Search Results for:

BROWNSWOOD

Delasi

Audacity Of Free Thought

    Prophetic, spiritual and frenetic, ‘Amplifier’ is Delasi’s testimony in musical form. A manifestation of Delasi emerging triumphant after many years in limbo as he searched for a long-awaited breakthrough in the music industry.

    Produced by Delasi himself alongside Morgan Greenstreet, ‘Amplifier’ is underpinned by the texture of coastal rhythms indigenous to Accra and tightly ornamented with bustling drum breaks, electronic synth lines and jazz sensibilities.

    Veteran Ghanaian multi-instrumentalist and sound designer NiiNoiNortey appears on the track to deliver an explosive and rhythmically intense saxophone performance throughout as it tastefully builds to an emphatic crescendo.

    Self-described as a prayer, the track’s maximalist and percussive instrumentation is cleverly juxtaposed with minimal lyrics where Delasi’s faint vocal repeats a series of repeated phrases like evoking the mood and semblance of a meditative chant and religious experience. Harkening to the work of afrofuturistic jazz musicians like Sun Ra and Pharaoh Sanders.

    Speaking on the track’s meaning, Delasi said: “‘Amplifier’ is my prayer and like with other songs of mine it can scare me because I write things and then it’ll manifest in exact detail. The song is basically outlining how hard I’ve worked and how I need an amplifier to have my desires fulfilled. It's like a mantra and that’s why it's not so lyrical”.

    ‘Amplifier’ marks Delasi’s first release as a lead artist since his 2015 self-released project ‘#thoughtjourney’ which garnered support and praise from Rolling Stone, BBC6 Music, Worldwide FM, KCRW, Afropop Worldwide, Deutschlandfunk Kultur, NRK and legendary French DJ/Producer Laurent Garnier. Additionally parlaying into touring and festival gigs across Nairobi, Berlin, Morocco, Denmark and Sweden.

    Delasi is an artist that has been quietly prolific for over a decade. Honing his musicianship exploring sonic possibilities with Ableton and Teenage Engineering. Eventually entrenching himself in the Ghanaian rap scene via collaborations with Hammer of The Last Two, Reggie Rockstone and Yaw P with whom he would release a joint project ‘Imperfections: The Break Up Vol 1’ in 2013.

    He was musically raised on a diet heavily influenced by his father who exposed him to the sounds of Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Bobby McFerrin, Jim Reeves and Billy Ocean alongside the soundtracks for movies like Doctor Zhivago, The Sound of Music and La Bamba. Delasi’s own tastes would be heavily informed by linchpins of US Hip-Hop like Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Onyx and M.O.P in addition to alternative R&B artists Frank Ocean and James Blake.

    After many years of operating as a proudly independent and self-contained artist, Delasi has now partnered with Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings. One of the world’s leading indie labels, famed for their instrumental role in breaking the likes of KOKOROKO, YussefDayes, Swindle, Joe-Armon Jones, ShabakaAnd The Ancestors, Zara McFarlane and Ghostpoet.

    With Delasi now being granted resources to give his music the grand and worthy footing, he is now on the cusp of the artistic breakthrough that was long out of reach. Speaking further on how the deal with Brownswood inspired the new single, Delasi said:

    “The music I’ve created this go round is so strong that I can’t handle it all by myself. Though I had a lot of fun doing it all by myself with ‘#thoughtjourney’, this time around I needed it to be with a home who could properly amplify it.”

    TRACK LISTING

    1. AgbeDzidzi
    2. Amplifier (feat. NiiNoiNortey)
    3. Perception
    4. Audacity Of Free Thought (feat. Noah Dreiblatt)
    5. Learn From Adversity (feat. Lollise)

    Dayme Arocena

    Alkemi

      When Daymé decided to switch gears and record her fourth studio album in Puerto Rico with the iconic producer Eduardo Cabra (Calle 13), she never imagined that she would end up moving there.

      “From the moment I stepped foot on the island, I realized that I never wanted to leave,” says the 31 year-old Cuban singer/songwriter with a hearty laugh. “At the time, I had spent three years away from Cuba, living in Canada with my husband. I called and asked him to come over to Puerto Rico, and to please bring all my stuff. It wasn’t a conscious decision on my part. It was simply love at first sight.”

      Relying on instinct and intuition is how Daymé has managed her career since she burst on the international scene with 'Nueva Era,' her prodigious debut album, in 2015. Now, she has fully reinvented her sound with 'Al-Kemi,' a revolutionary – and transformative – fusion of neo soul singing, Afro-Caribbean beats and slick new millennium pop.

      The album is titled 'Al-Kemi' with the Yoruba word for alchemy. "It means the cosmovision of transformation," she explains. "It is mixing all the elements to achieve an unbeatable result, full of shine and light, like gold springing from the skin."

      From the cosmopolitan smoothness of lead single “Suave y Pegao” – an effortless fusion of jazz, bossa nova and urbano stylings with reggaeton star Rafa Pabön on guest vocals – to the smoldering neo-soul of “A Fuego Lento,” with Dominican singer Vicente García, Daymé’s latest album relies on sacred formats of the past but rearranges them in a conscious quest to redraw the very definition of what Latin pop is supposed to sound like.

      “It was definitely a team effort,” she reflects from her new home in San Juan. “Flexibility may well be my biggest virtue. I’m always open to every possible suggestion when it comes to making things better. My piano player, Jorge Luis "Yoyi" Lagarza, and I worked on the demos with the rest of my band. Then with Eduardo Cabra’s direction, we enlisted musicians from all over the Caribbean – Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic. Everybody added their energy and coloring.”

      It was Daymé’s piano player who originally suggested she contact Eduardo Cabra known for combining commercial aptitude with a refined sense of craftsmanship. Not only did Cabra accept the singer’s offer, but he also invited her to stay at his home during the four months when they recorded 'Al-Kemi' in his Puerto Rico studio.

      “I had no idea that he was familiar with my music,” she enthuses. “Eduardo has been in the industry for a long time, and he comes from a world that is more global and commercial than mine. He was the ideal candidate for this project, but I initially didn’t know if he would understand the social, psychological and personal complexities of the message that I wanted to express.”

      “Daymé is one of the most talented musicians that I’ve ever worked with,” says Cabra. “Working together was a joy, because she knew exactly the kind of fusion that she was going for: a cross between her Afro-Cuban roots – which clearly are strong on this album – with the more contemporary vein of analogue synths, samples and a bit of electronica. We wanted both worlds to communicate, to be both respectful and disrespectful to the ancestral colors. I feel comfortable with both, and even Calle 13 walked the two paths. This is also the album where Daymé opened up to the Caribbean at large. Her understanding of harmony and her performance skills are out of this world.”

      Born in Havana in 1992, Daymé grew up immersed in Afro-Cuban folk, but also listening to cassette tapes of Sade Adu, her father’s favorite singer. She was identified as a prodigious talent at only 8 years old and soon started studying music. After studying at the prestigious Amadeo Roldán conservatory, she became co-founder and band member of the Cuban-Canadian jazz collective Maqueque in 2017. With the collective, she launched several international tours and earned a GRAMMY nomination.

