from Flavia Annechini that will surely appeal to the global dancefloor jazz scene. “Te Peço” daws us in deeper with sweetest jazz vocal over an irresistible bassline and bossa drums that transforms halfway through into a modern soul rhythm crowned by flute and horns. A flute solo from Moosh Lahav leads us into the final uplifting refrain.
The Pharoah Sanders meets Ravi Shankar in Rio grooves of “Estelar”
have that fresh feeling that will certainly appeal to fans of modern favourites Rebecca Vasment and Ruby Rushton. Next up, the mysterious “Lagoon de Merim” is practically two songs in one, the first half an atmospheric string-topped number somewhere between Arthur Verocai and Cinematic Orchestra, before snappy drums beats and playful organ chords introduce a slow brassy samba that fills the whole sonic room.
“Teu Porto” is a must for all DJs, mixing calypso, highlife and house, lilting guitars and smooth vocals by Cecilia Erismann.. The deep samba house grooves of “Samba Moosh” close us out. The rich blend of sweet vocals, soaring flute and gritty synths carry us off into the sunset.
Moriah Plaza’s self-titled debut album is a major addition to the global soul and jazz scene. providing the perfect summer soundtrack for music lovers around the world.
How about you forget for a moment all the things you thought you knew about Saroos, okay? First of all, let’s forget about all the other projects these guys are part of. Why? Because thinking of The Notwist, Driftmachine, Lali Puna, Tvii Son, to name “only” half a dozen things, might be misleading in this case. What’s more, please make sure to forget the fact that they’re mostly filed under “instrumental,” “post-rock dub,” or “kraut-flavored indie-tronica,” you know, all that. And most importantly, let’s forget that they’re a closed, three-minded system: a fixed and fully committed entity of three. No more!
Known to reinvent themselves in less drastic ways, Christoph Brandner, Max Punktezahl and Florian Zimmer, have opened the floodgates to COLLABORATION – making things open, porous, different, new, in many ways, on their quietly explosive latest album “Turtle Roll”.
Announced by 2021 singles “Tin & Glass” feat. Ronald Lippok and aptly titled “Frequency Change” feat. Leila Gharib aka Sequoyah Tiger, the sixth full-length sees the Berlin threesome add another handful of vocal guests along the way – thus turning into shape-shifting full bands and/or temp quartets, perfectly at home in about as many genres as there are tracks on the LP.
Kicked off by the motoric B-funk (Berlin represent) of the Lippok-assisted “Tin & Glass,” complete with retro-futuristic effects, spoken declarations, and non-terrestrial vibes, it might not be Daft Punk playing at their house, but a byobv (vibe) house party of musical minds isn’t too far off, actually! Once again as much a mixtape as an album, the mood, vibe, and color changes with every new collaborative tune: From ethereally soothing and dreamy (“The Mind Knows” feat. Solent from Canada) to clap-driven and wildly hypnotic (that pounding “Mutazione,” featuring vocals and rhymes courtesy of Eva Geist from Italy) and almost radio-ready (“current, bass-heavy alternative indie hits only!”), when that stadium-sized oomph of “Frequency Change” feat. Sequoyah Tiger arrives around halfway in.
Elsewhere, Japanese guest Kiki Hitomi (WaqWaq Kingdom) adds exotic ecstasy to the hypothermic beatscapes of “The Sign,” while Ukrainian vocalist Lucy Zoria pushes poetic layers over “Southern Blue”’s wonky foundation that hardens and finds more direction with each round the beat clock takes – until it’s impossible to escape that undertow. “My baby makes it better,” sings Caleb Dailey on the faithful and still-loving “Being with You,” a sepia, softly churning look back by the US songsmith, a sweetly shimmering ode to a relationship.
Speaking of foursomes, there’s four instrumental tracks scattered throughout the new LP – ranging from a painting in crystal clear colors of night (“Organ of Recall”) to the highly dramatic sonic tapestry of “Thicket” (actually feat. vocals as well). Before the perfect goodbye of slow-moving album closer “Here Before,” “Passed Out” sounds like Odd Nosdam finding his feet after blacking out on a German carnival.
Titled after a surf maneuver that allows you to break through the crests on the way out, Saroos have skipped the obvious waves with “Turtle Roll” – creating their own kind of sonic “Hang Ten” by adding 7 new voices to the mix.
Robert Glasper’s 2005 Blue Note debut Canvas signaled the arrival of a singular new voice in jazz and his 2007 follow-up In My Element solidified his status as a rising star who was taking the music someplace new. Featuring bassist Vicente Archer & drummer Damion Reid, the album expanded the possibilities of where a modern jazz piano trio might go by delving further into his hip-hop & gospel roots.
This 2-LP Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition was mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.
