Category Archives: Blog

Koki Nakano’s new album Pre-Choreographed out now

28 April 2020

Last week saw the release of Pre-Choreographed, the new album from from Japanese neoclassical pianist Koki Nakano, following his 2016’s debut Lift. As the title suggests, the binary relationship between music and dance is at the heart of Pre-Choreographed. “When I compose, I keep images of bodies in a state of movement up in my head”, explained Nakano. “They’re a great help to me when it comes to structuring each of my pieces, which develop as if they were responding to those movements.”

Along with the album, Nakano released a series of choreographed music videos, including a video accompanying the beautiful ‘Near-Perfect Synchronisation’. The video was directed by Benjamin Seroussi and choreographed by Amala Dianor, who stars in the video. Watch it below.

Pre-Choreographed is out now through No Format!

Listen to Chip Wickham’s new single ‘Double Cross’

27 April 2020

Blue to Red, the highly anticipated new album from immensely talented British flautist and saxophonist Chip Wickham, arrives next week. Following the celestially sublime title track, he has shared another offering from the record, ‘Double Cross’. He had this to say about it:

“This is the darkest track on the album, and it represents the feelings of ordinary people who do the right thing and care about the world but are constantly double-crossed by the system that is stacked against them in favour of an ever-powerful minority. A relentless, driving groove with more broken jazz and driven Rhodes to add an extra angry vibe. The flute reflects this with a driven sound and in your face solo that is pure energy! Check out the fantastic drumming of Jon Scott on this track. He is constantly changing and relentlessly driving the track at the same time.”

Take a listen to ‘Double Cross’ below and grab Blue to Red when it’s out on May 8th through Lovemonk Records.

Inventions share new single, ‘Calico’, from forthcoming album Continuous Portrait

24 April 2020

Earlier this month, Inventions shared the gorgeous and gentle lead single ‘Outlook For The Future’, taken from their upcoming album Continuous Portrait. The creative alliance of Matthew Cooper of Eluvium and longtime friend Mark T. Smith of Explosions In The Sky have shared a new track, the delightful and jubilant ‘Calico’. Both singles mark new and different directions for the duo, as the press release remarks, “and it is that very sense of exploration, pleasure, and ceremonial melancholia which informs the entire album from front to back.”

Continuous Portrait is out digitally on May 29th and on cd/vinyl on July 10th through Temporary Residence. Mark your calendars and right now, listen to ‘Calico’.

SNEAL announce Minty EP and share first single ‘Peekaboo’

23 April 2020

Multidisciplinary artist and musician SNEAL, keyboardist and composer Michael Coleman and improvisational bassist Kurt Kottheimer have teamed under the moniker SNEAL. The project is described as “the musical outpost of the larger organ donor art factory that is SNEAL”, with SNEAL himself being “the manifestation of these collected organs in a single body that was able to make it to the studio on the train.” The three musicians, who have collaborated in the past in different projects, count T-Pain and Captain Beefheart as their influences. Recently signed to Botcave Records, they have announced their first material in the form of a six-track EP entitled Minty and set for release on June 5th.

Ahead of the EP’s release, SNEAL have shared a first taste with lead single ‘Peekaboo’, featuring Zosha Warpeha and Sam Evian. An exciting introduction to Minty EP, ‘Peekaboo’ is both strange and wonderful, instantly worming its way through the ears and into your mind. It comes with an accompanying video made by Lisa Schatz and starring Li Pierre. Take a peek below.

Watch Glass Museum’s video for new single ‘Clothing’

22 April 2020

With the imminent release of Reykjavik this Friday, Belgian instrumental duo Glass Museum are teasing the album with a new cut from it, ‘Clothing’. Speaking about the track, the pair had this to say:

“Clothing was composed as a live remix of our formal track ‘Opening’, the opening piece on our first album “DEUX”. The idea was to give ‘Opening’ another dimension when playing live by accelerating the arpeggiator of the original track and by adding a groovy, downtempo beat on the first part, and secondly to conclude our live performances with a regular techno beat that would give an electronic /dancy sensation. After re-thinking the final result, we decided to give that version its own life in the studio and it became ‘Clothing’, deflecting ‘Closing’ to a tribute to the orange cloth presented on our album cover”.

‘Clothing’ comes with an accompanying video directed by Simon Medard and you can watch it below.

Reykjavik is out on April 24th through Sdban Ultra

Sex Swing share new track, ‘Skimmington Ride’, from upcoming album Type II

21 April 2020

Photo: Steve Gullick

With less than a month to go until the release of Type II, and following two previous singles, ‘Valentine’s Day At The Gym’ and ‘The Passover’, British outfit Sex Swing have unleashed a mighty new track called ‘Skimmington Ride’. Beautifully dark, dense and visceral, ‘Skimmington Ride’ is a sensory overload clocking in at over 7 minutes. Take a listen below and grab Type II when it’s out on May 15th through Rocket Recordings.