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.

Haiku Salut’s soundtrack album The General out in August

04 June 2019

The magical musical world of Derbyshire based trio Haiku Salut is as enchanting and fruitful as ever, and a fourth album is on the way, following last year’s There Is No Elsewhere. Entitled The General, it first came to be as an original live score to Buster Keaton’s comedy classic The General, commissioned by Nottingham Contemporary as part of the BFI’s Comedy Genius season and they first performed it in Belfast last January.

Preceding the album release on August 2nd through Secret Name, Haiku Salut are enticing us with a double A side, ‘Loves’/’Going Back’. The single is out on June 7th but lucky for us, we can already hear both tracks. ‘Loves’ comes with an accompanying video.

Froth drop new single ’77’ and announce UK live dates in September

03 June 2019

Froth are set to release with their fourth album, Duress, this Friday, following a two-year hiatus. After sharing ‘Laurel’, the Los Angeles trio of Joo-Joo Ashworth, Jeremy Katz and Cameron Allen are teasing the record again with new single ’77’. Frontman JooJoo Ashworth explained how the song came to life, while working with co-producer Tomas Dolas (Oh Sees/Mr. Elevator):

“Toward the end of the album, Tomas and I were really digging deep into my voice memos trying to see what was worth making into a real song. I had him play bass and synth while I sung and played some guitar. Only with Tomas would we ever come up with an odd timing song. The lyrics are mostly about when I was living with my parents for a couple months after I got kicked out of my apartment by an evil landlord.”

Take a listen to ’77’ and watch out for the album’s release on June 7th through Wichita Recordings.


In other related news, Froth are crossing the pond for a handful of live dates in the UK this September. Check all their stops below:

8th September – Komedia, Brighton
9th September – YES, Manchester
10th September – Nice ‘n Sleazy, Glasgow
11th September – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
12th September – Studio 9294, London

Hackney Colliery Band share two tracks from new album Collaborations: Volume One

31 May 2019

We´re only a week away from the release of Hackney Colliery Band´s new album Collaborations: Volume One, following their widely acclaimed Sharpener, released in 2016.
To bring the album to life,the East London collective enlisted a stellar cast of guests, including Mulatu Astatke, James Taylor, Angélique Kidjo, Roundhouse Choir, Dennis Rollins, Pete Wareham, and Bugge Wesseltoft, amongst others.

Today they share two phenomenal new tracks from the album, ‘Crushing Lactic,’ composed by incredibly talented British composer and pianist Tom Rogerson, and ‘Derashe’ featuring Mulatu Astatke. Take a listen to both now.

Collaborations: Volume One is out on June 7th through Veki

Gabriel Olafs shares new single ‘Cyclist Waltz’ from upcoming debut album

28 May 2019

Absent Minded, the debut album from young Icelandic composer and pianist Gabriel Olafs, is set for release on August 23rd through One Little Indian. Preceding the release, he has shared the single ‘Cyclist Waltz’, inspired by a poster of a French cyclist. “It hangs on the wall across from where my piano is, which is where I compose,” explained Olafs, adding:

“I love old movies and stories. I enjoy the fact that film scores demand a piece of music to have emotional depth. It has to convey multiple emotions and therefore has its part in telling a story.”

‘Cyclist Waltz’ comes with a befitting video and you can watch it below.

Trond Kallevåg Hansen’s new album Bedehus & Hawaii out today

24 May 2019

Today sees the release of Bedehus & Hawaii, the new album from acclaimed guitarist and composer Trond Kallevåg Hansen, a stalwart of the Norwegian jazz scene. Bedehus & Hawaii had been a floating idea in Hansen´s mind for a long time and was originally commissioned for Sildajazz in 2017. He had this to say about it:

“I’ve deliberately used references and inspiration from my own upbringing on the west coast of Norway where I spent many summers with my grandparents on the little island of Bomlo, where both the chapel buildings and the music were central to life there. It’s funny because I noticed that music from this community can be very similar to Hawaiian music and this perception naturally directed me towards musicians that I’ve been really fascinated by, like Ry Cooder and David Lindley, and also Hawaiian guitarists Joseph Spence and Ray Kane. Simultaneously, I started to listen to the great Norwegian guitarist Geir Sundstøl, who is heavily influenced by this music. He was already a musical hero to me so when he agreed to join the ensemble for this project I was so happy. We even recorded the album in the same studio as his own ‘Brødløs’.”

In addition to longtime partners Alexander Hoholm on double bass, Ivar Myhrset Asheim on drums and percussion, and violinist Adrian Løseth Waade, Hansen also enlisted the help of guest Geir Sundstøl. “Pedal steel guitar is probably the most beautiful sounding instrument I know”, said Hansen, “and to have Norway’s most respected and in-demand guitarist playing on my album was surreal and amazing.”

‘Flukt’ serves as a wonderful taste from the record. Take a listen now.

Bedehus & Hawaii is out now through Hubro