Category Archives: Blog

Chip Wickham set to release new EP Love & Life

02 August 2023

Chip Wickham is gearing up to release a new EP later this month. Entited Love & Life, the EP arrives on August 25th through Gondwana Records and follows last year’s LP Cloud 10. The upcoming Love & Life EP takes influence from the soulful sounds of Yusef Lateef and is described as “a perfect four-tracker of reflective, peaceful jazz that elevates and inspires as well as a trademark slice of boppish soul jazz – the jaunty Space Walk.”

Ahead of the EP’s release, the incredibly talented British flautist and saxophonist has shared the jubilant title track. Speaking about it, Chip says it brings to light “a big lesson for us to learn as the world changes around us with such speed. The technology changes but our human needs remain the same: peace, tranquillity and time to think.”

Listen to ‘Love & Life’ below.

John Raymond & S. Carey share new track, ‘Steadfast’ ft Gordi, from upcoming collaborative record

29 July 2023

Photo: Kyle Lehman

Shadowlands is the upcoming collaborative album from Grammy-nominated jazz trumpeter John Raymond and Bon Iver sideman S. Carey. The pair go way back having first crossed paths as students nearly twenty years ago at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Despite knowing each other for a long time, it’s only when Raymond and Carey toured together in 2018 that a collaboration spark was ignited. Comprising ten tracks, on Shadowlands “soaring and anthemic moments are balanced with the intimate and meditative, giving way to a wide range of expression”, as the press release describes.

Following the lead single ‘Calling’, Raymond and Carey have shared a gorgeous and soothing new single called ‘Steadfast’ featuring Australian vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Gordi. ‘Steadfast’comes with an accompanying video made by Ingrid Weise. Watch it below and watch out for the album release on September 15th through Libellule Editions.

Irreversible Entanglements announce new album, Protect Your Light, and their signing to Impulse! Records

28 July 2023

Photo: Piper Ferguson

Following their signing to the legendary Impulse! Records, free jazz quintet Irreversible Entanglements have announced the release of their fourth album, Protect Your Light. Slated for a September 8th release, it follows their much-lauded 2021 album Open The Gates. The forthcoming record sees the collective “unite to deliver an unconditional statement of intent and rhythm”, as the press release describes. Their “improvisations are molded in the fire of the moment, while its songs are born in experience, where music and life are one and the same.”

In celebration of the album announcement, Irreversible Entanglements have shared the first single, ‘Free Love’, which they call “the universal message that provokes unity through a love that lives free, the love that lives in you”. ‘Free Love’ comes with an accompanying and you can watch it below.

Alabaster DePlume teases upcoming album with second single ‘Greek Honey Slick’ featuring Tom Skinner

27 July 2023

Photo: Chris Almeida

Following on from the tender and emotionally powerful ‘Did You Know‘, today Alabaster DePlume is bestowing us with another treat from his forthcoming album Come With Fierce Grace. Titled ‘Greek Honey Slick’, the new track features Tom Skinner and is infused with positive energy and beauty. Alabaster had this to say about it:

“Creating these things was itself a method of defeating thought, doubt, and ultimately fear, by being present in our hearts and bodies. Replacing the goal-oriented endgame demands of the mind, with an abundance of foolish playful life. I had dropped an enormous tub of organic Greek honey on my studio floor. This became an offering to the gods, to life, as we endeavoured to resist our cynical aspirations, by choosing in each moment the honest pleasure of interactive creation like big children, playing with the toys of the finest skills to which we’ve relentlessly devoted our lives. We have a responsibility to joy. If not that, then what else?”

Listen to ‘Greek Honey Slick’ below and grab the album when it’s out September 8th through International Anthem.

Maurice Louca & Elephantine announce new album, Moonshine, and share lead track ‘Trembler’

25 July 2023

Back Row: Daniel Gahrton, Rasmus Svale Kjærgård Lund, Özün Usta, Isak Hedtjärn, Maurice Louca
Front Row: Tommaso Cappellato, Rosa Brunello, Els Vandeweyer, Piero Bittolo Bon

Maurice Louca is and has been one of our favourite artists for a long time, be it with his solo works or with his many collaborative projects, including his trio The Dwarfs of East Agouza, multicultural collective Alif and bands like Bikya, Lekhfa and Karkhana. Louca’s previous two albums, Saet El Hazz (The Luck Hour) and Elephantine, made it our Album Picks of the Year when they came out in 2021 and 2019 respectively. So we’re truly over the moon to know that the immeasurably talented and adventurous composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer is ready to dazzle us again with a new album. Entitled Moonshine and releasing under his band name Elephantine, the new record brings together a phenomenal cast of musicians including double drummers Tommaso Cappellato and Özün Usta; Piero Bittolo Bon on alto, Daniel Gahrton on baritone and Isak Hedtjärn on clarinet; Rasmus Svale Kjærgård Lund on tuba; Rosa Brunello on bass; Els Vandeweyer on vibraphone and Louca himself on guitar/lap steel/synth.
Transcending the boundaries between various genres and cultures, including jazz, avant-rock, electronics, free improvisation, psychedelic and Middle Eastern influences, Moonshine is a triumphant, compelling, absorbing and sonically stunning record imbued with a touch of melodrama. Asher Gamedze, who penned an essay on Moonshine, describes it as “Abstract territories of freedom, always grounded, expansive, multiple, internally differentiated, and elephantine.”

We’ll have to wait until September 15th for the album to be out through Sub Rosa and Northern Spy Records but we can already get a sublime taste of what’s in store with lead track ‘Trembler’ now streaming. Here it is.

To tide you over until the album’s release, check out the excellent guest mixtape Maurice Louca put together for us back in April 2019.

Listen to Don Kapot’s second single, ‘Macarona’, off forthcoming LP I Love Tempo

23 July 2023

Don Kapot are back with a new proof of their infectious and buoyant sounds and rhythms, with their fourth album. Entitled I Love Tempo, it arrives on September 15th through W.E.R.F. Records. For their new opus, with nods to free jazz, afrobeat and krautrock served with an unabashed punk spirit, the Brussels based power trio of Giotis Damianidis (bass), Viktor Perdieus (baritone saxophone) and Jakob Warmenbol (drums) enlisted Greg Saunier (Deerhoof) for mixing and production duties. The upcoming I Love Tempo saw Don Kapot expand their sound palette and add new instruments including keyboards and sampling, with groove remaining at the core of it all.

Following the album’s opening track ‘Me Pig’, Don Kapot have shared a new ecstatic single from the album called ‘Macarona’. Speaking about the track, the trio comments:

“Our New single, Macarona, came to life during one of the strangest times in all of our lives, the pandemic. Kind of in secret, we wrote Macarona together amidst isolation, cancelled concerts and uncertain perspectives. The song starts blasting out a rush of anger and frustration, but as it progresses, it attempts to zoom out an put things into perspective.”

Listen to both tracks below.