XVI Records is delighted to present brand new signee Kai Meara with his forthcoming EP ‘Morii’. Following the release of albums ‘Splurge’ and ‘Rheumatic’ and holding down a residency on Peckham’s Balamii Radio, the London-based artist continues to dent the scene with his staple refined production.

First track lifted from the EP is Dancing Stone’, having caught the early attention of Raji Rags (NTS Radio), it entrances listeners and immerses them in Kai Meara’s shimmering world.

https://www.musicamacondo.com/2022/02/premiere-kai-meara-dancing-stone/

Morii

Premiere: Kai Meara - Dancing Stone

mars

A loose and easy guitar solo launches “Summer Breeze On A Summer Night In Between The Shadows Of Winter,” a “desert rave,” according to Lontalius. He and UhAhUh remember dancing around the studio to this six minute-long Afrobeat-tinged jam, and why not? Funky and expansive – especially when Emma-Jean Thackray’s trumpet solo blurts triumphantly – this is exactly the kind of song you want to wriggle into your ears as you throw back your head and gaze at a starry sky.

Apply now for Red Bull Music Academy Berlin 2018: redbullmusicacademy.com/apply

Various Assets – Not For Sale 2016

UhAhUh, Lontalius, Emma-Jean Thackray - Summer Breeze On A Summer Night In Between The Shadows

Vinyl/CD: https://www.bbemusic.com/downloads/eventual-reality/
Other formats / stores: https://bbemusic.lnk.to/EventualReality
Born in a remote log cabin deep in the Scottish Highlands, Eventual Reality, the debut album from The James L’Estraunge Orchestra melds jazz and electronic music sensibilities with a huge helping of heart and soul. In 2014 seasoned producer and musician Ricky Reid and his partner retreated from the city to embark upon a new life, in his own words “away from the constant, incoherent noise of the world”. As he set up his studio, the clean air and spectacular surroundings began to provoke musical inspiration like never before. Then, like a scene from ‘Field Of Dreams’, a series of talented musicians from his former life visited the cabin for a series of late night jamming and recording sessions, leaving behind them hidden treasures to be discovered and lovingly pieced together by Ricky over the following months. With nostalgia so much a part of the album’s creation, The James L’Estraunge Orchestra can’t help but appear somewhat spectral; after all they are truly the band that never was.

Making up one half of the Soul Renegades alongside Craig Smith, as well as contributing keys and vocals to both 6th Borough Project LPs, Ricky Reid was a lynchpin of the Edinburgh scene for a little over two decades before escaping to the wilderness. Releases on Restless Soul, Local Talk, Rainy City Music among others saw him truly hone his craft, but the distractions of day to day urban living prevented him from elevating his craft to the next level. Now with no TV or wi-fi and mostly trees to talk to, Ricky has been able to freely explore and spread his wings; as he puts it: “I’ve become a conduit for something different than I’ve ever experienced before.”

Roaming from dramatic, cinematic expanses to intimate and fragile places, ‘Eventual Reality’ is the audible journal of a musician making sense of things, reconciling the past and present from a place of tranquility. From the autobiographical reverie of ‘See You Tonight’, which explores the loss of youth, to the vibrant Melbourne street sounds that introduce powerful and empowering first single ‘Closer’, the album shimmers with a palpable sense of life throughout. “My process is completely based on inspiration in the moment. Sometimes the inspiration for a track comes in the middle of the night, like ‘The Call’, which was written after a local car accident ended in tragedy for a young girl visiting the area. She was trapped underwater after driving off the road, which shocked the village and provoked this emotive, free form track.” It’s just as easy to imagine a poignant story for each piece of music contained in ‘Eventual Reality’ as it is to place yourself in that lonely cabin, comfortably cocooned in warm and deeply touching sounds.

