Category Archives: Blog

New jazz supergroup lvdf set to release self-titled debut EP next month; share new single ‘The Anchor’

17 July 2025

lvdf is the thrilling new project from a quartet of forward-thinking players working at the cutting edge of contemporary jazz. Drummer and composer Myele Manzanza (New Zealand), pianist and synth soundscaper Maria Chiara Argirò (Italy), saxophonist Alex Hitchcock (UK), and double bassist Michelangelo Scandroglio (Italy) come together from across continents, each with their own distinct voice and rich catalogue of solo and collaborative work. All four are established bandleaders and collaborators in their own right, and the idea for the group first took shape during a workshop in the coastal Tuscan town of Follonica. That initial meeting of minds laid the groundwork for what became lvdf, which is short for La Via Del Ferro, or The Iron Way, a reference to the ancient Italian trade routes that connected local ironworks with the wider world, as the band explains:

“This metaphor of a road connecting a local industry to the wider world resonates deeply with us. Hailing from Italy, New Zealand, and the UK but residing in Paris, London, and New York, this music became a road that united us.”

Rooted in a shared love of rhythm and sonic experimentation, the group pulls from a wide spectrum of influences. After sell-out shows at Ronnie Scott’s and festival appearances in London and Bergamo, lvdf’s self-titled debut EP will be released on August 15 through Bridge The Gap. The upcoming EP “blends jazz traditions with modern production and a rhythm-driven focus”, as the press release describes, “balancing gorgeous melodies with complex, flowing polyrhythms and emotive soundscapes.”

Ahead of the EP’s release, they’ve recently shared their second single, ‘The Anchor’, an utterly gorgeous and groovy track built from the tail end of a collective improvisation. Speaking about the single, Manzanza comments:

“The Anchor is an edit drawn from a collective improvisation we did at the end of the recording session. Whilst we were all playing acoustic instruments, the reversed & reverbed saxophone created a beautiful flowing underwater texture that juxtaposed in an interesting way against the ‘Roots’-esque drums and bassline, and Maria’s looping piano pattern. Something that could be as much at home at an avant-garde performance at Cafe Oto as it could be in a Madlib beat tape.”

 ‘The Anchor’ is an exciting glimpse of what’s to come and you can listen to it below.

Steiger return with new album, Mowglowski’s First Take, share lead single ‘Gauchoman’

15 July 2025

Photo: Thor Salden

We’re big fans of Steiger, whose last album, The New Lady Llama, was one of our Album Picks of 2021 and remains an active favourite. So we’re over the moon to know that the Ghent trio of keyboardist Gilles Vandecaveye, bassist Kobe Boon and drummer Simon Raman are gearing to release a new album later this year titled Mowglowski’s First Take.

Over the past decade, Steiger has carved out a singular space in the Belgian jazz and improv scene, continuously shifting form and exploring disparate territories and influences through composition and improvisation. After a few years off doing their own thing — playing in various projects like Peenoise, mòs Ensemble, Uma Chine and Ivy Falls — the trio is back together, and the spark is still very much alive. As ever, Steiger are reaching for the outer fringes of jazz and drawing on minimalism, electronica, post-classical and improv, with their own sense of mischief and exploration. Where The New Lady Llama leaned into lush contrasts between acoustic and electronic textures, Mowglowski’s First Take feels freer and bolder, but still melodic and accessible. Produced by Frederik Segers (Black Flower, Fulco, De Beren Gieren), the record has a real warmth to it and it’s imbued with joy and openness in the playing. “The music radiates a joie de vivre with a good dose of humour”, as the press release describes, “but does not shy away from darkness either”.

We’ll have to wait until October 17th for the album to be out but Steiger have let loose the first single, ‘Gauchoman’, a witty, weird, and totally infectious track. If this single is anything to go by, Mowglowski’s First Take is going to be one of the most exciting releases of the year. Take a listen below.


To tide you over until the album’s release, check out the excellent guest mixtape Steiger put together for us back in August 2021.

Watch Lucrecia Dalt’s video for new single ‘caes’ feat. Camille Mandoki

11 July 2025

With her highly anticipated ninth album A Danger to Ourselves arriving in just under two months, Lucrecia Dalt has shared the third single from the album, ‘caes’, a dense and thunderous piece featuring the evocative voice of Mexican sound artist Camille Mandoki. Dalt cites Ana Mendieta and Evelyn McHale as poetic inspirations, tying the song’s lyrical content to meditations on legacy and tragedy. “Musically, I wanted to hint at a slowed-down and diluted dembow, but with a melodic energy that felt ancient,” she noted, continuing:

“It features my dear friend Camille. She has a unique voice that is rare to hear nowadays. I love it when female voices carry a certain depth, and they don’t spend too much time in the upper, breathy register. Poetically, it’s an amalgamation of various references; it examines the legacy of one’s life through the lens of tragedy. Ana Mendieta and Evelyn McHale were specific figures, in my mind.”