      “In Cuba, the emphasis on technique is exacerbated,” Daymé explains. "At the same time, opportunities are scarce on the island. A career in music provides a potential for escape, which is why the competitiveness is off the charts.”

      TRACK LISTING

      1. Que Se Lo Lleve El Mar
      2. Por Ti
      3. Suave Y Pegao (feat. Rafa Pabön)
      4. Coda
      5. American Boy
      6. A Fuego Lento (feat. Vicente Garcia)
      7. El Amor La Esperanza
      8. Cómo Vivir Por Él
      9. I Rather
      10. Die And Live Again 

      Toshio Matsuura Group

      Loveplaydance - 2024 Reissue

        Toshio Matsuura’s 2017 cult classic Loveplaydance focuses on covers, presenting classics & influential tracks in a new context. This new edition includes a cover of the Rotary Connection’s classic "Black Gold of the Sun'' featuring Afro-Cuban singer Daymé Arocena and her prodigious Havana-based players, as well as the high energy re-lick of Byron Morris and Unity’s ‘Kitty Bey’, a classic from Gilles Peterson’s seminal afternoon session at Dingwalls in the 1990s; neither included on the original vinyl LP.

        On ‘Loveplaydance’, legendary Tokyo DJ and producer Toshio Matsuura charted a new direction by casting musical cornerstones in a fresh light. The Toshio Matsuura Group features Tom Skinner (drummer for Smile, Sons of Kemet, amongst others) as its musical director, as well as some of the UK’s most exciting jazz-influenced musicians. Drawing on years of surveying and curating different corners of music, Matsuura deftly combined this talented pool of players into one singular, wide-ranging album. A co-founder of Japan’s United Future Organisation (aka U.F.O.), this record sees Matsuura reconnect with longstanding friend and collaborator Gilles Peterson. Releasing the album via Brownswood Recordings in the UK, it’s a continuation of a relationship which started as a bridge between London’s then-blossoming jazz scene and Tokyo’s new musical vanguard of the early ‘90s. This album continues that two-way dialogue between Japan and the UK.

        The scope of the music reflects the breadth of Matsuura’s interests; It ranges from Bugges Wesseltoft’s Detroit-influenced, dancefloor-minded jazz, stretched out into a more meditative contemplation, to Flying Lotus’ LA-rooted, Brainfeeder beatmaking, translated from laptop-to-live, given a new, equally idiosyncratic lease of life. Elsewhere, Carl Craig’s iconic ‘At Les’ is taken in a looser direction, the overtones of euphoria cast in a different hue.

        They’re touchpoints which hint at interests in the different, diffuse corners of electronic music, and how they connect to jazz and improvisation. Featuring an all star line up of some of the best players London has to offer, line up includes Nubya Garcia, Yazz Ahmed, Yussef Dayes and more.

        TRACK LISTING

        A.1 Change
        A.2 High Noon
        B.1 L.M. II
        B.2 I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun
        C.1 Kitty Bey
        C.2 Brown Paper Bag
        D.1 Do The Astral Plane
        D.2 At Les 

        Kokoroko

        Could We Be More Remixes

          Over a year since the release of their exhilarating debut Could We Be More, Kokoroko present a new collection of remixes of tracks from their first album. The record brings together a dizzying, globe-spanning array of contemporary music’s most forward-thinking artists, each bringing their own unique identity to the project while maintaining the immersive sound-world of the original. Could We Be More Remixes is due 10th November 2023 via Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings.

          All the remixers share a common approach with the band, filtering global influences and backgrounds through the lens of their hometown. As a result, each remix explores and stretches the core elements of the debut in different ways. Home-grown London talents Eun and Demae, both associates of the Touching Bass collective that sprouted from the same scene as Kokoroko, turn in a spaced-out version of ‘Tojo’ that manages to be introspective and driving at the same time, reminiscent of some of the best work on Moodymann’s imprints. 


          STAFF COMMENTS

          Barry says: A gorgeous selection of reworks from Kokoroko's brilliant 'Could We Be More'. The remixes here fit seamlessly alongside the original material, taking the original sounds and stretching their peripheries outwards, resulting in something that's a perfect listen as an extension of the original story rather than a retelling.

          TRACK LISTING

          1. Tojo (Eun Remix Feat. Demae)
          2. Somethings Going On (Miles James Remix)
          3. Home (anaiis Remix)
          4. Ewà Inú (Vanyfox Remix)
          5. Ewà Inú (Dreamcastmoe's Smoked Out Remix)
          6. We Give Thanks (KeiyaA Remix)
          7. Dide O (Ash Lauryn & Stefan Ringer Remix)
          8. War Dance (Hagan Remix)

          Lefto Early Bird

          Motherless Father

            Your favourite DJ’s favourite DJ presents his 10-track album; "This record feels like the starting point of a new era, which I’m sure a lot of people can relate to what I mean; the tracks I recorded, the ones I’m singing over and the guests i invited have been my way to deal with the pandemic, the motherless child that I am and the father that I am. I call this record a deep pre-club record, one that will give you the energy to go out there and party but with a feeling of letting go of everything."

            TRACK LISTING

            A1 Diane Charlemagne (feat. Iman Houssein)
            A2 Love Supreme (Part 1 And 2) [feat. Aint About Me]
            A3 The Elegance Of A Dancing Body
            A4 The Birth Of A New You (feat Pierre Spataro)
            A5 Electric (feat. Aint About Me)
            B1 I Sing To Find Peace Of Mind (feat. Simbad)
            B2 Live In Darkness And Wait For Brighter Days
            B3 I Feel The Pain But Can't Describe It (feat. Aint About Me)
            B4 One Day You Smile, One Day You Cry (feat. Pierre Spataro)
            B5 The Soundtrack To A Beautiful Sunset On Your Way Home

            Yussef Dayes Experience

            Live From Malibu

              Multi-instrumentalist, producer, and composer Yussef Dayes releases The Yussef Dayes Experience (Live from Malibu), featuring music from his critically acclaimed debut solo album, Black Classical Music. Dayes is joined by his longtime collaborators Rocco Palladino, Venna, Elijah Fox, and Alexander Bourt on the new release, which was originally shared as a live-performance video filmed in the Malibu mountains last year and is available on YouTube.

              TRACK LISTING

              A1. Istanbul
              A2. Tioga Pass
              A3. Tidal Wave
              A4. Portrait Of Tracy

              B1. Black Classical Music
              B2. Malibu
              B3. Mountain Steppa
              B4. The Colour Purple

              Various Artists

              Future Bubblers 7.0

                Brownswood Recordings releases the 7th edition of their Future Bubblers Compilation. An expansion of Gilles Peterson's network supported by Arts Council England, the ongoing talent discovery and artist development scheme focuses on developing unsigned talent and building audiences for new left-field music. With support from PRS Foundation as Talent Development Partners, the professional recording, manufacturing and physical release of Future Bubblers 7.0 is made possible. Unlike any other initiatives within music, the compilation acts as a springboard for the musician's careers, with the cooperative model providing direct revenue to the artists by a share of the profits, resulting in a sustainable income to work from. Previous Future Bubblers include artists such as Yazmin Lacey, KinKai, MC Snowy, Forest Law, Victoria Jane, NeOne The Wonderer and Kayla Painter, to name a few.

