Photo: André Baumecker

An ingenious drummer-in-demand, producer and composer, Tom Skinner is one of the today’s most cutting-edge and visionary artists. Skinner had us entirely under his spell since the release of his self-titled album as Hello Skinny in 2012, which was one of our Picks of the Year. Incredibly prolific, he’s constantly flexing his creative muscles in exciting projects, including Sons Of Kemet, Melt Yourself Down, Matthew Herbert, Mulatu Astatke, The Owiny Sigoma Band, The Grip, and more recently The Smile. So we’re beyond excited to learn about the release of Voices of Bishara, the first album under his own name. The record takes its name from the late cellist Abdul Wadud’s 1978 solo album By Myself, which was  pressed on his own label, Bisharra, a common Arabic name that translates as ‘good news’, or ‘the bringer of good news’.

Speaking about the album, Skinner comments:

“This record is an attempt to put something truthful into the world, through collaboration and community, at a time of rising dishonesty and disinformation – ‘Bishara’ is the bringer of good news, and by bringing the musicians on this album who are very dear to me together, we pay homage to that idea by collectively spreading light where there is increasing darkness.”

Voices of Bishara will see the light of day on November 4th through Brownswood / International Anthem / Nonesuch and ahead of it we can already hear the mesmerizing and gripping lead single ‘Bishara‘.