The single is offered with an accompanying video, shot between the American Southwest and Mexico City, which captures the same sense that Dalt describes: “It is in the act of surrendering oneself to falling that the total, the sublime, enters?”

Watch the video below and grab A Danger to Ourselves when it lands on September 5th through RVNG Intl.

Mulatu Astatke returns with first full studio album in over a decade, Mulatu Plays Mulatu

10 July 2025

Photo: Karston Tannis

It’s been over a decade since Mulatu Astatke released a full-length studio album. Lucky for us, this September, he returns with Mulatu Plays Mulatu, a new record set for release on September 26th through Strut. The album revisits and reworks key pieces from across his career, offering new arrangements that reflect both his musical evolution and enduring vision. Known as the father of Ethio-jazz, Astatke was instrumental in creating a unique fusion of traditional Ethiopian music with jazz and Latin influences during the “Swinging Addis” era. “Throughout my life, I wanted to bring Ethio jazz to all corners of the world for people to enjoy and I feel that I have succeeded in that,” he says.

On Mulatu Plays Mulatu, classics like ‘Yekermo Sew’, ‘Nètsanèt’ and ‘Kulun’ are reshaped with new arrangements, weaving expanded improvisations and rich textures. The record balances Western jazz structures with traditional Ethiopian instruments including the krar, masenqo, washint, kebero and begena. “Ethio-jazz brings us together and makes us one,” says Astatke. “This album is the culmination of my work bringing this music to the world and pays respect to our unsung heroes, the original musical scientists in Ethiopia who gave us our cultural music.”

Ahead of the album’s release, we can already hear the first splendid single, ‘Nètsanèt’, a reworking of the classic track meaning “freedom”. It was recorded between London and Addis Ababa, with Astatke working alongside his long-standing UK band, an ensemble shaped through years of live performance and Jazz Village sessions in Addis. Listen to it below.

Aki Rissanen announces new album Imaginary Mountains and shares first single ‘For E’

08 July 2025

Photo: Jori Huhtala

There’s exciting news from Aki Rissanen, who has just announced his new album Imaginary Mountains. The talented and accomplished Finnish pianist and composer is pushing his piano trio into a rawer, more rhythm-focused, and emotionally honest territory. “The focus this time is more on rhythm and repetition,” Rissanen says. “It feels more direct and physical, maybe even raw at times. But at its core, it’s still me, just seen from a different angle.” Shaped by internal landscapes, visual art, and a sense of geopolitical unrest, the forthcoming album explores contrast and tension with a sharper sound. As he explains, “It’s about the emotional terrain that can keep us from fully engaging or empathising with what’s happening around us”.

The album title also refers to Keith Jarrett’s Personal Mountains. “I loved how he evoked vast, imagined spaces through his music”, Rissanen comments. “In a way, Imaginary Mountains is my own reflection on that idea, landscapes that exist more in the psyche than the physical world.”

We’ll have to wait until September 12th for Imaginary Mountains to drop through Edition Records but we can already hear the first single, ‘For E’. Dedicated to Erik Satie, it offers a striking glimpse of what Rissanen will be throwing at us. The single comes with an accompanying live video, shot by Jori Huhtala and post-produced by Rissanen himself. Watch it below.

And to tide us over until the album drops, listen back to the sublime mixtape Rissanen put together for us in September 2023.

 

Chip Wickham shares first single from upcoming LP The Eternal Now

08 July 2025

We’re thrilled to hear that Chip Wickham is back with a new album, The Eternal Now, arriving on September 5th through Gondwana Records. Led by the rich, expressive voice of his flute and co-produced by Matthew Halsall, this is Wickham’s most rhythm-forward record yet. To bring the album to life, the immensely talented British flautist, saxophonist, and composer also enlisted the help of Manchester heavyweights Luke Flowers (The Cinematic Orchestra) on drums and Sneaky (Mr Scruff) on bass. Taking inspiration from Lonnie Liston Smith, David Axelrod, Sven Wunder, and library music, the upcoming The Eternal Now explores new rhythms and sounds, while still carrying all the soulful grooves and melodic warmth that have long defined his sound. “Writing this album has been a deliberate journey of exploration and drive into the furthest reaches of creativity,” Chip explains, “an attempt to push myself artistically into new spaces using new colours and new energy.”

Alongside the album news, Wickham has let loose its opener ‘Drifting’, a gorgeous, cinematic and seductive track. “Sometimes in life you just need to let go and drift”, as Wickam describes. “Let the wind move you around, be free, and see where you end up.”

Listen to ‘Drifting’ now.