                The 8-track compilation is a musically diverse collection of tracks, fusing genres across Alt-R&B, Dance, Electronic, Jazz, Rap and Trip-Hop. Opening the project, ROMY NOVA flaunts her hypnotic harmonies on a tender offering, 'The Way', whilst Sheffield-born Jackie Moonbather delivers a Funk performance on 'Separate Ways'. Up next, Ney Liqa's 'Blomster' captures a blend of Trip-Hop and Swedish-Pop, fusing her earliest musical influences before Birmingham's very own Landel's cloud-Rap excellence on '2 Many'. Maintaining the ethereal sonic, Petrelli Purple's 'Brisk' is reflective of his ability to curate a "miscellaneous north" sound, followed by MARYSIA OSU's 'Stryder' that highlights her self-coined "harps, beats, and dreams" ethos. Michael Diamond showcases his ability to float between jazz and electronic landscapes on 'Aether' before COEX rounds off the project nicely with 'Reflections'.


                TRACK LISTING

                1. Romy Nova – The Way
                2. Jackie Moonbather – Separate Ways
                3. Ney Liqa – Blomster
                4. LANDEL – 2 Many
                5. Pertrelli Purple – Brisk
                6. Marysia Osu – Stryder
                7. Michael Diamond – Aether
                8. Coex – Reflections

                Yussef Dayes

                Black Classical Music

                  ‘Black Classical Music’ is a 19-track record taking listeners through a looking glass into the exalted artist’s past and present whilst exploring themes of home and family. The album draws influence from his musical heroes Miles Davis & Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Yussef’s extensive travel around the globe that has deepened his study of rhythm.

                  Honourable features on “Black Classical Music” - Chronixx, Jamilah Barry, Tom Misch, Shabaka Hutchings, Miles James, Sheila Maurice Grey, Nathaniel Cross, Theon Cross and the Chineke! Orchestra, plus Venna, Rocco Palladino, Charlie Stacey & Elijah Fox

                  STAFF COMMENTS

                  Barry says: Oooof, this is an absolute wealth of rich groove and the seamless pulling together of myriad influences from drummer and renowned London jazzer, Yussef Dayes. Filled with collaborative talent, 'Black Classical Music' manages to draw from a wealth of sound worlds without breaking step. Afrobeat, soul funk and jazz fans take note.

                  TRACK LISTING

                  A1. Black Classical Music Ft. Venna & Charlie Stacey
                  A2. Afro Cubanism
                  A3. Raisins Under The Sun Ft. Shabaka Hutchings
                  A4. Rust Ft. Tom Misch
                  A5. Turquoise Galaxy

                  B1. The Light Ft. Bahia Dayes
                  B2. Pon Di Plaza Ft. Chronixx
                  B3. Magnolia Symphony
                  B4. Early Dayes
                  B5. Chasing The Drum

                  C1. Birds Of Paradise
                  C2. Gelato
                  C3. Marching Band Ft. Masego
                  C4. Crystal Palace Park Ft. Elijah Fox
                  C5. Presidential Ft. Jahaan Sweet

                  D1. Jukebox
                  D2. Woman's Touch Ft. Jamilah Barry
                  D3. Tioga Pass Ft. Rocco Palladino
                  D4. Cowrie Charms Ft. Leon Thomas & Barbara Hicks 

                  IzangoMa

                  Ngo Ma

                    The fifteen-piece kaleidoscopic ensemble IzangoMa might only be releasing its debut offering, but the collective’s roots stretch back to the meeting of Sibusile Xaba (vox/keys) and Ashley Kgabo (synths/snare drum/drum machine) in 2016. The album is the logical next step in a journey. Sibusile Xaba reveals a side to his virtuosic talent at cardinal opposites with the familiar folk sound the largesse knew him for. Kings rejoice in laughter on album opener “Agenda Re-member”, while the music cascades carefree over frequencies expressing joy and positive living. In this world, IzangoMa’s world, the moon sings sweet melodies and the children rejoice in laughter. Worries are but a distraction, and joy is the ultimate quest. It’s a declaration of love in its highest, lucid, uninhibited form.

                    The ensemble is a Southern African link-up of Mozambican and South African musicians. Sibusile tells it best: “I had this idea of working with my students from Mozambique. When I first met them [during exchange workshops], they were young men. We’d return every year to find these great human beings growing into these phenomenal musicians. We felt like it would be nice to incorporate them into this thing that we were doing.”

                    IzangoMa are Cosmic sgubhu with the alchemic powers of Sun Ra mixed with township styles ranging from pantsula to bubblegum, wrapped up and delivered in layers of spiritual chants, healing harmonies, and all manner of electro-analogue sonics transmitted in a big band-style ultrasound exploring themes of Creation as seen through the all-knowing feminine energy that transcends time and space, standing assured in its position as the cornerstone of their foundation. This is rhythm music; it spills into crevices ever-evolving, and revolts against a revolution yet to be finalised.

                    TRACK LISTING

                    A1. Agenda Remember
                    A2. Birds (Of A Feather)
                    A3. City Lights
                    B1. Le Nna Mfana
                    B2. Mgung U Ndlovu
                    C1. Ngo Ma
                    C2. Out Of The World
                    C3. Phew
                    D1. Q & A
                    D2. Tribute To Johnny Dyani
                    D3. Wathint' Imbokodo

                    Secret Night Gang

                    Belongs On A Place Called Earth

                      Manchester jazz-funkers, Secret Night Gang return with their sophomore album “Belongs on a Place Called Earth”, via Brownswood Recordings. “Belongs on a Place Called Earth” is a record birthed from the emotional rollercoaster the world collectively faced over the past few years, as a result of the pandemic. A time which cultivated self-reflection and profound life questions leading to an evolution for the Manchester natives. This new record is undeniably a fresh & bold new sound, with the leading purpose of permeating hope & light through their music. In continued strength to strength, Secret Night Gang are carving their own lane across the British jazz & street soul scene and this upcoming album, is set to take them to new heights.

                      STAFF COMMENTS

                      Barry says: Following on from a very well received couple of releases for Brownswood, the soulful funk powerhouse that is SNG returns for 'Belongs On A Place Called Earth'. Soaring funky instrumentals, perfectly played and full of vigour, simmer beneath the silken vocals and perfect layered harmonies. Rich, sumptuous and perfect for the summer.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      1. Respect Me
                      2. Dkw Tomorrow Brings
                      3. One & Only
                      4. Never Ever
                      5. Find A Way
                      6. Do For You
                      7. Outta Ma Head
                      8. Ev'ry Nation
                      9. Things Will Work Out 

                      Max Roach

                      Members, Don't Git Weary - 2023 Reissue

                        This Arc Records reissue of Members, Don’t Git Weary is mastered in Mono from the original analogue master tapes by the multi-Grammy winning Bernie Grundman (Steely Dan, Michael Jackson, Prince, Dr Dre), pressed on 180g vinyl and features a full-colour 4-page insert with brand new sleeve-notes featuring Charles Tolliver and Gary Bartz as well as never before published images of Max Roach from 1968 from the Warners Archive. The entire release is presented with the original artwork printed on heavy-weight card with a matte finish and wrapped in the signature Arc Records bellyband.

