Category Archives: Blog

GoGo Penguin release new single ‘Erased By Sunlight’

05 October 2022

Photo: Emily Dennison

Last July GoGo Penguin gifted us with their magnificent Between Two Waves EP. Now the incredible and quirky jazz trio are following it with a stunning new track called ‘Erased by Sunlight’, which was recorded a mere a couple of months ago at Real World Studios, where they had also recorded the EP. Speaking about the track, pianist Chris Illingworth comments:

“Often, following your instincts can be the right thing to do, sometimes what feels like instinct can be the years of experience pushing you quickly in the right direction. But sometimes it’s fun to feel those instincts and see what happens when you go down another path, moving away from the road that seems obvious. That’s how this new track found its initial sound, a few musical fragments discovered through exploring ideas that may have been ignored or never found which we then used as a new starting point, allowing instinct to kick back in, leading us to Erased by Sunlight.”

‘Erased by Sunlight’ is out now through XXIM Records/Sony and you can listen to it below.

In other related news, GoGo Penguin have announced several live dates in the UK/EU this Autumn, taking in shows in Paris, Berlin, London, Athens and Amsterdam, amongst many other cities. Head over here to check all their stops.

Sarathy Korwar previews upcoming album, Kalak, with new single ‘Remember Begum Rokheya’

01 October 2022

Sarathy Korwar is set to release his much-anticipated new album Kalak in November and back in August he had already shared the phenomenal and fiery lead single ‘Utopia Is A Colonial Project’. Now the the percussionist, producer and composer has released a second track from the album titled ‘Remember Begum Rokheya’. Kalak celebrates South Asian music and literature, and the new single sees Korward honouring the life of Bengali feminist writer Begum Rokheya and highlighting the importance and impact that marginalised voices from the past and the present can have on the future. Korward comments:

“When speaking about futurism, one of the fundamental questions is – who gets to speculate? Who gets to tell their story or vision of the future? Begum Rokheya is an example of someone with a radically different worldview and someone who we would generally not hear from. In her 1905 book Sultana’s Dream, she tells the story of reversed purdah, where peace-loving women overpower aggressive men to live in harmony with nature.”

He continues:

“The song is based on a simple, call and response melody, paying homage to its folk music origins. The group vocals are performed by friends and family, to reflect the song’s emphasis on community.”

Listen to ‘Remember Begum Rokheya’ below and be sure to grab Kalak when it drops on November 11th through The Leaf Label.

Listen to Snapped Ankles’ new single ‘The Fish Needs A Bike’

01 October 2022

Following last year’s Forest Of Your Problems album, and a killer standalone single, ‘Barbecue In Brazil’, released earlier this year, Snapped Ankles have cooked up the new single ‘The Fish Needs A Bike’. Rebellious and unrelentingly energetic, the track is their take on Blurt’s cult classic and was produced by Luke Abbott. The band comments:

“We focused our logs on a band that we’ve always admired for their dedication to the simplicity of groove, whilst maintaining a fierce outsider stance. Blurting out primal rhythms and absurd poetry for over forty years, Ted Milton’s Blurt has been consistently singular in their output.”

‘The Fish Needs A Bike’ is out now through The Leaf Label. Take a listen below.

Run Logan Run tease fourth album, Nature Will Take Care Of You, with new single ‘Great Fools’

29 September 2022

Photo: Daniel Broadley

There’s exciting news from Bristolian adventurous drum-and-sax duo Run Logan Run, who are set to release a fourth album, following last year’s For A Brief Moment We Could Smell The Flowers which was one of our Album Picks of the year. Entitled Nature Will Take Care Of You, their upcoming album will see the light of day on November 25th through Worm Discs.
The record sees the duo of Andrew Neil Hayes (saxophones and FX) and Matt Brown (drums and percussion) venture boldly into new territory and expand their line-up to include singer Annie Gardiner as well as a string quartet and a brass section. “This is essentially a big band album,” Hayes explained. “Our reference points were Attica Blues by Archie Shepp, Soul Zodiac by Rick Holmes and The Nat Adderley Sextet, and Enter by Fire! Orchestra.” He continues:

“Most tracks began as ideas that Matt and I had composed individually before we developed them in the rehearsal studio together. Our goal was to really open up the sound and invite input from other collaborators… We wanted to reflect our need for community through this process of presenting a larger collective of musicians.”

