Hypnotic Brass Ensemble's colorful instrumentation is coupled with the stirring vocals of the legendary Yasiin Bey. This long awaited collaboration marks over a decade of brotherhood between the artists. Yasiin, who was among the first to discover the group busking in NYC,  helped introduce them to the world. Nuff Respect!!!

https://open.spotify.com/track/46O9AO4IlGTKJi8RztLIEc
https://music.apple.com/us/album/space/1699578415?i=1699578427&at=1000lHKX&ct=linktree_http&itsct=lt_m&itscg=30200&ls=1

Space Ft. Yasin Bey

Buy / Save it here: https://orcd.co/animabreathe

Anima, the opening number from harpist Alina Bzhezhinska and saxophonist Tony Kofi's collaborative musical journey, Altera Vita, is a captivating ode to life’s very essence, breath. Intrinsically entwined with our existence, ‘Anima’ – Latin for soul – finds its symbiotic relationship with breath, deeply rooted in mythic lore. Ancient civilizations believed it to be the gods who 'breathe', or bestow the Ka - a life force or soul - onto an individual, marking the beginning of their existence.

Anima serves as a perfect entry point into the expansive universe of ‘Altera Vita’. The composition begins with a harp intro that guides the listener into a serene ‘other world’ where Kofi’s saxophone and Bzhezhinska’s harp engage in an intimate dance echoing stories of existence, questioning and responding to each other’s musical cues. The interspersing cadences achieve a resounding echo of life's rhythm, adding layers of atmospheric depth and a hint of percussive texture, creating a rich tapestry of sound.

The spotlight, quite deservedly, falls on the razor-sharp precision and controlled mastery of Kofi’s saxophone performance. It inhabits a central space in this ethereal ensemble as it intricately weaves through the narrative of the track. The saxophone's voice, both poignant and assertive, offers a compelling focus that harmoniously fuses with the exotic and beguiling strands of Bzhezhinska’s harp.

Together, they envelop the listener in an aural spectacle spanning five minutes, designed to cleanse senses and uplift spirits. It captures the transient quality of breath – the raw, unadulterated phenomena that fuels the existence of every living entity. Anima, in essence, transcends the ordinary and celebrates the profound connection between breath and Anima (soul).

Alina Bzhezhinska & Tony Kofi - Anima - Breathe

No one has lived a life quite like Marcos Valle. He became an overnight international sensation, fled a military dictatorship, dodged the Vietnam war draft, had his music sung by Homer Simpson, made enemies with Marlon Brando, and became an unsuspecting fitness guru for multiple generations. But to truly understand the great Brazilian composer, arranger, singer and multi instrumentalist, one must listen to his music.

Between the release of his first album in 1962 and today, Marcos Valle has released twenty-two studio albums traversing definitive bossa nova, classic samba, iconic disco pop, psychedelic rock, nineties dance and orchestral music. He has also had his songs recorded by some of the all time greats, including Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughn, Sergio Mendes, Elis Regina, and (last but not least), Emma Button of the Spice Girls. He has also had his music sampled by Jay-Z, Kanye West, Pusha T and many more. With his twenty-third studio album Túnel Acustico, Valle set out to bring it all together.

“I believe my music is many things. It goes in different directions. I have many different ways of writing music, sometimes it’s melodies and harmony, sometimes the groove is the focus. But all the music I have made over my sixty year career is unified. It is all natural and it is all sincere. And this is what I wanted to bring to my new album.”

A prominent feature of Valle’s career has been his dual residence between Brazil and the USA. Originally moving over in the mid-sixties on the back of bossa nova’s international proliferation, Valle toured with Sergio Mendes and became hugely in demand as a composer and arranger. But the Vietnam War loomed and the threat of being drafted saw him return to Brazil. He spent the following years in Rio writing music for TV and film, as well as four cult favourite albums in collaboration with some of Brazil’s most groundbreaking musicians including Milton Nascimento, Azymuth, Som Imaginario and O Terco.

By 1975, Brazil's military dictatorship was at its most oppressive, making living and working increasingly difficult. Valle moved back to the US where he would reside in LA, writing songs for, and collaborating with the likes of Eumir Deodato, Airto Moreira, Chicago, Sarah Vaughn and Leon Ware, amongst others.

Túnel Acústico features two songs originally conceived during Valle’s time on the West Coast: “Feels So Good”, a stirring two-step soul triumph written in 1979 with soul icon Leon Ware, and the sublime AOR disco track “Life Is What It Is”, composed around the same time, with percussionist Laudir De Oliveira from the group Chicago.

On Túnel Acústico, Valle's core band features two members of the renowned Brazilian jazz-funk group Azymuth: Alex Malheiros on bass and Renato Massa on drums. The rhythm section is completed by percussionist Ian Moreira, with additional contributions from guitarist Paulinho Guitarra and trumpeter Jesse Sadoc.

The contemporarily composed music on Túnel Acústico features an impressive lineup of guest lyricists, including renowned Brazilian artists: Joyce Moreno, Céu, and Moreno Veloso, as well as Valle's brother Paulo Sergio Valle.

