Ligeti Quartet and Anna Meredith’s collaborative album, Nuc, out now

06 May 2023

Last month saw the the release of Nuc, the new collaborative record from Ligeti Quartet and incredible electronic contemporary composer, producer and musician Anna Meredith. Nuc sees Ligeti Quartet perform compositions from Meredith, including pieces arranged by viola player Richard Jones.
An exuberant and exhilarating record, Nuc sprouted from a conversation between Meredith and Jones who have been collaborating with each other for more than a decade. As the press release describes, Nuc “is a joyful, occasionally furious, never too serious, sometimes energetic and sometimes restful collection of tracks which dazzle with Anna’s signature compulsive harmonies, rhythmic shifts of gear and sparkling textures.”

Opener ‘Tuggemo’ kick starts the album majestically. The track was previously released as a single with an accompanying video directed by Ewan Jones Morris. Watch it below

Nuc is out now through Mercury KX

Matthew Herbert shares second single, ‘The Rider (Not The Horse)’, from upcoming record

29 April 2023

The announcement of The Horse, the new album from Matthew Herbert, made us tingle with excitement, all the more as the British artist, producer, composer and experimentalist had then shared the triumphant and propulsive lead track, ‘The Horse Has A Voice’, featuring Theon Cross. A collaboration with the London Contemporary Orchestra, The Horse is a star-studded album and in addition to Theon Cross, it also features contributions from guests Shabaka Hutchings, Evan Parker, Danilo Pérez, Seb Rochford and Edward Wakili-Hick.

Ahead of the album’s release on May 26th through Modern Recordings / BMG, Herbert has unveiled a second spectacular cut from it called ‘The Rider (Not The Horse)’, a track with horse bone percussion and bone flutes made from the full-size horse skeleton at the origin of the project. Here it is.

Holy Tongue’s debut album, Deliverance And Spiritual Warfare, out now

29 April 2023

Yesterday saw the release of Deliverance And Spiritual Warfare, the debut album from Holy Tongue, following a trilogy of widely acclaimed EPs. Having recently expanded to a trio, with Susumu Mukai (Zongamin) joining percussionist Valentina Magaletti and producer and musician Al Wootton, Holy Tongue synthesize their disparate influences into a striking and singular record. As the press release describes, on the album we find the band “exploring their diverse influences, from the opening Andalusian catholic march to heavyweight dub via jazz, post punk, mystical percussion tracks and techno.”

To bring Deliverance And Spiritual Warfare to life, Holy Tongue enlisted guests Steve Beresford on prepared piano, and Abraham Parker and David Wootton on brass.

For a taster of what’s on offer, listen to ‘A New God Before Us’.
Deliverance And Spiritual Warfare is out now through Amidah Records

Sdban Records re-releases KAU’s EPs, II and III, for Record Store Day

25 April 2023

Record Store Day took place last Saturday and two of KAU‘s EPs were included among the special releases out that day. The latest signing on the ever–consistent Sdban Records, KAU’s two EPS, 2021’s II and 2022’s III, received a well deserved vinyl treatment, also marking the trio’s first vinyl release. On both EPs, Andre Breidlid (drums), Matteo Genovese (bass) and Jan Janzen (keys), who make up the Brussels outfit, stretch beyond the jazz cosmos, creating wild and exhilarating compositions with an improvisation spirit and irresistible grooves. KAU, as the label puts it, “create a head-bobbing atmosphere using broken beats and catchy melodies while leaving space for improvisation”.

There’s more good news from KAU who are gearing up to release their debut full-length album in September. Whilst we wait  for more details and new music to emerge, here’s two cuts from their re-released EPS to whet your appetite, ‘Napoli’, off EP II, and ‘ Mad Max’ off EP III.


Penguin Cafe set to release fifth album, Rain Before Seven, in July

22 April 2023

Coinciding with the Piano Day celebrations, Penguin Cafe released last month a gorgeous new single called ‘Second Variety’. There’s more wonderful news from the ensemble of Arthur Jeffes who have this week announced the release of their fifth record, following their 2019 Antarctic-inspired album, Handfuls Of Night. Entitled Rain Before Seven…, the album takes its name from an old and optimistic weather saying, ‘Rain before seven, fine before eleven’. Jeffes comments:

“It has faintly optimistic overtones and I quite like it. It’s fallen out of usage recently but it does describe English weather patterns coming in off the Atlantic.”

Rain Before Seven… is infused with exuberant and colourful moods, as Jeffes explains:

“Stylistically it’s really satisfying to get back to playful rhythms and instruments. Certainly when starting out, I became aware that we’d stopped using quite a few of the textures that had been there at the beginning—and it was certainly there in my dad’s earlier stuff. So there’s a lot of balafon and textures from completely different parts of the world, musically and geographically: ukuleles, cuatros and melodicas that you can hear.”

We’ll have to wait until July 7th for Rain Before Seven… to be out through Erased Tapes but a second advance track, ‘In Re Budd’, is now ours to discover. With sounds seeped in “an Afro Cuban Cafe vibe”,  ‘In Re Budd’  is dedicated to Harold Budd. Speaking about it, Jeffes says:

“This was the first piece I ever wrote on the balafon — and the day I was recording it I heard about Harold Budds’ passing away. I never met him but I’ve always loved his work and I felt that the incongruity of the track wouldn’t be at all inappropriate for a dedication.”

Penguin Cafe are offering the single with a delightful video directed by Mihai Feflea. Here it is.