                        TRACK LISTING

                        1. Abstrutions
                        2. Libra
                        3. Effi
                        4. Equiposie
                        5. Members Don’t Git Weary
                        6. Absolutions 

                        Bokani Dyer

                        Radio Sechaba

                          Already a multi award-winning and established artist with a growing global reputation, South African artist Bokani Dyer presents his newest record ‘Radio Secheba’. The album continues his creative journey of making rich and immersive music which places him amongst the new wave of South African jazz artists, including the likes of Siya Makuzeni and Nduduzo Makhathini.

                          ‘Radio Sechaba’ provides an intimate view into South Africa’s multifaceted people - and an opportunity for global connection through music. The meaning behind ‘Sechaba’ in the album title is nation. The record hones into the related topics of nation-building and unity and this is no ordinary topic for Dyer, who was born into a Botswanan community in exile from apartheid. The title of this thought-provoking album echoes that of “Radio Freedom” - the voice in exile of the African National Congress.

                          Dyer’s career highlights include acclaim as a solo artist (including being named the Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner for Jazz in 2011) and with his trio (the Bokani Dyer trio’s Neo Native won the South African Music Award for Best Jazz Album in 2019). Bokani features on the opening track of the critically acclaimed Johannesburg scene jazz compilation, ‘Indaba Is’ - released in early 2021.

                          TRACK LISTING

                          1. Be Where You Are
                          2. Mogaetsho
                          3. Move On
                          4. State Of The Nation
                          5. Tiya Mowa
                          6. Ke Nako
                          7. Picturesque
                          8. Spirit People
                          9. Victims Of Circumstance
                          10. Amogelang
                          11. Ho Tla Loka
                          12. Resonance Of Truth
                          13. You Are Home
                          14. Medu

                          Tom Skinner

                          Voice Of Bishara

                            Drummer and producer Tom Skinner (The Smile, Sons of Kemet) announces this lean and beautiful album, in which he edited a starry recording session into a sonorous, tuff and beguiling new shape.

                            The title of Tom Skinner’s first release under his own name is a reference to cellist Abdul Wadud’s ultra-rare 1978 solo album ‘By Myself’, which Skinner listened to repeatedly during lockdown. Wadud’s album was privately pressed on his own label, Bisharra, and whilst Skinner’s title uses the more conventional spelling of this common Arabic name, they both have the same intention or meaning: it translates as ‘good news’, or ‘the bringer of good news’.

                            This is a classic-sounding record that connects backwards to Skinner’s 2017 Hello Skinny collaboration with American composer and Arthur Russell-collaborator Peter Zummo on ‘Watermelon Sun’. It links sideways to Makaya McCraven’s beat maker-inspired treatments of jazz sessions, and it offers a musical bridge to Sons of Kemet’s most meditative moments.


                            TRACK LISTING

                            1. Bishara
                            2. Red 2
                            3. The Journey
                            4. The Day After Tomorrow
                            5. Voices (of The Past)
                            6. Quiet As It's Kept

                            Kokoroko

                            Could We Be More

                              Following the huge success of 2018’s Kokoroko EP and the sensational Abusey Junction (100M streams and counting), Could We Be More is an expansive and ambitious debut album that speaks to the force of Kokoroko.

                              Each song possesses the power to evoke memories and harness the feeling of home through music: from the psychedelic, funk-laden previous single ‘Something’s Going On’ to the congregational energy of today’s track ‘We Give Thanks’, ‘Could We Be More’ fuses together the African- London synergy which so naturally underpins the heat of Kokoroko’s identity.

                              Winners of a slew of awards in the UK, Kokoroko specialise in soul shaking, horn fuelled sounds with West African roots and Inner London hues. Having played many EU Festivals including Glastonbury, Meltdown Festival, Elbjazz, & Jazz a la Villette, they are are looking forward to extending their reach further around the globe in 2022 and beyond. The band have performed on several BBC TV shows and their two Boiler Room sets have racked up almost half a million plays between them.

                              “Drawing influence from West African highlife and jazz, wellmarinated in enough polyrhythm seasoning to induce fires on the dance floors they play.” Okay Africa

                              “Afrobeat, jazz, soul and ’70s psych-leaning funk - luminescent” Cool Hunting

                              “This female-led, multicultural collective of under 30s is a vital example of not only jazz’s new form but the shape of things to come.” The Guardian

                              TRACK LISTING

                              A1. Tojo
                              A2. Blue Robe (pt.i)
                              A3. Ewà Inú
                              A4. Age Of Ascent
                              A5. Dide O
                              A6. Soul Searching
                              B1. We Give Thanks
                              B2. Those Good Times
                              B3. Reprise
                              B4. War Dance
                              B5. Interlude
                              B6. Home
                              B7. Something's Going On
                              B8. Outro
                              B9. Blue Robe (pt.ii)

                              DoomCannon

                              Renaissance

                                DoomCannon presents a meticulously crafted debut album ‘Renaissance’ available on a 12” LP vinyl, CD and digital formats on 15th July 2022. Journeying through an awakening and reimagining of the young Black British experience. Sequentially moving through a rich breadth of soundscapes, ‘Renaissance’ signifies the birth of a new era in DoomCannon’s trajectory. Inspired by an accumulation of experiences over the past four years and defined by significant events like the global pandemic to the worldwide outcry of the Black Lives Matter movement in the summer of 2020.

                                DoomCannon spearheaded a plethora of forward-thinking, improvised Jazz-inspired outfits (Project Karnak, Triforce) and is the Musical Director of award-winning vocalist, Celeste, performing live at the Brit Awards and Later with Jools Holland. He presented his solo project at Abbey Road Studios & was selected via Jazz Re:freshed as part of the SXSW/British Council collaboration. Invited to curate sessions at the legendary Ronnie Scotts, DoomCannon is set to hit numerous stages, including his debut headline show at Peckham Audio, the Worldwide Awards, World Island Festival & We Out Here this Spring/Summer. 

                                TRACK LISTING

                                LP
                                A1. Dark Ages
                                A2. Entrance To The Unknown
                                A3. Uncovering Truth
                                A4. This Too
                                B1. Amalgamation
                                B2. Times (Feat. Lex Amor)
                                B3. Black Liberation Prologue
                                B4. Black Liberation

                                CD
                                1. Dark Ages
                                2. Entrance To The Unknown
                                3. Uncovering Truth
                                4. Thesis (Not On LP)
                                5. Amalgamation
                                6. This Too
                                7.Times (Feat. Lex Amor)
                                8. Black Liberation Prologue
                                9. Black Liberation 

                                Secret Night Gang

                                Secret Night Gang

                                Handpicked by Gilles Peterson from Manchester’s vibrant live music community, and newly signed to Brownswood, 2021 is set to be the main stage for them to breeze on to the scene. Founded by singer/song-writer Kemani Anderson, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Callum Connell and Manchester music scene stalwart, Stuart Whitehead they were encouraged by their music teacher, Tom Burford, (aka Rhythm Section’s Contours) to start attending jam nights like ‘Jam Street’ and ‘Matt and Phreds’. Later, the band expanded to include veteran drummer and guitarist Myke Wilson and Jack Duckham; coming together to carve out their own lane, a real celebration of exceptional songwriting and musicianship. A multi-generational band breathing new life into the classic British street-soul sound.