Alongside the album announcement, Run Logan Run have released the first single ‘Great Fools’ featuring Annie Gardiner on vocals. “The melody came first for ‘Great Fools”, Gardiner said of the track. “I responded to Andrew’s saxophone part with my voice paying homage to ‘O Superman’ by Laurie Anderson, a song I have always loved. The lyrics and vocal melody are abstract and very sound-based, but the song made me feel sad and angry about how easily I forget about the planet in my everyday life.”

‘Great Fools’ is offered with a live video directed by Daniel Broadley and you can watch it below.

Surya Botofasina shares second single from upcoming Carlos Niño-produced debut album, Everyone’s Children

28 September 2022

Keyboardist and composer Surya Botofasina, who is also the music director of the Sai Anantam Ashram Singers, is gearing up to release his debut album this November. Entitled Everyone’s Children, Botofasina pays homage to Alice Coltrane, who was his mentor during his upbringing in her Ashram in Los Angeles.

To bring the album to life, Botofasina assembled a terrific cast of guest contributors including his mother, the harpist Radha Botofasina, jazz singer Dwight Trible, indie folk vocalist Mia Doi Todd, guitarist Nate Mercereau, saxophonist Pablo Calogero, and drummer Efa Etoroma Jr.. Featuring on the album too is revered producer, composer, ensemble orchestrator, percussionist, DJ and mentor Carlos Niño, who has also produced the album.

Stunning and contemplative, Everyone’s Children “soothes, enriches and uplifts the soul” as the press release describes.

We’ll have to wait until November 4th for the album to be out through Spiritmuse Records but Botofasina has already unveiled two marvellous singles from it, ‘Surya Meditation’ and ‘Beloved California Temple’. The latter is an ode to the Swamini Turiyasangitananda Alice Coltrane’s Sai Anantam Ashram, as he explains:

“I can still hear the sounds of Swamini’s organ, along with the water flowing through the property. The Ashram to me is the main reason why I have any redeemable qualities throughout my life. I learned all of my values there. More importantly I learned what introspection feels like. I learned what meditation does for the body, and how to wait for an answer from the Divine. Every time I reach a place of music that may connect with other human beings on the planet . . . It is only because I have watched Her connect with beings both visible and invisible to common eyesight, effortlessly.”

‘Beloved California Temple’ comes with an accompanying video. Watch it below and check an excerpt of the epic ‘Surya Meditation’ straight after.


In other related good news, and to celebrate the album release, Surya Botofasina has announced a string of lives including including a show at Le Guess Who? festival on November 11th.

Le Guess Who?’s Who 2022: Horse Lords

27 September 2022

There’s less two months to go before Le Guess Who? takes over Utrecht. With over 150 artists set to perform, how do we make sense of such a monumental line-up? We made a list of the artists we’re most excited to see and asked them for their recommendations.

Horse Lords

Official Website

Performing Sunday 13th November (Curated by clipping. and Animal Collective)

Baltimore quartet Horse Lords have a unique music style that feels both impeccably structured and spontaneous. Combining polyrhythmic grooves and a command of microtonality through prepared instruments, the band delivers an exhilarating sound somewhere between experimental rock, math-jazz, krautrock, post-punk, electronic music and African musical traditions. Formed in 2010, the outfit of Andrew Bernstein, Max Eilbacher, Owen Gardner and Sam Haberman are releasing their fifth record this Autumn, Comradely Objects, and judging by its infectious, delirious and groovy introduction, they are firing on all cylinders. Renowned for their vibrant live performances, we wouldn’t want to miss them playing at Le Guess Who? for the world. So leading up to it, we asked them what artists they are most excited to see. Read on to find out.

 

Evicshen

Website

Performing Friday 11th November (curated by clipping.)

 

Turner Williams Jr.

Website

Performing Sunday 13th November (curated by Animal Collective)

Nancy Mounir

Bandcamp

Performing Friday 11th November (as part of Hidden Musics)

Photo: Eslam Abd El Salam

Le Guess Who? will take place 10-13 November. For the full line-up, tickets and more info visit leguesswho.com. And take a look at other artists we’re excited about picking their own Le Guess Who?’s Who.