After a remarkable two-year run that saw them earn a GRAMMY? Award nomination for their last chart-topping studio album while touring the world from Nashville to New Zealand and back again, Larkin Poe have returned with what is undeniably their most wide-reaching, artistically adventurous, and self-determined work to date. Once again taking the producer reins and releasing on their own Tricki-Woo Records label, Self Made Man sees the multiinstrumentalist sister duo, comprised of the Atlanta-bred, Nashville-based Rebecca and Megan Lovell, pushing their music and message towards hitherto unexplored terrain, inspired by their epic world travels yet still powerfully rooted in the creative heritage of their beloved American South. From the thunderous power of the album-opening "She's A Self Made Man," through the nostalgic "Tears of Blue to Gold" and fierce Chicago blues of "Scorpion," to the front porch jubilation of "Easy Street," the album is ambitious in both its eclectic, energetic sound and its resolutely welcoming mission, its universal lyrical approach fueled by tradition, invention, and Larkin Poe's remarkable ability to touch the hearts and souls of their fellow humans worldwide.

TRACK LISTING

SIDE A
1. She’s A Self Made Man
2. Holy Ghost Fire
3. Keep Diggin’
4. Back Down South
5. Tears Of Blue To Gold

SIDE B
1. God Moves On The Water
2. Every Bird That Flies
3. Scorpion
4. Danger Angel
5. Ex-Con
6. Easy Street

“Man Made” feels like the perfect statement of intent and presentation of Greentea’s world - meditative, experimental, political, medicinal, trippy, humorous, and brimming with rich and varied influences.

Set against the backdrop of one of the most turbulent years in recent memory, Greentea and her band The Seng Seng Family retreated to the country last summer where the alchemy of “Man Made” took place, bringing a live element to the album, and chose to record the record in 432 Hz frequency, a pitch that falls a semitone below music industry standard, which is thought to vibrate healing energy. Executive-produced by long time collaborator Earbuds, Greentea worked with an incredible roll-call of producers; the likes of Swindle, long-standing collaborators Samo & Kiko, and Mala (part of the legendary dubstep production duo Digital Mystikz and the founder of the iconic DMZ dubstep label). The album was then mixed by the legendary Commissioner Gordon. The record seamlessly weaves genres from hip-hop to jazz, neo-soul, trip-hop, ragga, rock, dub and drum & bass, all anchored by signature sage vocals. At 18 tracks, “Man Made” is a true opus, a fluid and transportive listening experience, channelling deepest inner-thoughts and exploring different states of being, segued to be enjoyed in full. It encourages repeated revisits to fully explore the magic at work.

Greentea shares her manifesto:

"Man Made” an exploration of self and sound. A product of shifting paradigms both inner and outer.
An ultra sonic trip. This album is an offering of healing, a provocation of Hu Man spirit soul.
Out of tune with the industry and in tune with the universe, this is a 432hrz production.
Deliberately detuned out of any Babylon standard! It is to be felt…like a buzzing bee, in one's chest. A vibration. A jambalaya of expression, this project fits no genre, not to be digested easily by everyone.
However for those occupying the same space right now, upholding the frequency at such a transformative and challenging moment in time…I trust THIS SOUND will find you.
Dedicated and inspired by the late Jimtastic, join me and my boys as we travel the Sonicsphere on the way back to centre, through the depths of apathy and the heights of interconnection through surrender…
I offer you Man Made.”

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Greentea Peng has a sound all of her own, happily sitting between the super-smooth soul of the 70's and modern hip-hop, stopping at every stop along the way. An eminently listenable and hugely enjoyable journey, enriched with crystal clean production and perfectly penned songs. A delight all round.

TRACK LISTING

1) Man Made
2) This Sound
3) Free My People Featuring Simmy And Kid Cruise
4) Be Careful
5) Nah It Ain’t The Same”
6) Earnest
7) Suffer
8) Mataji Freestyle
9) Kali V2
10) Satta
11) Party Hard
12) Dingaling
13) Maya
14) Man Made
15) Meditation
16) Poor Man Skit
17) Sinner
18) Jimtastic Blues

Produced by Ray Man and mixed by Nick Launay (Kate Bush, Lou Reed, Arcade Fire), it was recorded at the trio's shared house over a year and a half. Every time they gigged and the songs changed, they'd re-record them. The record to them, after all, is meant to be "the menu of the live experience." "[The songs change every night] and that depends on the audience, the room and the atmosphere," Nile explains. "It shouldn't be 'we have an album, let us play it for you'. It's 'we are a band and we have recorded us playing for you'."

TV Broke My Brain certainly captures the energy and passion that goes into the band, and presents it with its American alt-rock influences (you can hear everything from Sonic Youth to The Shins in its 11 tracks) firmly on its sleeve. Unplug yourself from the matrix of gadgets in your life and connect with Man Made instead.

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: Excellent, energetic, melodic guitar pop from these up and coming Mancunians. Recommended.

TRACK LISTING

Carsick Cars
Hi Tech Low Life
You Never Know How It Feels
Raining In My Head
Plastic Key To Living
Everything We Miss
Bring Some
Nobody's Dreaming
All Mine
TV Broke My Brain
Slowdance

It’s been an astonishing couple of years for GoGo Penguin, the UK trio of drummer Rob Turner, double bassist Nick Blacka and pianist Chris Illingworth. Their trademark mash-up of minimalist piano themes, deeply propulsive bass lines and electronica-inspired drums has seen their 2014 album 'v2.0' shortlisted for the Mercury Prize. Drawing on a heady brew of influences from Brian Eno, John Cage, Massive Attack and Aphex Twin, GoGo Penguin has created a brave new sound that is wholly their own.

Now signed to iconic jazz label Blue Note Records the trio release their new album. 'Man Made Object is the sound of a band confidently pursuing their own path. “The title is partly inspired by my fascination with ideas of robotics, transhumanism and human augmentation,” says pianist Illingworth, a statement that begs for elaboration. “We’re recreating electronic music on acoustic instruments. It’s like a man-made object that has become humanized and it seemed like a good album title, one that also means something different to each of us, and hopefully to each listener.”

Indeed, although they're predominately an acoustic piano trio, GoGo Penguin’s music draws from many areas of contemporary electronic music, one where you can hear arcade game bleeps, glitchy breakbeats, hypnotic Aphex-style melodies, grinding bass lines and a rumbling low-end. It has been described as “acoustic electronica”, a term which perfectly sums up their modus operandi. “Many of the songs on this album started out as electronic compositions that I made on sequencing software like Logic or Ableton,” says drummer Turner. “I’ll then play it to the band and we’ll find ways of replicating it acoustically.”

TRACK LISTING

1 All Res 5:16
2 Unspeakable World 4:44
3 Branches Break 4:23
4 Weird Cat 5:39
5 Quiet Mind 4:24
6 Smarra 6:31
7 Initiate 4:47
8 GBFISYSIH 3:22
9 Surrender To Mountain 3:59
10 Protest 4:45