Maurice Louca & Elephantine announce new album, Moonshine, and share lead track ‘Trembler’

25 July 2023

Back Row: Daniel Gahrton, Rasmus Svale Kjærgård Lund, Özün Usta, Isak Hedtjärn, Maurice Louca
Front Row: Tommaso Cappellato, Rosa Brunello, Els Vandeweyer, Piero Bittolo Bon

Maurice Louca is and has been one of our favourite artists for a long time, be it with his solo works or with his many collaborative projects, including his trio The Dwarfs of East Agouza, multicultural collective Alif and bands like Bikya, Lekhfa and Karkhana. Louca’s previous two albums, Saet El Hazz (The Luck Hour) and Elephantine, made it our Album Picks of the Year when they came out in 2021 and 2019 respectively. So we’re truly over the moon to know that the immeasurably talented and adventurous composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer is ready to dazzle us again with a new album. Entitled Moonshine and releasing under his band name Elephantine, the new record brings together a phenomenal cast of musicians including double drummers Tommaso Cappellato and Özün Usta; Piero Bittolo Bon on alto, Daniel Gahrton on baritone and Isak Hedtjärn on clarinet; Rasmus Svale Kjærgård Lund on tuba; Rosa Brunello on bass; Els Vandeweyer on vibraphone and Louca himself on guitar/lap steel/synth.
Transcending the boundaries between various genres and cultures, including jazz, avant-rock, electronics, free improvisation, psychedelic and Middle Eastern influences, Moonshine is a triumphant, compelling, absorbing and sonically stunning record imbued with a touch of melodrama. Asher Gamedze, who penned an essay on Moonshine, describes it as “Abstract territories of freedom, always grounded, expansive, multiple, internally differentiated, and elephantine.”

We’ll have to wait until September 15th for the album to be out through Sub Rosa and Northern Spy Records but we can already get a sublime taste of what’s in store with lead track ‘Trembler’ now streaming. Here it is.

To tide you over until the album’s release, check out the excellent guest mixtape Maurice Louca put together for us back in April 2019.

Listen to Don Kapot’s second single, ‘Macarona’, off forthcoming LP I Love Tempo

23 July 2023

Don Kapot are back with a new proof of their infectious and buoyant sounds and rhythms, with their fourth album. Entitled I Love Tempo, it arrives on September 15th through W.E.R.F. Records. For their new opus, with nods to free jazz, afrobeat and krautrock served with an unabashed punk spirit, the Brussels based power trio of Giotis Damianidis (bass), Viktor Perdieus (baritone saxophone) and Jakob Warmenbol (drums) enlisted Greg Saunier (Deerhoof) for mixing and production duties. The upcoming I Love Tempo saw Don Kapot expand their sound palette and add new instruments including keyboards and sampling, with groove remaining at the core of it all.

Following the album’s opening track ‘Me Pig’, Don Kapot have shared a new ecstatic single from the album called ‘Macarona’. Speaking about the track, the trio comments:

“Our New single, Macarona, came to life during one of the strangest times in all of our lives, the pandemic. Kind of in secret, we wrote Macarona together amidst isolation, cancelled concerts and uncertain perspectives. The song starts blasting out a rush of anger and frustration, but as it progresses, it attempts to zoom out an put things into perspective.”

Listen to both tracks below.


Pevin Kinel reveals As Seen By A Lunarian With A Telescope digital re-release

21 July 2023

There’s wonderful news from Pevin Kinel who today surprises us with his new full-length album titled As Seen By A Lunarian With A Telescope. Originally released only as a CD in 2019, the record now receives the worldwide release it deserves. A striking and overwhelmingly creative record, As Seen By A Lunarian With A Telescope takes cues from genres aplenty, confirming Pevin’s sprawling musical identity. With an expansive sonic palette, the ten tracks on the album are all over the map styllistically proving that the incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist and one-man-orchestra can compose in any style. As with his previous works, the new album was entirely written, recorded and produced by Pevin himself, and we find him playing all instruments, including electric and acoustic bass, electric and acoustic guitar, drums, e-drums/drum machine, glockenspiel, violin, toy piano, synth, clarinet, vocals and percussion.

Pevin had previously shared the staggeringly beautiful ‘Hemmed‘, which is featured on the album. For another taste of the sonic wizardry in store for us, listen to two new tracks from the album below, ‘Electroplating’ and ‘Medal’. And lend your ears to the whole album on his bandcamp, each listen will reward you in spades.


Lawrence English & Lea Bertucci share second single, ‘Amorphic Foothills’, off forthcoming collaborative album

19 July 2023

Earlier this month, composer, artist and Room40 founder Lawrence English and interdisciplinary artist, composer and improviser Lea Bertucci announced the release of their debut collaborative album, Chthonic. Following the bewildering first single, ‘Geology of Fire’, the pair have let loose a second track from the album called ‘Amorphic Foothills’. Give it a listen now and grab the album when it’s out on August 11th through American Dreams.

corto.alto’s debut album Bad With Names out in October; listen to new tracks ‘Bye’ & ‘Slope’

18 July 2023

Photo: Sophie Jouvenaar

Influenced as much by jazz as by hip-hop, broken beat, electronica, dub and punk, Bad With Names is the brand new album from Glaswegian prodigious multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer corto.alto. A trombone wizard and fast-rising star in the jazz industry, Liam Shortall, the man at the helm of the project, enlisted the help of outstanding musicians from the Scottish and UK Jazz scene to bring his record to life, including award-winning pianist Fergus McCreadie, drummer Graham Costello, trumpet player Johnny Woodham, and trombonist  Anoushka Nanguy, amongst others.

Following the first single ‘Bye’, corto.alto shared last week ‘Slope’, the second superb taste from his upcoming album. Speaking about the track, Shorthall had this to say:

“Slope” comes from me sitting in Queen’s Park, Glasgow watching some skateboarders skate up a hill, and how counter-intuitive it looked, but then noticing how satisfying it looked when they hit the top and went down the other side. I suppose another metaphor for endurance, resilience etc.”

Both singles confirm corto.alto’s incredible artistry and his willingness to experiment across multi-genres and styles. Check out the accompanying visuals for ‘Slopes’ below and listen to ‘Bye’ straight after.


Bad With Names is out on October 6th through New Soil x Bridge The Gap

Kamaal Williams announces fourth album, Stings, and shares lead single ‘PKKNO’

12 July 2023

Rejoice, for a new album from Kamaal Williams has been announced! Entitled Stings, the record is the follow-up to 2020’s Wu Hen and arrives on September 27th through his Black Focus Records imprint. Marking his fourth album release, Stings was conceived during the pandemic when he bought an upright piano and the South London multi-talented musician recorded it in early 2022 in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago. The album will feature three digital singles that see him explore electronics and vocals. These will not be included in the physical release but are deeply connected to Stings. The blistering and futuristic lead single ‘PKKNO’ is one of these tracks and it clearly shows an artist bursting with inspiration. Take a listen below.