                                “Incredibly complete music, tight arrangements and with far reaching musical ambition” Gilles Peterson

                                “Secret Night Gang’s burst of positive musical and life energy is a cathartic antidote to the troubles of the last year.” Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy

                                STAFF COMMENTS

                                Millie says: Manchester's' own, Secret Night Gang are hot off the press with this upbeat offering to the jazz world and we can't get enough of it!

                                TRACK LISTING

                                1. Lonely
                                2. Fall In Love
                                3. Beautiful Day
                                4. The Sun
                                5. You Are My Love
                                6. Journey
                                7. Wanna Be With You
                                8. Live Your Life
                                9. Captured

                                Str4ta

                                The Invicta Mixtape (Mixed By Gilles Peterson & Sam Bhok)

                                  Brownswood Recordings are proud to present an extension of the ever-evolving world of STR4TA, the brainchild of long time friends and collaborators Gilles Peterson and JeanPaul “Bluey” Maunick. ‘The Invicta Mixtape’ is a limited edition cassette format mixed by Gilles Peterson & Sam Bhok (Worldwide FM/Stay Put). Available on pre-order from November 1st, released on December 3rd 2021 with only 200 available worldwide. ‘The Invicta Mixtape’ features an array of illustrious producers and polymaths unleashing their unique interpretations of STR4TA’s standout tracks.

                                  With a percussive stripped-back rework of ‘Dance Desire’ by Steve Conry & Takashi Nakazato; a funk-laced ‘Rhythm In Your Mind’ by Ashley Beadle plus Glasgow’s Nuovi Fratelli add a cosmic disco flare in the mix. Dave Lee’s rework of ‘After The Rain’. ‘Vision 9’ is reconceived by Melé’s rhythmic inventiveness & Delfonic’s virtuoso. Also iconic reworks by technopioneer Dave Aju, the spellbinding Demus Dub & DJ veteran Greg Wilson. The mixtape honours the importance of Radio Invicta, London’s very first soul station running from the late-60s to mid-80s. The B-side contains the complete STR4TA album.

                                  TRACK LISTING

                                  Side A

                                  A1. Dance Desire (Steve Conry & Takashi Nakazato Remix)
                                  A2. Rhythm In Your Mind (North Street West Space Funk Rework #1)
                                  A3. Rhythm In Your Mind (Steve Conry & Takashi Nakazato Remix)
                                  A4. Rhythm In Your Mind (Nuovi Fratelli Cosmic Disco Remix)
                                  A5. After The Rain (Dave Lee Alternative II Dub)
                                  A6. After The Rain (Dave Lee Alternative II Mix)
                                  A7. Vision 9 (Delfonic Mix)
                                  A8. Vision 9 (Melé Mix)
                                  A9. Vision 9 (Melé Dub)
                                  A10. Dance Desire (Dave Aju Remix)
                                  A11. Aspects (Demus Dub)
                                  A12. Aspects (Greg Wilson Mix)
                                  A13. Aspects (Demus Dub)

                                  Side B

                                  B1. Aspects
                                  B2. Rhythm In Your Mind
                                  B3. Dance Desire
                                  B4. We Like It
                                  B5. Steppers Crusade
                                  B6. After The Rain
                                  B7. Kinshasa FC
                                  B8. Vision 9

                                  Kokoroko

                                  Baba Ayoola / Carry Me Home

                                  Kokoroko return with this exclusive double A side vinyl of 'Baba Ayoola' and 'Carry Me Home' released via Brownswood Recordings. Both singles achieved huge support upon digital release by BBC Radio, BBC 6 Music, 1Xtra, Afropunk, Clash, Rolling Stone France & NPR.

                                  'Baba Ayoola' was written as a tribute to the grandfather of the band's alto saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi and is 'an invitation to celebrate life'. Whilst 'Carry Me Home' was inspired by conversations with the masterful Dele Sosimi, whose technical ability in bridging the gap between the West African afrobeat sound of his roots, and the London energy of his upbringing, has directly informed the ever-impressive capabilities demonstrated by London's eight-piece collective, Kokoroko. Lively, and capturing that colourful hustle n bustle of the capitol; it’s a great double A-side to propel this band forward. Looking forward to a Manchester appearance soon guys!

                                  TRACK LISTING

                                  A1. Baba Ayoola
                                  AA1. Carry Me Home

                                  Gilles Peterson has partnered with Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick to reinvigorate the loose, protean energy of the early-80s Brit-funk scene. STR4TA sees them mine new musical possibilities outof that shared formative era. On “Aspects”, they revisit that important period and the spirit that guided it: self-taught, DIY vitality, and a raucous energy built on live performance. Bringing a fresh slant to a sound first developed by groups like Atmosfear, Hi-Tension, Light of the World and Freeez – with Maunick, it should be noted, also a member of the latter two bands – it’s the first material that Maunick and Peterson have released together in over a decade.

                                  It’s an idea that had been in the works for a while, but which was encouraged by a surprising catalyst: the award acceptance speech by Tyler, the Creator at the 2020 Brit Awards, where he shouted out the influence of “British funk from the 80s”. It was an acknowledgement of the particular sound that Maunick and his peers had honed, where their US influences were reoriented through their own circumstances. “Like everybody else who plays music, we tried to emulate our heroes,” Maunick says. “But we didn’t have the tools, we hadn’t studied music: were all playing by ear, and we were coming off bits and pieces that we liked off certain records.” This record is guided by the same ethos. An array of musical touchpoints have fed into the album’s direct, no-frills entries: each track’s parts are cut back to the bare bone. In writing and recording the album, the pair of them would work together to strike upon the point of departure – more naive, less considered – that had produced that killer Brit-funk sound. Peterson would dig out records that showed particular flashes or moods as jumping off points, and Maunick would then work with collaborators to build new directions out of those prompts or suggestions.

                                  It’s the latest chapter in a story that started with Peterson interviewing Maunick in his parents’ garden shed, the first interview that the former had ever conducted. Later, they would reconnect to put out a string of celebrated Incognito albums on Peterson’s pioneering, now-defunct Talkin’ Loud imprint. Now, linking up once more, they unpick an under-appreciated flashpoint in a vital musical lineage, one which each of them has been instrumental in shaping.

                                  TRACK LISTING

                                  1. Aspects
                                  2. Rhythm In Your Mind
                                  3. Dance Desire
                                  4. We Like It
                                  5. Steppers Crusade
                                  6. After The Rain
                                  7. Give In To What Is Real
                                  8. Kinshasa FC
                                  9. Vision 9

                                  Fabled as the city where dreams come to thrive or die, Johannesburg is forever pumping out the life-giving force of criss-crossing sonic tributaries. As this collection of specially recorded new music shows, every generation must discover for itself what perfecting the alchemy of that expression entails. Indaba Is - produced and managed by pianist Thandi Ntuli and The Brother Moves On bandleader Siyabonga Mthembu, tackles that inquiry with refreshing insight.

