Back in June, The Dwarfs Of East Agouza announced their upcoming album Sasquatch Landslide with the release of ‘Neptune Anteater‘, a bold and exciting first glimpse of the record’s feverish energy. Now, with the album’s October release drawing nearer, the Cairo based trio of Sam Shalabi, Maurice Louca, and Alan Bishop have let loose the entrancing and transcendental ‘Titular’, offering another superb taste of what’s to come. Speaking of the track, Shalabi reflects, “This piece reminds me of the ‘after hours’ music I heard one night in a dark bunker-like jazz nightclub in Dakar many years ago… I’ve never heard that kind of music before or since.” Listen to ‘Titular’ below and watch out for the release of Sasquatch Landslide on October 3rd through Constellation Records.
Last month, Makaya McCraven announced the release of four new EPs, Techno Logic, The People’s Mixtape, Hidden Out! and Popup Shop, arriving on October 31st, with a double LP/CD compilation titled Off the Record arriving earlier on October 10th through International Anthem, Nonesuch, and XL Recordings. Alongside the announcement the Chicago-based drummer, composer, producer, and all-around sonic visionary shared four lead singles, one from each one of the EP’s. The anticipation for his upcoming EPs just got a whole lot more exciting with four new singles, again each from one of the EP’s, now available to stream.
At the core of these new releases is McCraven’s ability to capture the magic of live improvisation, layering moments of raw energy with his meticulous craftsmanship in the studio. ‘Boom Bapped’ is a laid-back and groove-heavy track from Techno Logic, with McCraven, Ben LaMar Gay, and Theon Cross weaving together material from live sessions spanning nearly a decade. On ‘The Beat Up’ from The People’s Mixtape, McCraven reunites with long-time collaborators like bassist Junius Paul and trumpeter Marquis Hill for a hypnotic and polyrhythmic journey that grooves with an irresistible energy. ‘Dark Parks’, from Hidden Out!, is a raw, funky and pulsing track that captures the powerful drum-and-bass connection McCraven shares with Paul. And ‘Los Gatos’ from PopUp Shop gives us a dreamy and downtempo moment with a smooth bassline from Benjamin J. Shepherd and atmospheric textures from Jeff Parker and Justefan.
A perfect preview of what’s to come in the full EPs, each of these tracks represents a different facet of McCraven’s musical world. Take a listen to the four new singles below.
Emergence Collective are on a roll, with an impending new album, their second this year alone The Sheffield-based supergroup, comprised of some of the most masterful improvisers out of Sheffield and the North of England, have announced their new album Swimming in the early hours, following the release of Chapel back in February. Out on November 7th through Redundant Span, it marks their first studio album, as previous albums were live recordings of improvised performances. “It kind of felt like a proof of concept for taking it forward,” says one of the group’s co-project director Zebedee C. Budworth. “It’s a totally different thing to performing in front of people. Everything has to be perfect but it still all has to be live. Our approach to music is always conversational, a collaboration between everyone who’s present at that time, weaving it together.”
On Swimming in the early hours, Emergence Collective continue their genre-defying approach, blending elements of disparate genres into something entirely unique. “We operate in the liminal space between classical music, jazz and folk,” they explain. “We’re not any of those things, but we’re also all of them.” The group recorded the entire album in a single day, with no rehearsals or set plans, just a chosen key and an open space for the music to unfold in real time. This approach gives the record an organic and conversational feel, with every note shaped by their dynamic interaction. “We pick a key and that’s the only instruction that any of the musicians have,” they say. “What happens from there on is the result of everyone deciding what should happen next.”
Swimming in the early hours highlights the group’s ability to create expansive soundscapes with a minimalist touch, and with a fascinating mix of instruments, including a Swedish nyckelharpa and hammer dulcimer. A standout feature of the album is the introduction of Jemma Freese as both co-director and vocalist, with her voice adding a new layer of texture to the group’s sound. Her vocal melodies, which draw from her diverse musical background, blend beautifully with the intricate instrumental layers, “I studied jazz vocals, so a lot of the rhythmical stuff comes from scatting,” she explains. “I also did some studying on Konnakol which is Indian percussive singing and I grew up in a religion similar to Hinduism, so the way that they sing and use vowels I took influence from as well. So a lot of it is down to the fact that I grew up singing in another language.”
Ahead of the album’s release, Emergence Collective are giving us a taste of their sonic wizardry with the title track now streaming. Press play and let yourself get lost in the beauty and magnetism of it.
Following the scorching ‘DON’T LISTEN’, released last June, corto.alto is treating us again with another banger. The Glaswegian trombone wizard and genre-defying powerhouse has just released ‘VANDAL’, a new single featuring German producer and composer Moses Yoofee. “I made VANDAL at the beginning of this year, during a period where I was pushing myself to explore the boundaries between live instruments and the sonics usually found in electronic music,” Shortall explained. “Moses and I worked together in Berlin on the vocal sample, using his sampled vocals exclusively as a melodic instrument rather than a lyrical one. I titled the track VANDAL as a reminder to myself that rules in music are meant to be torn apart.” He continues:
“Moses Yoofee is not only one of my favourite artists right now, but also one of my closest friends in the future-jazz scene. We have really connected on both sharing that same mission to blur the lines between the acoustic and the electronic, which made this collaboration feel like it was waiting to happen. We’ve crossed paths on remixes and projects before, but VANDAL marks our first official release together – and I couldn’t be more excited to share it.”
Out now through Ninja Tune, ‘VANDAL’ comes with an accompanying video filmed by Grace Richardson and you can watch it below.
Drummer extraordinaire and all-around musical force Seb Rochford is stepping into something fresh and bold with his new project, Finding Ways. An ingenious and prolific musician, Rochford, who is known for his groundbreaking work with Polar Bear (two-time Mercury Prize nominee) as well as Pulled By Magnets, Sons of Kemet or Basquiat Strings and collaborations with the likes of Patti Smith, Damon Albarn, Grace Jones, Herbie Hancock, David Byrne and Brian Eno, is far from slowing down. With Finding Ways, Rochford is carving out a whole new sound “built on layered guitars and raw emotion” and blending alternative and indie rock with jazz. Speaking about the project, Rochford comments:
“Finding Ways is my new band/project and is inspired by practical ways I found each day to keep myself positive and navigate this world. I wanted to explore raw, effectless guitar with this new music, playing with new musicians and also pulling together some of the incredible musicians I make music with in different settings.”
The good news is there’s a self-titled debut album on the way, featuring a stellar cast of musicians, including Tara Cunningham, David Preston, Simon Tong, Leo Abrahams, Matt Hurley, Adrian Utley, John Parish, Seye Adelekan, Anders Christensen and Ruth Goller. We´ll have to wait until November 7th for the album to be released through Edition Records but as a thrilling taste of what’s to come, Finding Ways dropped today the first single, ‘Maybe’, opening a window into the sonic adventure that lies ahead. Take a listen now.
Fresh off the release of Human Drift in January, TUKAN hit stages across Europe and out of that run comes ‘Layover’, a new track sparked on the tour, that feels alive. “Designed as the soundtrack to those nights when the stage and the crowd merge into one”, as the press release describes, the single distils the momentum of their live shows into four minutes of fiery energy. Bound to move bodies and minds alike, ‘Layover’ is streaming below.
Fresh off the release of Human Drift in January, 