The James L'Estraunge Orchestra - Eventual Reality

Order vinyl / CD / digital: https://bbemusic.lnk.to/SaturdayNightSpecial
In association with DJ Amir’s 180 Proof Records, BBE is honoured to present another gem from the small yet significant Strata catalogue. A precursor to New York’s Strata East, Detroit’s Strata Records was founded in the late 1960s by former Blue Note artist Kenny Cox. Starting life as a music-led community organisation, coffee shop studio and venue, Strata released only a few titles as a record label, gaining the imprint a cult following among record collectors and jazz lovers across the globe.
Possibly the best known of Strata’s releases, The Lyman Woodard Organization’s ‘Saturday Night Special’ is rightly heralded as a jazz fusion classic. Recorded in 1975, ‘Saturday Night Special’ features organ, electric piano and Mellotron by bandleader Lyman Woodard alongside guitar and bass by Ron English, with drums and percussion by Leonard King, Bud Spangler & Lorenzo “Mr. Rhythm” Brown respectively. Despite the fairly sparse instrumentation, ‘Saturday Night Special’ lays down an impressive wall of sound, powerfully atmospheric in its almost low-fi aesthetic. Hinting at more traditional jazz, rhythm & blues, afro-cuban styles and more, the uniqueness of this album is surely in its feel: summoning up images of a vast industrial landscape, assembly lines and urban decay. In other words, this record sounds like Detroit.
No great album artwork is complete without a good story to match, and ‘Saturday Night Special’ does not disappoint. Snapped by photographer and political activist Leni Sinclair (responsible for seminal pictures of Miles Davis, Fela Kuti and John Coltrane and many others), the cover image shows the contents of Lyman Woodard’s pockets placed on the hotel bed after a show: cigarette papers, cash and a pistol.
Following Woodard’s death in 2009, this incredible album was reissued in highly limited numbers by Wax Poetics; now just as hard to come by as the original pressings. It’s our pleasure to make this important and influential chapter in the story of contemporary jazz available on vinyl once again.

The Lyman Woodard Organization - Belle Isle Daze

** PRE-ORDER **
https://tenderlonious.bandcamp.com/album/the-shakedown-featuring-the-22archestra

Yussef’s Groove kicks off with driving drums, and each of the 22archestra enter steadily, fully utilising their virtuosic power, switching between low-slung bass, chic open piano solos and hazy electric piano.

The Shakedown

Yussef's Groove

YUSSEF’S GROOVE

We are so excited to present to your our next release! ☀️
Kalima - (Where Is The) Sunshine on 7"
Release date : June 6th
Pre-order yours on Bandcamp: https://chuwanaga.bandcamp.com/album/where-is-the-sunshine

For its third release, Chuwanaga goes back to the past with the reissue of “(Where Is The) Sunshine” by Kalima, a really rare 7” originally released in 1981 and produced in Baltimore (Maryland) by African-American pianist and producer Derrick Amin. Part I on the A side and part II on the B side form a real journey, a beauty in its own style fusing jazz, soul and spirituality as well as political values.

Back in the mid seventies Derrick Amin brought together young and talented musicians from his African-American Muslim community in Baltimore. He tells us: “all black music in America is a response to racism and slavery” and “(Where Is The) Sunshine” was their own answer, “a plaintiff query of one immerse in darkness. The darkness of lies, lies that deny the humanity, justice, and equality of people. It’s the impetus of this song”. He adds: “Kalima means « Word » or « Langage » in Arabic. The name was inspired by a quote from Imam W.D. Mohammad (the late Muslim American leader and erstwhile successor to Nation of Islam founder, Elijah Muhammad) who once said: “Words make people””.

With its splendid vocal parts - thanks to lead vocalist Sabreen Shareef, a unique major-to-minor chord progression, subtil synthetiser melodies in the chorus and amazing electric piano and sax solos, it really is a very special release. It’s been discovered in a @Motor Motor City Drum Ensemble jazz set with Gilles Peterson at the JAW Family Reunion in Berlin back in 2016 where he played it as the closing track of a wonderful musical journey through black music – which was the right occasion for a classic Gilles rewind and the occasion of a shared epiphany. Still, one must not forget its yet poetic still political message now shared once again with the world. The question asked by Kalima sadly still remains as relevant in 2018: Where is the sunshine ?

Don't miss!

Kalima - (Where Is The) Sunshine Pt. I SNIPPET

"Dear Jonwayne"
based on : Jonwayne @Le Mellotron
Hommage/Tribute
June 2017
by Echt!

Dear Jonwayne

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’.