                                  The act of gathering to record in a time of isolation becomes one of anchoring and care, creating an energy field and capturing a living culture of making music. It is one in which bands exist to birth musical concepts as opposed to being static monoliths. Mostly recorded at Dyertribe Studio in Centurion, outside of Johannesburg, Indaba Is propels a collective of South African bands into the precipice of a new frontier. Jazz becomes a departure point as opposed to a tether.

                                  “The magic was in the choosing of artists who kind of straddle different genres, different ideas and sounds,” says Ntuli. “We put together musicians who are not in that kind of straight-ahead place, even though some may have been in the jazz tradition or jazz-influenced styles of music.” The collection features eight tracks, attributed to Bokani Dyer, Lwanda Gogwana, The Brother Moves On, Thandi Ntuli, The Wretched, Sibusile Xaba and Iphupho likaBiko. Think of the names as thresholds through which ideas cross into the populace as opposed to being signifiers of strict ownership. For one, there is no mistaking the almost spectral presence of both Ntuli and Mthembu in and around the music. “Between me and Thandi, we pick up on the producer duties for four of the tracks,” says Mthembu. “Some of the bands came with already preconceived ideas of what they wanted to do and needed just facilitation on getting it done.” Overall, the pair also provided enabling briefs which harnessed the collective energy of scenes often seen as operating centrifugally to Johannesburg’s all-consuming pull, or a little further down in its tiers of visibility. There are several examples where this approach yields astounding results.

                                  Indigenous knowledge is perhaps at the root of it, and a reverence for its treasures is instant, but there is an overall sense that Indaba Is asks us to consider the heavy lifting that remains.

                                  Johannesburg, a city without a landmark water source, built on excavating the energy of its living dead, has never sounded so world-weary, and yet so ready to emerge out of the hold. With its unity of purpose, Indaba Is represents the crucible, untenable to the touch yet warm to the soul.

                                  TRACK LISTING

                                  LP
                                  A1. Bokani Dyer - Ke Nako
                                  A2. The Brother Moves On - Umthandazo Wamagenge
                                  B1. Lwanda Gogwana - All Ok
                                  B2. The Wretched - What Is History
                                  C1. Sibusile Xaba With Naftali, Fakazile Nkosi, & AshK - Umdali
                                  C2. The Ancestors - Prelude To Writing Together
                                  D1. Thandi Ntuli - Dikeledi
                                  D2. IPhupho L’ka Biko Ft Siyabonga Mthembu & Kinsmen - Abaphezulu

                                  CD
                                  1. Bokani Dyer - Ke Nako
                                  2. The Brother Moves On - Umthandazo Wamagenge
                                  3. Lwanda Gogwana - All Ok
                                  4. The Wretched - What Is History
                                  5. Sibusile Xaba With Naftali, Fakazile Nkosi, & AshK - Umdali
                                  6. The Ancestors - Prelude To Writing Together
                                  7. Thandi Ntuli - Dikeledi
                                  8. IPhupho L’ka Biko Ft Siyabonga Mthembu & Kinsmen - Abaphezulu

                                  A heavy new compilation from Brownswood shines a light on the independent underground in Melbourne, where a close-knit collection of artists have taken cues from soul, jazz and club culture to carve out a fresh Melbournian sound. Featuring nine different groups, many of them sharing members and studios, the record surveys the musical contours of this bubbling scene, nodding to house, broken beat, samba, p-funk and soul.

                                  Recorded over a week at The Grove, a fabled house-cum-studio in the North Melbourne suburb of Coburg, it’s home to the record’s engineer, Nick Herrera, and two members of Hiatus Kaiyote, the city’s breakout gangster-soul dons with whom many of the record’s personnel have collaborated. Silentjay was musical director, the Rhythm Section-affiliated multi-instrumentalist and producer (who’s played with Joey Bada$$ and Flying Lotus) marshalling together the album’s different players, many of them part of influential collectives 30/70 and Mandarin Dreams.

                                  Nurtured in the city’s collaborative, close-knit confines, the scene has been bubbling up under the radar of Australian music institutions, in the garages and makeshift studios of Melbourne’s suburban sprawl. Sunny Side Up is a colourful portrait of the scene’s potential, exploring the story behind this flourishing period and shining light on some of its most compelling figures.

                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                  Millie says: Brownswood shifts its focus to creative collectives from Melbourne in Sunny Side Up, filled to the brim with Afro-beat, jazzy goodness and samba. From Allysha Joy to SilentJay, this compilation provides the relaxing chilled tones which make you want to sail away on an idyllic coastline.

                                  TRACK LISTING

                                  1. Phil Stroud - Banksia
                                  2. Dufresne - Pick Up / Galaxy
                                  3. Kuzich - There Is No Time
                                  4. Audrey Powne - Bleeding Hearts
                                  5. Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange - Powers 2 (The People)
                                  6. Laneous - Nice To See You
                                  7. Silentjay - Eternal / Internal Peace
                                  8. Horatio Luna -The Wake-Up
                                  9. Allysha Joy - Orbit

                                  Bridging distinct but closely connected music scenes can open new possibilities. On ‘No More Normal’, Swindle confidently grasps the different sides to the UK music scene. Boasting roots in the boundary-pushing world of Grime & Dubstep, this album marks the next step in the London-raised producer’s expanded vision for his music. It fuses different disciplines together in new and electrifying ways. He connects a group of peers sharing creative common ground, one that centres around the fertile space between UK Jazz, Grime and Hip Hop. The results span from lush, strings-laden soul to voicebox-heavy p-funk – often in the course of one song. “It’s a class photo of 2018,” he says. “I need everyone in this picture.” It incorporates an all-star cast of MC’s in Kojey Radical, Ghetts, D Double E and P Money, to instrumentalists Yussef Dayes, Nubya Garcia, Riot Jazz, and singers such as Etta Bond, Eva Lazarus, Daley and Kiko Bun.

                                  The album was built over a three year period. The opening track “‘What We Do’ became the track that set the scene for each studio session, a way of Swindle explaining what he was setting out to achieve. Featuring an (on paper) unusual combination of R&B singer Daley, Grime legends P Money & D Double E, and an opening speech from Bristol-based spoken word artist, Rider Shafique - “It describes the narrative of the record overall and helped set the agenda for what followed - I made a lot of tracks that were really good that at the end of the day didn’t fit this project”. The resulting work has a pervading sense of triumph against the odds, and a celebration of togetherness at this moment of fragmentation that manages to feel both optimistic and nostalgic. A record that could have only been made in today’s multicultural Britain. “No More Normal is the idea of us doing our thing, our way, with no rules or limitations. It is jazz influenced as much as it is grime influenced. It’s London influenced as much as it is LA influenced. I can work with D Double E and Nubya Garcia, these records are my imagination brought to life in musical form”.



                                  STAFF COMMENTS

                                  Millie says: High energy Hip Hop at its finest, Swindle’s album No More Normal varies from Jazz to Hip Hop, Grime to R&B and just a bit of everything in-between. My personal favourites are ‘Knowledge’ and ‘Grateful’, articulate lyrics and boss beats create this confident and collaborative album.

