Hailing from Manchester in the UK, acoustic-electronica trio GoGo Penguin are pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick Blacka and drummer Rob Turner. Drawing on a heady brew of influences from Brian Eno, John Cage, Massive Attack and Aphex Twin to Manchester’s grey rain-streaked urban streets, they create a brave new sound that is wholly their own.

Defined by skittering break-beats, powerful sub-bass, telepathic interplay and a penchant for anthemic melody they create an emotionally rich palate for the listener that has seen them hailed as the most exciting new band to emerge from the UK in years.

"It’s a personal exploration. I'm discovering my own voice, my own sound all the time", explains Bill Laurance. "I get a kick out of that journey.”

That journey has led Laurance, an English native currently living in London, across the globe and through a myriad of award-winning musical projects. A world-renowned multi-instrumentalist, producer and vocalist dubbed a “jazz maestro” by The Guardian, Laurance is probably best known as a founding member of Snarky Puppy, the Grammy-winning collective based out of Brooklyn.

On his own, Laurance--a professional musician since the age of 14--has performed with an array of musical talents, including Morcheeba, David Crosby, Salif Keita, Bobby McFerrin, Susana Baca, Laura Mvula, Musiq Soul Child, the Metropole Orchestra and Trinidadian priestess Ella Andel. He’s also worked with several world-famous dance companies, including Alvin Ailey, Ballet Rambert, Matthew Bourne's 
Adventures in Motion Pictures, Phoenix Dance, Northern Ballet Theatre and the English National Ballet.

And, in his limited free time (he also runs a music production company called Twenty Thousand and is a specialist lecturer at the Institute of Contemporary Music in London), Laurance has released two critically-acclaimed solo albums, 2014's Flint (a #1 album on the iTunes jazz charts) and 2015's Swift.

If Flint was an exercise in breaking down genre barriers and Swift was a larger piece that connected deep grooves with a classical sensibility, Laurance’s new album Aftersun is a project that places African percussion at its heart, mixed in with elements of jazz and dance.

For the recording, Laurance joined Snarky Puppy’s Michael League, Robert “Sput” Searight (Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu) and legendary percussionist Weedie Braimha at the beautiful Parlor Studios in New Orleans. Here, Laurance stripped back the sound of his previous records, “getting to the heart of my instinct 
as an instrumentalist” and focused on the drums. 

It’s a record built off the presence of Braimah, a dynamic drummer born in Ghana and who’s lived and played in New Orleans. "He’s the real deal,” says Laurance.
He adds: "A lot of what we recorded was improvised live. I was interested in capturing spontaneity in the recording, to have fewer prescribed ideas. I specifically left particular groove sections open so we could realise them organically in the studio." 

Besides that percussive groove, Aftersun also plays like a pictorial soundtrack. “The majority of my writing is visual or visually inspired,” says Laurance, crediting his work with dance companies and in film. "I begin with a visual stimulus, often whilst on the road. Aftersun was conceived as a soundtrack to the summer. I wanted to instill that with my experience of working with dance companies, allowing the drums and 
percussion to lead the way.". He laughs, "to be honest, I also happened to be watching Carl Sagan's Cosmos while I was writing the album. I was preoccupied and inspired by the countless unanswered questions of the universe. The title track Aftersun, directly speaks to that."

Coming up for Laurance: a live album DVD, recorded at London’s Union Chapel, a solo piano record, more work with Snarky Puppy, and--of course--a tour for Aftersun. “It’ll be pretty open on stage,” Laurance suggests, noting his penchant for improv. Plus, the musician is also working on a vocal album utilizing different guest singers. "As a kid I was a Michael Jackson fan before I was a John Coltrane fan. I want to revisit the pop genre and incorporate that into my sound. For me it's all about the continued exploration."

Chube is a young jazz fusion band based in Cardiff, South Wales. The group was set up by Ben Creighton Griffiths (Harp, Keys) and Matthew Williams (Drums, Engineering) in 2015 after several years of playing together. They wrote their first tracks and recorded demos in 2016 before being joined by Aeddan Williams on bass for the recording of their first EP in summer 2017. They played their first shows in 2017 and released their first EP in 2018.

Chube have performed at the Harp on Wight and Aberjazz Festivals, The Black Mountain Jazz Club as well as playing at independent shows alongside various bands in South Wales venues including Tiny Rebel, Flute & Tankard, The Halfway, and Gwdihw. In August 2019 they performed at the Wall2Wall Jazz Festival with special guest artist Dennis Rollins joining them on trombone. Upcoming performances include Worley’s at The Swan (Stourport), Matt & Phred’s (Manchester), and Fougou Jazz (Torbay). 
Tracks from their debut EP have been played to positive reviews twice on BBC Wales Introducing with Adam Walton and on BBC Radio 3s Jazz Now. Another recent track was also played on BBC Radio 3 Jazz Now. Chube are in the process of writing their second EP with a plan to record very soon. 

Chube draw their inspiration from a wide variety of artists and genres and aim to write electro acoustic music that pushes the boundaries of their instruments. The harp features prominently in their performances, and there is regular usage of effects processors with the harp to take the harp from it's regular, classical sound, to a rock guitar through distortion, an ambient synth through delays and phasers, and much more. 

“There are artists who are artists and just do whatever the hell they please….they clearly don’t give a fig for whatever bandwagons that pass through town” – Adam Walton, 10/02/18, BBC Radio Wales Introducing

“Tonight’s performance was a triumph for both Chube and BMJ and there seems to be a real buzz building about this exciting and talented young band. If they were based in London rather than Cardiff their names would probably be all over the jazz media. Look out for Chube, all the signs are there that bigger things await.” – Ian Mann, 31/03/19, The Jazz Mann Review
September 2019

hi i'm gny and i make hip hop/r&b

it's pronounced jee-knee by the way 

inquiries: gnymakeshiphop@gmail.com

Ramnastax are a 5 piece funk band. We play fresh originial music scientifically designed by boffins in a secret lab to make you dance your little booties off.
categories

Gangster funk from outer space.

moonbiscuitband@gmail.com

Three piece instrumental trio hailing from Cardiff, UK. The band formed in late 2018 after meeting at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and quickly produced their debut EP 'Surfacing' to be released January 2019. The root of their overall sound lies in improvisation, jazz and funk, whilst reaching out into more dance oriented genres such as house and drum and bass. They have been likened to other experimental British trios such as Strobes and Three Trapped Tigers.

Their debut EP 'Surfacing' is reminiscent both to the Organ Trios led by John Scofield from the 70s and 80s, as well as more contemporary acts such as Troyka.

Chube is following