The album closes with "Thank You Burt (For Bacharach)", a tribute to the legendary composer who passed away in 2023.

Marcos Valle - Todo Dia Santo

A sublime expedition from Brazil to the sky, “Modo Avião” (Airplane Mode) sees São Paulo based trio Caixa Cubo jet further forth from the lineage of Brazilian instrumental music.

Following in the footsteps of heroes like Azymuth, Antonio Adolfo, Cesar Mariano and Marcos Resende, with the tried and tested trifecta of synthesizers, bass and drums, Caixa Cubo have carved out their own idiosyncratic ideal of golden-era Brazilian jazz-funk and samba-jazz.

Encapsulating the vitality and experimentalism synonymous with Sao Paulo’s musical history, Caixa Cubo playfully straddle the elegant and the surreal, with masterful songwriting and the consummate musicianship of longtime friends and bandmates Henrique Gomide (keyboards) Noa Stroeter (bass) João Fideles (drums).

Caixa Cubo have been playing together for over 14 years - and that’s ‘playing’ in the truest sense of the word. As bassist Noa Stroeter explains: 

“A story, a joke, images, invented words, people we met on tour, places, fictitious or not, have always been part of our creative process. And they are precious materials beyond the musical work itself. This dynamic has stayed with us to this day, and for me it is the characteristic that guarantees that no matter what, we will have fun working.”

Presenting a contemporary reimagining of Brazilian grooves from the 1970s, Modo Avião marks an evolution for Caixa Cubo’s music which delves deeper into the tradition of Brazilian instrumental music, while continuing to develop its rhythmic and harmonic possibilities. Utilising an extensive understanding of Brazilian music history and Brazilian rhythm in particular, the group explore the seemingly endless possibilities of fusing carnaval marches, frevo and Baião, with jazz, MPB and funk.

Recent Caixa Cubo releases include 2023’s “Agora”, which featured guest vocalists including Xênia França and Zé Leônidas; and 2020’s "Angela," which was hailed by BBC 6 Music, Gilles Peterson, and Bandcamp as one of the best albums of the year. 
Caixa Cubo have performed at Jazzahead! in 2022 (Germany), Jazz à Vienne (France), Riverboat Jazz Festival (Denmark), Breda Jazz Festival (Netherlands), Blue Note São Paulo (Brazil) and Jazzkeller Frankfurt (Germany) 

This November Caixa Cubo will tour Europe, with performances in the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, The Netherlands and France. 

Modo Avião releases on Vinyl LP, CD and digitally on the 15th November 2024 via Far Out Recordings.

Caixa Cubo - Modo Avião

Ndini wako

Believe Me

Focusing Free

ooh
they say you thinkin too literal, the raps be despicable
the physical barrier i constructed was a typical
my stature, wear the crown, i be the king of 
hypocritcals
but what happened to manners, why is everything political?
we cynical and playing with fire, reject unholy desires, while i been high i can't remember anything i admired
so tap the wire, spark the blunt, whatever get you inspired
before we hide behind the mask, like future or mike myers
take a flyer throw your hat in the ring, the chain blingin
walking tired to the edge of the brink, my plane sinkin
into no man's land, hittin notes like great 
singin', even at the bottom i stand tall like abe lincoln

[call and response]
what is this song even about?
whaat? why would i know?

[verse 2]
bitch this aint no ratatouille 
cookin up 
no chop suey 
sushi and weed for breakfast, what the fuck am i doing
i'm stewing, the pot hot, but the coffee is not brewin
i said soon you gon see me in LA like a Bruin
im not ruined quite yet, but im struggling through it
but in the meantime, i plead baby please stop doing, 
the things that are not moving, the needle, the clock choosing to shave off some seconds, so we explorin solutions 
the pollution of our minds, all a part the design
another level in the game, or a prison of mind
but all these aimless pursuins, might predict the decline
of our society, soon you and me, gon get left behind 
is that fine?
so what's the point?
is it money is it power is it love is it jesus is it weeeeed?
so smoke a joint!
and lean into to the part where none of this belongs to me
set you freeeee
from the confines, and the prisons of your mind
you sail across the seaaa
so take a long deep breath and let it be

so does the story really end or is this the next chapter
i don't wanna play pretend, or believe they'll hang my jersey in the rafters
what im after isn't money, status, climbing up the latter 
i just wanna live my life free of chatter

so who do you love? you send grace to a god up above?
are you above other people at work, who do you hug?
when you go home, alone, with your face in the mud
is there a chance that you could give it all up?
so what's the point?
is it money is it power is it love is it jesus is it weeeeed?
so smoke a joint!
and lean into to the part where none of this belongs to me
set you freeeee
from the confines, and the prisons of your mind
you sail across the seaaa
so take a long deep breath and let it be

what is this song even about

When The Expansions self released their first single in 2013, the laid-back jazz funk of Lavender, it quickly gained strong support from soul and rare-groove aficionados including Kenny Dope, Dom Servini, Patrick Forge and Andy Smith. A run of shows followed and before long, when someone was asking if there was a soul-jazz band around to play with, “The Expansions” was the answer. 

