Up and Away

Happiness (feat. Asake & Gunna)

PINACOLADA

Gemini

Doomsday

Dinosaur

It's Our World

Dreams In Aspamia

So Long Stay Safe

This one was an unexpected treat. Two of our favourite contemporary musicians, Finn Rees & Sholto coming together and collaborating on a double dose of celestial, cinematic alchemy.

At Mr Bongo we are massive admirers of drummer, musician, and producer Sholto (Oscar Robertson). His two albums on Funk Night Records and DeepMatter Records, had both been highlights of their respective years. We’d gotten to know Oscar and sent him a few records. Included in the package was Australian pianist-composer Finn Rees’ debut album, Dawn Is A Melody, which was one of our favourite releases on Mr Bongo in 2024.

In Oscar's words 'For me it was a standout modern jazz record - encapsulating a spiritual / hazy dreamy soundscape which hugely resonated with me. Glissando keys and harp with lush melodies, I was instantly intrigued.”  

The pair started following each other online and as luck would have it, Finn was staying in London for the summer season, so they arranged to meet. The pair instantly clicked and said it felt like they'd known each other for years. After 40 minutes of chatting, they started to jam. 

'Love In Memory' and 'Bluebell' were recorded over two days - a track a day in Oscar's SFJ studios. Laid down on mostly analogue equipment, the pair utilised Wurlitzer’s, mellotrons, and ribbon mics through Oscar’s ‘70s Studer desk. Composed and crafted without any real intentions, other than a shared appreciation for the same style of music and approach, the tracks started to take shape. The results were as lush, nostalgic and textured as you’d expect from these two brilliant musicians, with a classical feel inspired by artists such as Piero Piccioni, Piero Umiliani, and Henry Mancini. 

For the beautiful string arrangements, the pair recruited the talents of Sholto's long-time friend and collaborator Clementine Brown (Penguin Cafe Orchestra) and Matthew Hayes of 30/70, Allysha Joy, Xpress Point, Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange fame, was brought in to play bass on 'Bluebell'.

So here we have it, a chance collaborative project built on two musicians' mutual respect for each other's outputs. The result is truly breathtaking.


Finn Rees & Sholto - Love In Memory

"We are all prisoners of the dusk, dreaming of a dawn that never comes. For in the abyss of night, even stars are but dying embers—fleeting and frail. And when the wind howls its lonely hymn, remember: darkness is the mirror where lost souls recognize themselves. Here, in the silence of eternal shadows, the heart becomes a desert… and the light, a distant rumor."

Molly

Music For Unfilled Interior Spaces
compiled and mixed by joel quizon

No Tension - Panacea
Cabbalussa - Mephista
Voice of America - Fred Frith
Lambing - Philip Jeck
Uncensored Bodies - joel quiz
Deltitnu - Tortoise
Because Together We Resonate - Slow Six
Fingerblood - Osunlade
Los Niños Sueñan - Mundos Niños
9 (Live at X Avant X) - Pantayo
Nannou - Aphex Twin
Architecture - Innerzone Orchestra
Natural Frequency - The Irresistible Force
Mhrba - Khalid Icame & Abderrazzak Akhoullil (Marrakech Undermoon)
Purpakana - Kit Clayton
Isolated - Makkina
Huckenpack - Pole
Countless Ancient Races - Susanne Duque
Van_T - Vita
To Heal - Underworld
Day’s End (After-dusk Mix) - DJ Krush feat. Kazufumi Kodama
Lichterloh - Kammerflimmer Kollektief

Joel quiz

Music For Unfilled Interior Spaces

Los Angeles Based/Manila Roots Arts and Culture Curator/Programmer, Filmmaker, DJ, & Filipino music and film advocate.

Music For Unfilled Interior Spaces

JoelQuizon

Related tracks