Category Archives: Blog

The Newcomer shares new single off upcoming album Inner Being

25 July 2019

Producer Jonathan Pritchard, who previously released under the Young Montana? alias, has reemerged with a new moniker, The Newcomer, and a new album, Inner Being. Slated for a August 30th release through Astro Nautico, the record reportedly “attempts to reimagine a “fugue state” experience a few years back”. The Newcomer exlains:

“I seemed to forget completely who I was, my music became alien and no longer meant anything to me, and I could only follow the urge to relearn everything, loosing my itunes library and all previous work, I was forced to learn how to make music from scratch. The songs on the album were created in this period.”

“Engraved Tooth” is the latest cut to be lifted from the album, and you can listen to it below. And watch the video for previously released single “Loving In The End Times” straight after.

Matana Roberts announces new COIN COIN instalment Chapter Four: Memphis

24 July 2019

Extraordinary alto saxophonist, composer, improviser and sound experimentalist Matana Roberts has to date released three instalments from her ongoing experimental project Coin Coin, 2011’s Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens de couleur libres, 2013’s Coin Coin Chapter Two: Mississippi Moonchile and lastly Coin Coin Chapter Three: river run thee, released in 2015. But she had previously said that the project was far from finished, promising another 10 chapters. Four years on from the last Coin Coin release, a new instalment is on the way, Coin Coin Chapter Four: Memphis, releasing on October 18th through Constellation. “Roberts deftly weaves a sonic tapestry of African-American ethnography and history with strands of jazz, blues, free improv, afro-futurism, traditionals, spoken word and avant-garde composition”, describes the label, “always guided by her powerfully personal/universal narratives and wholehearted, singular artistic spirit.”

It’s still a long wait until the album is out but we can already hear a magnificent taste from it, “Raise Yourself Up” / “Backbone Once More” / “How Bright They Shine”. Here it is.

Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band’s second album OBIAA! out in October

24 July 2019

Known as the “Golden Voice Of Africa”, 72 year-old Ghanaian highlife legend Pat Thomas is back with a new studio album. This Autumn, following 2015’s widely acclaimed self-titled debut, Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band will release their second record through Strut Records. Entitled Obiaa!, which means ‘Everybody!’, the album was produced by Kwame Yeboah and Ben Abarbanel-Wolff from Kwashibu Area Band in Berlin.

Ahead of the album’s release, we can already hear a wonderful taste off it with single ‘Onfa Nkosi Hwee’, a track that “warns that stubborness and arrogance lead to dead ends”, as the press release describes, adding: “If you are stubborn, fumbling and messing things up, it won’t get you anywhere. Boasting, showing off and bragging on social media is ultimately pointless and has no value.”
Take a listen to ‘Onfa Nkosi Hwee’ now.

In other related news, Pat Thomas & Kwashibu Area Band have announced a string of live dates this Autumn throughout the UK and Europe, including a show at London’s Jazz Cafe on October 1st. Take a look at all their stops here.

Ami Dang shares new single ‘Sohni’ off impending album release

19 July 2019

Parted Plains, the new album from Baltimore based vocalist, sitarist, producer and composer Ami Dang, is out in two weeks and she had already shared two singles off it, the delicate and gorgeous ‘Raiments´ and the mesmerizing ‘Love-liesse’. To get us even more excited ahead of the album’s release, Dang has released the new single ‘Sohni’, which is also her favorite track.

Parted Plains is out on August 2nd through Leaving Records.

Listen to Number’s new single ‘Nothing to Fear’

18 July 2019

We´re just over a month away from the release of Binary, the debut album from Rich Thair and Ali Friend´s new project Number. They first teased the record with ‘Face Down in Ecstasy’, and now they have shared a new single called ‘Nothing to Fear’, with Louisa Gerstein and Heloise Tunstall-Behrens guesting on vocals. ‘Nothing to Fear’ “combines complex percussion, danceable bass lines, fizzing guitar and an unmistakable and bewitching vocal”, as the press release describes. “There’s a youthful enthusiasm to the track, where funk and punk clash with dramatic effect”. Take a listen now.


Binary is out on August 23rd through Sunday Best Recordings.

John Ghost set to release second album Airships Are Organisms this Autumn

17 July 2019

Ghent based instrumental sextet John Ghost were formed nearly a decade ago by guitarist and composer Jo De Geest but they were nowhere on our radar until now. Clearly we were missing out! With a studio album and various accolades in their home country under their belt, the outfit draws influences from various genres like jazz, contemporary classical music, rock and electronica. This Autumn John Ghost will release their second full-length album. Entitled Airships Are Organisms, the record arrives on September 27th through Sdban Records and saw the band enlist Jørgen Træen (Jaga Jazzist, Kaizers Orchestra, Hubro, Sondre Lerche) for production duties. “Seemingly simple earwigs are underpinned by driving undertones”, describes the press release, “that inspire harmonic twists and a rhythmic and melodic stratification, that often results in a very danceable soundtrack.

It may seem like a long wait until the album is out but the band already shared the stunning and exhilarating single ‘Time//Traveler’. Take a listen now.