Although this popularity meant a hiatus in releasing music, the band have been constantly busy, playing around Europe with legendary British-Ghanaian soul singer, Andrew Ashong and the exceptional, upcoming talent Connie Constance. 

There has also been a breakout project from drummer Jonny Drop - the album Sub Plot gained massive support and love from BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne. While keys-man Dave Koor has been busy playing shows with Gilles Peterson favourite Hector Plimmer, Shaun Escoffery, and Ego Ella May, improvising with Yussef Dayes (Yussef Kamaal) and Nubya Garcia, releasing music as Deoke and collaborating with label-mate Scrimshire on their Modified Man exploration. 

But always, The Expansions has remained a central focus and the true home of these four jazz and soul lovers, with occasional trips out to the country to form ideas and practice new music for the eventual album. 

Murmuration, recorded over three days at Big Noise in Southend, is constructed of single takes, with minimal overdubs, as the band attempt to capture the feeling and energy they create live. 

Debut single Breakthrough introduced the insanely catchy but deeply soulful blend of synths and groove, but here on the album that is explored to the fullest with longer breakdowns and more expansive, experimental solos. Pocket 5 displays the, possibly unexpected, influences of broken beat and almost combative rhythm playing – particularly in the complex guitar and keys breakdown where Koor and O’Keefe layer conflicting time signatures and battle to ride it out to the heavy drum return. 

Cannonball brings warm mellowness that delicately evolves through beats, touching on bossas alongside their fundamental hip-hop sensibilities. But even here there is a raucous zenith before the band sublimely recede into the silence of the a-side ending. 

Colossal album highlight Ivory Mountain is truly an epic. Evoking moments of 4Hero, there is a lightness of groove in the first half of this soulful exploration. But at the halfway point, all restraint is let go as a live string section joins the four quarters of the band for three glorious minutes of soulful disco. Evoking sounds of Quincy Jones, George Benson and Johnny Hammond, all the way through to a beautifully cacophonous finale. 

Dragonfly undoubtedly reflects on the work of Herbie Hancock and is the most direct throwback to the band’s earlier work, which is a welcome marker of how far they have come. A quintessential jazz funker. 

The album closes with the thoughtful and introverted shuffle of Miles Away. In the final eight minutes of Murmuration, The Expansions allow space and time to take precedence, with once-more-restrained peaks and developments. It becomes clear though, that the band cannot resist one last explosive finale, as they rise with screeching synths, strings and dubs for a perfect race to the finish line. 

You can hear the influences of Idris Muhammad, Grover Washington, even parallels with South London peers Yussef Kamaal and Ruby Rushton. But The Expansions have tirelessly worked to create a sound of their own and are very proud, along with label Albert’s Favourites, to finally share it.

Murmuration

Miles Away

@abasemusic delivers groove and sateen sweetness on this eight-minute stunner via @cosmiccompositions.

Read more: http://www.stampthewax.com/2018/11/30/premiere-abase-align-feat-wayne-snow/
Listen on Youtube: http://bit.ly/abase-snow

Listen on Youtube

Àbáse - Align feat Wayne Snow (STW Premiere)

Chris Dawkins is renowned for his work as a session musician and co-writer, penning and playing for Nightmares On Wax, touring and writing with Jimi Tenor and Maurice Fulton, collaborating with Dub pioneer Adrian Sherwood, and co-writing the blockbuster Oceans 11 Soundtrack with David Holmes – to name just a few of his career highlights.

It's now finally time for Dawkins to take centre stage and debut his own body of work... We proudly present to you his glimmering debut solo LP - 'Hero's Journey' - featuring Chris' signature Jazz landscapes, atmospheric trip-hop tips, and groove laden ditties.

Chris describes the thirteen track LP as his very own sonic diary. Each track has something attached for him emotionally. His peers have suggested it has a sound of something like Saint Germain or Air, which is praise indeed, whilst his own summation of this work harks back to his days with George Evelyn, with Chris stating that the listener is sure to hear echoes of his work over the past two decades with Nightmares on Wax on this particular album.

Most of the tracks here are solely of Dawkins’ own creation, however there are two notable mentions on Hero’s Journey. ‘Rootsman In Space’ features the extravagant production skills of Finnish-born Jimi Tenor, who is known for his works with Tony Allen and releases on Warp Records, whilst ‘Signs’ is graced with the delicate vocals of singer- producer-songwriter, and Released mainstay, Jorgie.
When Dawkins makes music he wants it to be colourless, genderless, ageless, wanting people to not think about who’s made it; not to judge it, but more to think about what they’re getting from the music itself... We’d say he’s done an excellent job in representing that ethos with this, his debut LP, ‘Hero’s Journey’.

Ndini wako

Nomonde_Maxeen

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