                                  TRACK LISTING

                                  A1. What We Do (Feat. Rider ShafIque, P Money, D Double E + Daley)
                                  A2. Get Paid
                                  A3. Drill Work (Feat. Ghetts)
                                  A4. Run Up (Feat. Kiko Bun, Knucks, Eva Lazarus + Nubya Garcia)
                                  A5. Coming Home (Feat. Kojey Radical)
                                  A6. Reach The Stars (Feat. Andrew Ashong)
                                  B1. Knowledge (Feat. Eva Lazarus + Kiko Bun)
                                  B2. Take It Back (Feat. D Double E + Kiko Bun)
                                  B3. California (Feat. Etta Bond + Kojey Radical)
                                  B4. Talk A Lot (Feat. Eva Lazarus + Mansur Brown)
                                  B5. Grateful (Feat. Kojey Radical + Rider ShafIque)

                                  Toshio Matsuura Group

                                  Loveplaydance - 8 Scenes From The Floor

                                    On ‘LOVEPLAYDANCE’, legendary Tokyo DJ and producer Toshio Matsuura charts a new direction. Casting musical cornerstones in a fresh light, the Toshio Matsuura Group features Tom Skinner (drummer for Sons of Kemet and Owiny Sigoma Band amongst others) as its musical director, as well as some of the UK’s most exciting jazz-influenced musicians. Drawing on years of surveying and curating different corners of music, Matsuura deftly combines this talented pool of players into one singular, wide-ranging album.

                                    A co-founder of Japan’s United Future Organisation (aka U.F.O.), this new record sees Matsuura reconnect with longstanding friend and collaborator Gilles Peterson. Releasing the album via Brownswood Recordings in the UK, it’s a continuation of a relationship which started as a bridge between London’s then-blossoming jazz scene and Tokyo’s new musical vanguard of the early ‘90s. This album continues that two-way dialogue between Japan and the UK.

                                    The project is focused on covers, putting classic or influential tracks in a new context, spanning a cross-section of Matsuura’s taste. On ‘Black Gold of the Sun’, Cuban vocalist Daymé Arocena fronts a new take on the Rotary Connection classic, along with a band – guided by Tom Skinner – that features her prodigious Havana-based players. Elsewhere, Byron Morris and Unity’s ‘Kitty Bey’, a Dingwalls classic, is knocked into a tight, high energy new shape (by a band that includes Yussef Dayes, Yazz Ahmed and Nubya Garcia.)

                                    The scope of the music reflects the breadth of Matsuura’s interests. It ranges from Bugges Wesseltoft’s Detroit-influenced, dancefloor-minded jazz, stretched out into a more meditative contemplation, to Flying Lotus’ LA-rooted, Brainfeeder beatmaking, translated from laptop-to-live, given a new, equally idiosyncratic lease of life. Elsewhere, Carl Craig’s iconic ‘At Les’ is taken in a looser direction, the overtones of euphoria cast in a different hue.

                                    They’re touchpoints which hint at interests in the different, diffuse corners of electronic music, and how they connect to jazz and improvisation. Coming to this project from the perspective of a DJ, producer and curator, it’s an album that shows his grasp of the bigger picture. This album shows him finding the threads which connect those different scenes together, exploring a to-and-fro – between live, played instruments, and the possibilities found in laptops and samplers – which has long been a backdrop to music aimed at dancefloors.

                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                    Millie says: Brownswood yet again producing the best jazz around, the twist of classic jazz presented in a contemporary way is fab! A favourite of mine has to be the Flying Lotus cover Do The Astral Plane!

                                    TRACK LISTING

                                    1. Change
                                    2. High Noon
                                    3. L.M. II (Full Length)
                                    4. I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun
                                    5. Kitty Bey
                                    6. Brown Paper Bag
                                    7. Do The Astral Plane

                                    A primer on London’s bright-burning young jazz scene, this new compilation brings together a collection of some of its sharpest talents. A set of nine newly-recorded tracks, We Out Here captures a moment where genre markers matter less than raw, focused energy. Looking at the album’s running order, it could easily serve as a name-checking exercise for some of London’s most-tipped and hardworking bands of the past couple of years. Recorded across three long, fruitful days in a North West London studio, the crossover between each of the groups speaks to the close-knit circles which make up the scene.

                                    Surveying the way that London’s jazz-influenced music had spread outside of its usual spaces in recent years, this album bottles up some of the vital ideas emanating from that burgeoning movement. Giving a platform to a scene where mutual cooperation and a DIY spirit are second-nature, it’s a window into the wide-eyed future of London’s musical underground.

                                    Ubiquitous, much-lauded saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings is the project’s musical director. His own recent projects span from South Africa-connected, spiritually-minded jazz players Shabaka and the Ancestors to Sons of Kemet, who match diasporically-connected compositions with viscerally-direct live shows. His entry on the album, ‘Black Skin, Black Masks’, is typically difficult-to-define: with an off-kilter, shifting rhythmic backbone, repeated phrases – mirrored between clarinet and bass clarinet – shape the track with an alluring hue. His input ties together a deft, genre-agnostic sensibility that’s shared through all the players on the record.

                                    Theon Cross – who’s also part of Sons of Kemet with Hutchings – starts his track, ‘Brockley’, with the solo, distinctive low rumble of his tuba. Winding and mesmeric, it sees tuba and sax lines winding together in rhythmic and melodic parallels. Ezra Collective – whose drummer and bandleader Femi Koleoso has toured with Pharaohe Monch – run a tight, Afrobeat-tipped rhythm on ‘Pure Shade’, with the final third changing gear into a melodic, momentous closing stretch.

                                    Joe Armon-Jones, whose ludicrous chops on the piano have seen him touring with the likes of Ata Kak, showcases earworm-like, insistent motifs on ‘Go See’, balanced with a playful, improvisatory approach with room for ad-libbing and solos a-plenty. Taking a softer tact than many of the other entries, Kokoroko – whose guitarist Oscar Jerome has been making waves with his solo material – spin a lyrical, steady-paced meditation on ‘Abusey Junction’, matching chanted vocals with gently-played guitar.

                                    Nodding to spiritual jazz influences, Maisha’s ‘Inside The Acorn’ is a wandering, explorative rumination, balancing delicate washes of piano and percussion with sharp interplay between flute and bass clarinet. In contrast, Nubya Garcia’s ‘Once’ is taut and carefully-poised, her tenor sax guiding a carefully-built energy to an explosive conclusion. And finally, Triforce’s ‘Walls’ is a performance in two parts: starting with Mansur Brown’s languorous, lyrical guitar, the second half switches up to a low-slung, g-funk-tipped groove.

                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                    Millie says: The trusty Brownswood label at the rescue again to point out all the new music you should be listening too, We Out Here is a collection of London’s blooming and ever-growing young musicians Jazz scene. This captures the vibe and hub around upcoming Jazz, elements of traditional raw Jazz elements matched with swooning percussion. The contemporary style reaches back into its essential past and is shone in a new era of up and coming artists.