Exclusive Premiere: Chris Dawkins "Rootsman In Space" Ft. Jimi Tenor

* Read more: https://boltingbits.com/ronin-arkestra-cosmic-collisions-alberts-favourites
* Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fVnKzinOX9A


Led by producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Mark de Clive Lowe, Tokyo’s Rōnin Arkestra brings together some of the most supreme and innovative players in Japan’s Jazz and electronic scene, featuring members of Kyoto Jazz Sextet, WONK, Cro-Magnon, Root Soul, Sleepwalker, Sauce81 and Kyoto Jazz Massive. Formed in 2017, the collective’s debut album ‘Sonkei’, released 27th September via Albert’s Favourites, fuses ’60s deep and spiritual jazz with experimental electronica. The album follows the release of their critically acclaimed debut EP ‘First Meeting’, released earlier this year.

The super-group takes their name from Rōnin, the masterless samurai of a time gone by. Deadly master swordsmen who, without lords to serve, roamed Japan offering their skills wherever needed. As the need for their swordsmanship declined, they became master artisans making textiles, crafting poetry, painting and writing books.It’s a fascinating evolution that has a parallel to each member in the Rōnin Arkestra collective - master musicians from different bands and clans coming together to create a vagabond band of like-minded musicians - weaving the stories of their lives into a collective sound. 

Mark de Clive-Lowe is a half-Japanese, half-New Zealander musician, composer and producer raised in Auckland, New Zealand. He came to international prominence during his decade living in London between 1998 and 2008, a became a regular collaborator with a community of producers including Bugz in the Attic, 4Hero and Restless Soul. A veteran of the UK's broken beat movement, he has been involved with over 200 releases, collaborating with artists including Lauryn Hill, Jody Watley, Shirley Horn, UK soul singer Omar, percussionist Sammy Figueroa and bass player Pino Palladino.Rōnin Arkestra have received global radio support including Mary Anne Hobbs and Huey Morgan on BBC Radio 6 Music, Gilles Peterson and Worldwide FM.

PREMIERE: Ronin Arkestra - Cosmic Collisions

We are extremely excited to be first to share this incredible new song with you. Emanative and Liz Elensky present a very special take on one of their and our favourite Flying Lotus songs, “Tea Leaf Dancers”.

Emanative is drummer and producer Nick Woodmansey, best known for spiritual jazz albums and releases on labels such as Brownswood, The Steve Reid Foundation and Jazzman Records, as well as flirting with things more electronic. (Also responsible for co-producing and mixing records for artists such as Sarathy Korwar & Collocutor).

Liz Elensky is a vocalist, lyricist and vocal arranger who has been involved with Emanative since the beginning of his project back in 2006, as well as with many other live and recording projects.

With “Tea Leaf Dancers”, Nick and Liz put a fresh, outer space samba spin on the FlyLo classic. Elensky’s hauntingly beautiful vocals float above Nick’s live drums and programmed beats, supported by synth & percussive contributions from good friend and Emanative percussionist, Vince Vella illuminating the celebrations down below.

Regarding working with Nick, also her husband, Liz tells us, “working together with someone who knows you so deeply and multi-dimensionally made it easier to go wherever we fancied in terms of experimentation and expression. To be open minded and open hearted was for sure one of the intentions, another was to have fun!”

Nick adds, "Liz has always been involved with Emanative ever since the very beginning, but somehow it was never the right time to feature her 100% until NOW! Life will always get in the way, there is never that perfect time where the universe allows you the time, money, inspiration and head space - you seem to need to get the ball rolling against all odds, and then the universe works with you and enables this to come into being. I don't think Liz realises how much I love her voice and lyrical observations."

Vince Vella has contributed to several other Emanative productions, most recently lending additional hypnotic synth for Nick's remix of Sarathy Korwar’s “Birthright”. Having studied in Cuba and Brazil, he has a deep knowledge of their rhythms. This has led to his working with an impressive list of Cuban artists, and co-producing Gilles Peterson's Havana Cultura series, whilst remixing the likes of The Comet Is Coming and 4 Hero. This made him the perfect choice as a collaborator on this new take on “Tea Leaf Dancers”.

Available to download exclusively on Bandcamp as of today, before hitting all streaming platforms January 22, “Tea Leaf Dancers” is the second of three singles taken from the forthcoming new Emanative & Liz Elensky album “The Volume Of The Light”. Released on Home Planet on March 5th on digital and limited edition vinyl, it is available to preview and pre-order now on Bandcamp.

Exclusive Premiere:  Emanative & Liz Elensky "Tea Leaf Dancers" (feat. Vince Vella) (Home Planet)

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Amane's - Moments Of Solace out now!
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Get in touch: Musica_macondo@hotmail.com

Premiere: Kai Meara - Dancing Stone

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