Alabaster DePlume shares third single ‘Naked Like Water’ feat. Donna Thompson

22 August 2023

Photo: Chris Almeida

Before embarking on 2-month tour across the US, Alabaster DePlume gave us last week another glimpse into his upcoming new LP Come With Fierce Grace. ‘Naked Like Water’ is the the third and final single lifted from the album and it features drummer and vocalist Donna Thompson, who takes the lead, as the press release describes, “coaxing the group out of a kosmische-meets-spaghetti-western lockstep and into a freer, open, and unknown space.” Speaking about the track, she commented:

“whilst we were making this music a lot of different stories and energies were swapped. I feel like this particular moment in the session was about choosing to develop our decisions both on and off the tape and it was like a summoning to say ‘Right, this is where we go next’, something that is not always an available statement when dealing in our day to day.”

Listen to ‘Naked Like Water’ below and grab Come With Fierce Grace when it drops on September 8th through International Anthem.

Kamaal Williams shares new single ‘Magnolia II’ ft. Theo Croker

13 August 2023

Photo: Glauco Canalis

After teasing his fourth album, Stings, with the blistering and futuristic lead single ‘PKKNO’, Kamaal Williams is enticing us again with an ace new single called ‘Magnolia II’ ft. Theo Croker. Take a listen now.

Stings is out on September 27th through his Black Focus Records imprint.

Equipment Pointed Ankh announce new LP, Downtown!, and share lead single ‘Trucks to Gettysburg’

10 August 2023

For anyone late to the party like us, Louisville, KY’s Equipment Pointed Ankh are an incredible, playful and adventurous band weaving through all sorts of intriguing and experimental sounds. Ryan Davis, Jim Marlowe, Christopher Bush, Dan Davis, and Shutaro Noguchi, who make up the outfit, effortlessly knit together elements of krautrock, future jazz, pop, folk, electronic music and everything in between in a beguiling manner.

January saw Equipment Pointed Ankh release their third full-length album, From Inside the House, and they have a new treat in store of us, Downtown!, a brand new record. Slated for a September 29th release through Torn Light Records, Downtown! finds the band “further exploring and refining their rhythmic variations into bright and bubbly new panoramas”, as the press release describes, adding that “whether you’re a head bobber, pelvis gyrator, or chin scratcher you’ll feel at home here.”

Ahead of the album’s release, Equipment Pointed Ankh are giving us a taste of their sonic sorcery with first single ‘Trucks to Gettysburg’ now streaming. Listen to it below and then dive into the other titles from their catalogue on bandcamp and let their spell take hold.

Bibio releases new single, ‘Sorry (Won’t Cut It)’ feat. Olivier St. Louis, off upcoming Sunbursting EP

09 August 2023

Bibio has a new treat for us as he released recently his latest single, ‘Sorry (Won’t Cut It)’, lifted from his upcoming Sunbursting EP. An ear charmer with a laid-back vibe, it features a guest contribution from Olivier St. Louis. Speaking about the EP, Bibio comments:

“Since the release of Ambivalence Avenue in 2009, I’ve followed up every one of my albums with at least one EP. Each of my albums feels like a distinct chapter in my life, and the EPs are a way of expanding a chapter before I move onto something entirely different. An EP is therefore a sort of satellite release to an album, and allows me to explore more ideas and variations within each chapter. Sunbursting EP is therefore part of the same world as BIB10, yet explores some new ideas and includes some new instruments and sounds.”

Sunbursting is out on September 22nd through Warp. Now listen to ‘Sorry (Won’t Cut It)’ feat. Olivier St. Louis.

Chip Wickham set to release new EP Love & Life

02 August 2023

Chip Wickham is gearing up to release a new EP later this month. Entited Love & Life, the EP arrives on August 25th through Gondwana Records and follows last year’s LP Cloud 10. The upcoming Love & Life EP takes influence from the soulful sounds of Yusef Lateef and is described as “a perfect four-tracker of reflective, peaceful jazz that elevates and inspires as well as a trademark slice of boppish soul jazz – the jaunty Space Walk.”

Ahead of the EP’s release, the incredibly talented British flautist and saxophonist has shared the jubilant title track. Speaking about it, Chip says it brings to light “a big lesson for us to learn as the world changes around us with such speed. The technology changes but our human needs remain the same: peace, tranquillity and time to think.”

Listen to ‘Love & Life’ below.

John Raymond & S. Carey share new track, ‘Steadfast’ ft Gordi, from upcoming collaborative record

29 July 2023

Photo: Kyle Lehman

Shadowlands is the upcoming collaborative album from Grammy-nominated jazz trumpeter John Raymond and Bon Iver sideman S. Carey. The pair go way back having first crossed paths as students nearly twenty years ago at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Despite knowing each other for a long time, it’s only when Raymond and Carey toured together in 2018 that a collaboration spark was ignited. Comprising ten tracks, on Shadowlands “soaring and anthemic moments are balanced with the intimate and meditative, giving way to a wide range of expression”, as the press release describes.

Following the lead single ‘Calling’, Raymond and Carey have shared a gorgeous and soothing new single called ‘Steadfast’ featuring Australian vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Gordi. ‘Steadfast’comes with an accompanying video made by Ingrid Weise. Watch it below and watch out for the album release on September 15th through Libellule Editions.