Ami Dang unveils video for new single ‘Love-liesse’

20 June 2019

After sharing the delicate and gorgeous single ‘Raiments´, Ami Dang is teasing her upcoming album Parted Plains with a new mesmerizing track, ‘Love-liesse’. It comes with a video accompaniment, which reflects how Dang was inspired by South Asian and Middle Eastern folktales, and featuring her own footage of a trip to India and 18th century paintings of the tragic romance of Sohni Mahiwal. The video was directed by Meredith Moore, who had this to say about it:

“This music video was directly inspired by Ami’s interest in South Asian and Middle Eastern folktales, specifically the tragic romance Sohni Mahiwal which tells the tale of forbidden love outside the rules of the caste system which ends in the lovers’ deaths.

Using footage Ami shot on her travels to India and 18th century paintings of the tragic romance Sohni Mahiwal, the video mimics Ami’s process of making music, combining traditional methods with modern digital electronic methods, by using the grey & white “transparency” grid as a sort of digital liminal space-a space from which all creation begins-to allow further rumination and where the images from the paintings are transformed and reconstituted into a vast digital landscape to create a new vision.

In this new vision, the lovers do not perish in the choppy waters, instead they are happily reunited above the waters, depicted here in the late 18th century painting “Embracing Lovers with Sparklers” which shows a loving couple during Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, which celebrates the triumph of light over darkness.”

Here´s ‘Love-liesse’.

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

Land Of Kush return with new album Sand Enigma

19 June 2019

Sam Shalabi and his orchestral ensemble Land Of Kush have conquered us a long time ago. The composer and musician has been busy with many other projects, including his trio with Maurice Louca and Alan Bishop, The Dwarfs of East Agouza, and last year´s involvement in Jerusalem In My Heart´s album as arranger and musical director. But finally there´s a new Land of Kush album in sight, six years on from the release of The Big Mango, which was one of our 15 Album Picks of 2013. Entitled Sand Enigma, the record is “Shalabi’s most acute and accomplished big-band composition to date”, describes the press release. “with the orchestra on fire as they stir up a melting pot of Arabic tropes, avant-jazz, modern classical, freaknoise, electronics and sound art.”

“Safe Space” is the first tremendous track to emerge from Sand Enigma and we can´t wait to hear more. Listen to it below and watch out for the album release on November 8th through Constellation.

Efterklang announce new album Altid Sammen

14 June 2019

Photo: Rasmus Weng Karlsen

Efterklang have been one of our favourite bands for a long time, enthralling us with their marvelous genre transcending compositions. Their latest release, Leaves – The Colour of Falling, a collaborative opera album with Karsten Fundal, was one of our Album Picks of 2016, but they hadn’t released a full-length album since 2012’s magnificent Piramida. The good news is the trio of childhood friends Mads Brauer, Casper Clausen and Rasmus Stolberg are back with a new album entitled Altid Sammen, which means “Always Together”. The album´s idea was first seeded when Antwerp-based baroque ensemble B.O.X approached Efterklang to compose material for a joint performance at a Belgian festival in January 2018. “We walked offstage feeling super-elevated,” said the trio’s Stolberg. “Let’s get into a studio and document this.”

Altid Sammen will see the light of day on September 20th though 4AD & Rumraket, but they are already enticing us with the gorgeous opening track ‘Vi er uendelig’ (“We are infinite”). The single comes with an accompanying video directed by Andreas Koefoed and featuring the band’s own Casper Clausen and Helena Christensen.

In other related good news, and in support of the upcoming album, Efterklang have announced an extensive European tour throughout this year and with several dates spilling into 2020. Kicking off on September 21st at Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, the tour also includes a show at Porto´s Hard Club on October 24th. Check a full list of dates and other info here.

Yazz Ahmed releases 12″ single ‘A Shoal of Souls’

12 June 2019

Two years on from the release of La Saboteuse, Bahrain-raised, London-based trumpeter and composer Yazz Ahmed has a third album on the way called Polyhymnia. Slated for an October release through Ropeadope Records, Polyhymnia is a suite of music inspired and dedicated to six female role-models, from Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai to civil rights activist Rosa Parks.

Preceding the album release, and bringing her La Saboteuse project to a close, the celebrated musician put out ‘A Shoal of Souls’, a special limited release 12″ single, available on her bandcamp. ‘A Shoal of Souls’ is a tribute to the many lives lost by those who have tried to cross the Mediterranean Sea. Yazz explains:

“I was already thinking about the migrants who perished at sea when I named the chapter The Shoal of Souls, and this new composition is dedicated to all the people who have lost their lives crossing the sea in search of a better future. I hope the music conveys the strength and power of the human spirit, the bravery to risk everything for their families, the anger I feel at the response of the West, a lack of empathy, a lack of compassion. They are not a swarm, they are us – humans. The music is also inspired by Sufism, the idea of whirling and turning, falling into a trance, a dream. I see a mirror with the whirling, turning ocean, a whirlpool of lost souls, of untold stories, talents and lives unfulfilled, joining together in the eternal dance and rhythm of a vast shoal of fish which seems to beat like a heart.”

‘A Shoal of Souls’ is a staggering piece. Take a listen now.

33-33 to release Keiji Haino & Charles Hayward’s collaborative live album

11 June 2019

Thirty Three Thirty Three have been working with pioneering artists and musicians, plotting and offering unique live performances. Now they launch as a record label, 33-33 Records, and will put out three very special releases this month, including next week Keiji Haino and Charles Hayward’s collaborative record, taking the poem below as its title:

A loss permitted to open its eyes for but three hours
And there glimpsed, finally in focus a mystery
That begs earnestly, “ask me nothing”
Now, once more the problem is yours alone

The Japanese avant-garde guitarist and improvising singer teamed up with South London’s pioneering drummer for an improvised performance at London’s Copeland Gallery in July 2016, which now emerges as a live album. On A Loss Permitted, to open one’s eyes…, we find “a mix of air synths, distortions, improvised Japanese poetry and warped guitar sounds”, as the label describes.

The album is out on June 21st but we can already hear ‘Track 7’ for a beguiling taste of Keiji Haino & Charles Hayward’s latest collaboration.

Ami Dang announces instrumental album Parted Plains

05 June 2019

Photo: Missy Malouff

Baltimore based vocalist, sitarist, producer and composer Ami Dang has announced the release of her new album Parted Plains. An all instrumental affair, the record will see the light of day on August 2nd through Leaving Records. Blending ambient, trance and electronic music, Parted Plains is inspired by South Asian and Middle Eastern folktales. As the press release describes, Dang drew influences from “the four tragic romances of Punjab, Sohni Mahiwal, Sassi Punnun, Heer Ranjha, and Mirza Sahiba; Flora Annie Steel’s Tales of the Punjab: Folklore of India, and selected stories from One Thousand and One Nights.”

Ahead of the album´s release, Dang has shared the single ‘Raiments’ and it serves as a delicate and gorgeous taste from what´s on offer. Take a listen now.