From Live at Blackheath Halls 19/09/13, released 04 Oct 2013

Alto Sax - Nathaniel Facey
Alto Sax/ Clarinet - William Scott 
Tenor Sax/ Clarinet/ Flute - Leo Aarons-Richardson
Tenor Sax - Claire Furlong
Bari Sax/ Bass Clarinet - Greg Sinclair
Trumpet - Tom Dennis, Mike Soper, Lily Carassik, Alaric Taylor
Trombone - Ross Lumbard, Rosie Turton, Hannah Dilkes, George Wrench
Electric Guitar - James Kitchman
Keyboards/ Piano - Elliot Galvin 
Double Bass - Louis Thomas 
Drums - Liz Exell

The full live album can be streamed and downloaded for here: https://emmajeanthackray.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-blackheath-halls-19-09-13

Johari's Window feat. James Kitchman/  Nathaniel Facey [LIVE]

The illustrious, London-based duo Kit Sebastian, aka Kit Martin and Merve Erdem, return with a limited edition 7” single. It features ’L’addio’, a breakbeat driven, sultry ballad, and ‘Hayat’, a hazy, psychedelic scorcher that delves into the band’s Turkish and Azerbaijan influences.

‘L’addio’ saw the band perfecting their production and orchestration, with strings, horns and double bass, and an Italian synth found in a French dump. The music was greatly influenced by Italian soundtracks and Italian female singers, such as Mina or Rita Pavone. The track announces itself with a break that is guaranteed to get samplers twitching. The tone of the melody and lyrics is heartfelt and aching. It has a beautiful, intimate sadness like the closing scenes to a love affair, and it exquisitely rides over the slow, psych-funk-dramatic backing track. The lyrics are inspired by a flat opposite Merve's window that's occupied by drug addicts, with many guests coming in and out every night. Merve elaborated “Being both neighbours and strangers, and with the boredom of a post-tour everyday domestic life and a pinch of urban voyeurism, it was hard not to wonder what was happening in that flat. The words imagine an addict before her/his golden shot as if it's a love relationship between them that comes to an end.” 

Having spent much of 2022 touring and writing, ‘Hayat’ was the first original composition the band recorded since their October 2021 album, ‘Melodi’. Here we see them weaving a psychedelic tapestry of Mugham melodies, organ-driven grooves, and jazz-pop harmonies in classic Kit Sebastian fashion. Recorded to Fostex 1/4” tape, the essence of the production is perfectly balanced between being brand new and retro, which is a feat very hard to pull off. 

‘Hayat’ is sung in Turkish and the title translates as ‘Life’ in English. The song examines our desire to find one's place in the world and the provisionality of existence. Merve's searching lyrics ask “Where are you? Where is the universe?”. Her vocal delivery perfectly reflects the lyrical focus, its texture is probing and ethereal, almost as if sung from looking above us.

Kit Sebastian - L'addio

Monday Tsubaki: Dexter Colt - 01.04.24

Written by Valerie Lowder, background by Makenna Lyric, produced by Jason Brownell

Playing God

Rainer Trueby presents Soulgliding

Without Love

A selection of 45s from Benin, Nigeria, Cote D'ivoire, Ghana and Mali for the mighty Radio Al Hara recorded at the Kalakuta Soul Records HQ.

Without Love

Peter Brown

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