The debut album by Emma-Jean Thackray feels exactly like the sort of thing we’ve been longing for over the last 12 months: a transcendent, human, shared experience. Across its 49 minutes, "Yellow" draws glowing lines between ‘70s jazz fusion and P-Funk, the cosmic invocations of Sun Ra and Alice Coltrane, and the gorgeous orchestration of the Beach Boys.
"I wanted the whole thing to sound like a psychedelic trip,” explains Thackray. “You put on the first track, it takes you through this intense experience for almost an hour, and then you emerge on the other side transformed.” The result is an album that speaks the language of positivity, as rich lyrically as it is musically. You might best understand what Thackray does through reference to auteur figures like Brian Wilson or Madlib, who straddle instrumentation, arrangement and production in order to bring the sound in their head to fruition.
As a composer, producer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and DJ, Emma is just as at home working with the London Symphony Orchestra as she is hosting her show on Worldwide FM. Production credits and collaborations include the likes of Squid, Makaya McCraven, BLU and Pinty.
STAFF COMMENTS
Barry says: Emma-Jean Thackray is one of the leading lights in the movement of London-based musicians leading the jazz revival. Though she was born in Yorkshire, her sound has encompassed elements of the R&B and electronic elements the nu-jazz scene has been known for. 'Yellow' is beyond even that, swimming with influence from afrobeat, tropicalia and funk into a rich and mindblowing juxtaposition of tight groove and improvisational flow. A hugely important and wildly satisfying gem.
TRACK LISTING
Vinyl Tracklist:
A1 - Mercury
A2 - Say Something
A3 - About That
B1 - Venus
B2 - Green Funk
B3 - Third Eye
B4 - May There Be Peace
C1 - Sun
C2 - Golden Green
C3 - Spectre
D1 - Rahu & Ketu
D2 - Yellow
D3 - Our People
D4 - Mercury (In Retrograde)
CD / Digital Tracklist:
01 - Mercury
02 - Say Something
03 - About That
04 - Venus
05 - Green Funk
06 - Third Eye
07 - May There Be Peace
08 - Sun
09 - Golden Green
10 - Spectre
11 - Rahu & Ketu
12 - Yellow
13 - Our People
14 - Mercury (In Retrograde)