                                    TRACK LISTING

                                    LP
                                    A.1 Maisha - Inside The Acorn
                                    A.2 Ezra Collective - Pure Shade
                                    B.1 Moses Boyd - The Balance
                                    B.2 Theon Cross - Brockley
                                    C1. Nubya Garcia - Once
                                    C2. Shabaka Hutchings - Black Skin, Black Masks
                                    C3. Triforce - Walls
                                    D1. Joe Armon-Jones - Go See
                                    D2. Kokoroko - Abusey Junction

                                    CD
                                    1. Maisha - Inside The Acorn
                                    2. Ezra Collective - Pure Shade
                                    3. Moses Boyd - The Balance
                                    4. Theon Cross - Brockley
                                    5. Nubya Garcia - Once
                                    6. Shabaka Hutchings - Black Skin, Black Masks
                                    7. Triforce - Walls
                                    8. Joe Armon-Jones - Go See
                                    9. Kokoroko - Abusey Junction

                                    The borders between London’s musical tribes have always been porous. For Yussef Kamaal, the sound of the capital – with its hum of jungle, grime and broken beat – has shaped a selftaught, UKtipped approach to playing jazz. In the states, the genre’s longrunning to-and-fro with hip hop – from Robert Glasper to Kamasi Washington – has reimagined it within US culture. On Black Focus, Yussef Kamaal frame jazz inside the basssaturated, pirate radio broadcasts of London.

                                    Taking inspiration from the anything-goes spirit of ‘70s jazzfunk, on albums by Herbie Hancock or the Mahavishnu Orchestra, it’s a loose template with plenty of room to experiment. The pair, made up of Yussef Dayes and Kamaal Williams (aka Henry Wu), have had little in the way of formal training. Instead, their musical tastes – and approach to playing – are indebted to Thelonious Monk’s piano as much as the drum programming of Kaidi Tatham.

                                    “It's all about the drums and the keys,” Williams says. “Not to take anything from anyone else, but that's where it all originates from: the chords, the rhythm of the chords and the drums.” Born out of a oneoff live session to perform Williams’ solo material for Boiler Room, it soon became a project in its own right. Coming together as Yussef Kamaal, they played a series of live shows where little more than a chord progression would be planned before taking to the
                                    stage.

                                    Bringing that unspoken understanding to the recording sessions (engineered by Malcolm Catto of The Heliocentrics), the unplanned, telepathically spawned grooves retain the raw energy of their live shows. “It's not so much about complete arrangement, it's more about flow,” Dayes says. “A lot of the tracks are just made spontaneously – Henry will be playing two chords, I'll fill in the groove and we'll just leave the arrangement naturally.” Both hail from South East London, crossing paths in 2007 as teenagers playing their first pub gigs around Peckham and Camberwell. Dayes drums for cosmicallyinclined, afrobeat outfit United Vibrations, while Williams – on top of drumming and playing keys in different incarnations over the years – has made waves with his solo, synthdraped house 12"s for muchfêted labels like 22a and Rhythm Section.

                                    Moving in the same circles but never playing together previously, rhythm underpins an innate musical understanding. As Williams explains, “The way we approach it is all about the energy and the feeling. We just get in there and we feel it out.” Drawing influence from all corners of London’s shapeshifting musical makeup, the sound of Black Focus is distilled – or focused – down to the core interlock between drums and keys.


                                    STAFF COMMENTS

                                    David says: The purists might argue that this isn't strictly jazz, I'm happy to argue back. It might use elements of broken beat and house on its journey but jazz is the final destination.

                                    TRACK LISTING

                                    A1. Black Focus
                                    A2. Strings Of Light
                                    A3. Remembrance
                                    B1. Yo Chavez
                                    B2. Ayla
                                    B3. O.G.
                                    B4. Lowrider
                                    B5. Mansur's Message
                                    B6. WingTai Drums
                                    B7. Joint 17

                                    Shabaka And The Ancestors

                                    Wisdom Of Elders

                                      Tradition shapes your work. For saxophonist and bandleader Shabaka Hutchings, that’s something he’s long understood. After years spent in the orbit of London’s jazz circuit, he examines and reimagines his influences with a dexterity that’s unique. Drawing out the vision underlying his new album, he says, “I see energy as being a form of wisdom to be passed down through the ages.” Unpicking the album’s title, he continues, “When we study the music, the lives, the words of our master musicians we obtain a glimpse of that artist’s essential energy source. This is the core vitality of the individual which leads them to utilise the musical specifics of their chosen genre in a way that mirrors their inner source of power. This is an intuited wisdom that’s handed to us from the legacies of our elders.” The album is a document of sessions combining Hutchings with a group of South African jazz musicians he’s long admired. His connection to the group was Mandla Mlangeni (bandleader of the Amandla Freedom Ensemble), whom he’d flown there to play with over the past few years. Recorded across just one day, the group drew on their South African lineage – heroes like Zim Ngquwana and Bheki Mseleku – to bring their own slant to the American jazz lineage being reconfigured in Hutchings’ compositions themselves. Going beyond the jazz greats Hutchings cites, influences are drawn from plenty of other sources: Caribbean calypso, central African song structures and Southern African Nguni music all play a part. Bringing together those ideas with the contributions of his bandmates is, he explains, crucial to what he sees in the role of an album artist. “Even though I wrote all the music, for me, the leader of the project isn’t the person who writes all the music but the one who has a vision for how certain musical elements will be combined.” Born in London, moving to the Barbados from the age of six to 16, his tenor sax has become a regular sight on stages around London and beyond since his return. Receiving awards from Jazz FM and the MOBOs for playing in – and often leading – groups like Sons of Kemet, The Comet Is Coming, Melt Yourself Down and Sun Ra Arkestra, he’s part of a generation whose idea of jazz is pointedly unrefined. That’s to say, "Wisdom of Elders" comes from an artist interested in the indefinable gaps more than fitting into boxes. 

                                      TRACK LISTING

                                      1. Mzawandile
                                      2. Joyous
                                      3. The Observer
                                      4. The Sea
                                      5. The Observed
                                      6. Natty
                                      7. OBS
                                      8. Give Thanks
                                      9. Nguni

                                      Anushka

                                      Distorted Air EP

                                        THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2014 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

                                        Brighton-based duo Max Wheeler (producer) and Victoria Port (singer/songwriter) are a classic British concoction of jazz-inflected heady dance floor thrills. While Victoria’s melodies bring the sweetness, the tracks have the low-end weight to please DJ mavens like Karizma and Brackles on Rinse and Moxie and Annie Mac on Radio 1.

                                        The results could be described as a UK Funky Lorde. The ‘Distorted Air’ EP forthcoming on Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings, is full of Victoria’s songwriting on fractious romance, ever the well-spring of transcendent pop with sweet female attitude. There’s relationship breakdown on ‘Broken Circuit’ or the claustrophobia of ‘World In A Room’. All of which brings to mind 1998 Talkin’ Loud signing MJ Cole and his bedroom produced classic ‘Sincere’ which traded on a similar brew of jazz, musicality, connection with the living dance floor and the pull and push of love.


                                        Latest Pre-Sales

                                        177 NEW ITEMS

                                        E-newsletter —
                                        Sign up
                                        Back to top