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Pete Herbert - Wally Dub

Mr Bongo proudly presents the debut album from Tasmania-born, Melbourne-based, Finn Rees. Gliding across a swirling palette of saturated hues, Dawn Is A Melody feels vintage yet vibrant, new but familiar at the same time. A spiritual, deep and textured jazz record, tipping its hat to greats from the past, capturing memories and reformulating them into new ideas with the help of some of Melbourne’s finest talent.

Expert keys player for the likes of 30/70 and Elle Shimada, alongside one-half of Close Counters, this debut LP was Finn’s conscious departure from the realm of groove-based jazz. Instead, Dawn Is A Melody places the piano and arrangements centre stage, giving Finn and his fellow Melbourne crew freedom to explore the spaces in between, new emotions and alternate soundscapes.

In Finn’s own words: “My intention with Dawn Is A Melody was to create a world; a microcosm of colour. Something rich and beautiful that allowed the melodies and compositions to reach their full potential. It was driven by hope, curiosity and the search for beauty and reassurance in this ever-changing world. The emotion behind the music is really about the journey of life, growing up and changing, as well as my relationship with Tasmania’s natural landscapes where I grew up, a part of the world that is incredibly unique and beautiful.”

The album arcs between opening, middle and end. Beginning with the optimism of ‘Looking Up’ and ‘Lagoon’, the former a celestial, string and harp marbled slice of positivity, the latter a spiritual journey of exuberance and hope, Finn’s fingers dancing across the ‘70s Yamaha grand piano. From there the songs blossom outwards with the cinematic soulful journey of ‘It’s Behind Me Now’ and Brazilian-inspired ‘Expansion’, as the divine ‘Crossing’ signals a transition to a new realm. The energy is transformed from the rich cosmic textures to a more intimate and personal feeling with ‘Ablaze’, ‘Between Spaces’ and ‘As It Passes’ which blissfully fades down to simply piano and strings to close out the record.

Recorded at Rolling Stock in Collingwood, Melbourne, Henry Jenkins was drafted in as recording and mix engineer, his minimal vintage mic setups giving a live aesthetic and warmth to the arrangements. Lucky Pereira and Blakely McLean Davies form the rock-solid rhythm section, with a hand-picked line-up of other Melbourne talent on display, including Cheryl Durongpitikul on tenor sax, Siwei Wong on harp, Audrey Powne on trumpet and Allysha Joy on vocals to name only a few.

Plotting a course from Alice Coltrane, through Herbie Hancock, to Arthur Verocai, this is a debut nourished by the past but firmly made in the present. A record unable to be age-stamped, casting ambiguity as to when, what era and by whom it has been crafted. Like a vintage lens capturing a current scene, Dawn Is A Melody is warm and familiar yet focused on the here now.

Finn Rees - Crossing

Kyle Hall - Create Your Own Existence

Two Granular synthesis Engines are being fed with my friend playing organ on a Nord. Some incidental synth sounds combine in the background

Siachen

Mood Swing

"Fusion" by Roche
from the "Sity To Sky" EP on Hobo Camp
rochesf.bandcamp.com/album/sity-to-sky-ep

Roche - Fusion

taken from WALK.MAN VOL 4 out on vinyl next week. digital available from band camp. Mastered by Matt Colton. 

lo-res mp3 - don't be a tool and cop at the store.

1luv

WALK.MAN 

BUY / PREORDER VINYL

DOC DANEEKA - UR SALVATION

bandcamp

Pacific Coliseum - Beach Runner (Manuel Darquart Balearic Rerub)

WOLF Music reissue offshoot, Nothing Is Lost, strike gold again with their second release. The four track sampler cherry picks some of the greatest dub mixes to grace the legendary Easy Street label’s hall of fame, reissued and remastered.

Side A serves up two proto-house bombs dubbed out to the high heavens by the one and only Paul Simpson. Firstly, Sleeque’s sumptuous ‘One For The Money’, gets a tougher makeover with Simpson’s classic touches to the drums, echoes in all the right places and delicate splices of choice vocal refrains and piano stabs. Likewise for the A2, Simpson focuses in on that peach of a bassline from Paradise Girls – Holding Back, coupling it with Special-Intention-esque synths and cascading percussive ripples.

On the flip side, it’s a Blaze masterclass. First up, Alexander Hope (aka Josh Milan / one half of Blaze) ‘Let The Music Take You’. Produced alongside Blaze counterpart Kevin Hedge, the track gets the remix treatment from Klub Head – a further alias the two held. Honing in on the vibraphone mastery and bumping house rhythms they juice up the original with all the ethereal soul you could ever want.

Closing out the EP, a onetime collaboration between Blaze and Otis Vick, System VIII’s super soulful ‘Underground (Untouched Dub)’. Josh Milan’s exquisite and iconic vocals marry with sweet sax licks providing the perfect late night groover or, just as equally, the ultimate beachside roller.

Kyle Hall - Create Your Own Existence

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