Drummer-Turned-Techno Wizard Gerald Cleaver Transforms the Evolution of Detroit’s Music Scene into Infectious Electronic Music in Fourth Album with 577 Records and Positive Elevation

Gerald Cleaver
The Process
Label: POSITIVE ELEVATION / 577 RECORDS
File Under: Electronic, Avant Techno, Experimental Electronic
Release Date: 8/16/24
Cat#: PEREC006
Format: LP(first pressing, 300 copies) / CD (first pressing, 100 copies) / DL

The electronic album you’ve all been waiting for has arrived!  Detroit-born drum slayer Gerald Cleaver is making this summer even better with the upcoming release of a new, mysterious electronic ensemble that takes us to the next level of his unique avant-garde approach.  The Process is brought to you by 577 Records and its sub-label, Positive Elevation, which is focused exclusively on electronic experimentation and avant soul.  It marks his fourth collaboration with the companies.
Known for his ability to use the unpredictability of improvisation to deliver an unbelievable experience, Cleaver explains that the theme of The Process is the “celebration of the freedom and power of the Black American male.”  Its very name bears the idea of persisting, of becoming everlasting.  He likens The Process (both the album and his methods) to the evolution of Detroit’s robust music scene, highlighting the importance of reaching a younger audience to keep its “Electrifying Mojo” alive and thriving.
“I want this record heard like a long mix because this inspiration came from my song, ‘El Permanente’, which you hear near the end,” the musical genius says.  “The joy in it ([and in] every electronic album) for me is it plays off of my heart’s passion: improvising. I create an inspiring sound, then I start improvising. That’s the legacy of Roscoe Mitchell. For me, it’s one of the most profound lessons (musical and otherwise).”
The son of beloved drummer John Cleaver, Gerald picked up percussion effortlessly at an early age.  You may recognize him from his involvement in projects like Welcome Adventure (also featuring Daniel Carter, Matthew Shipp, and William Parker) and Into the Wilderness (with Hprizm a.k.a High Priest and Brandon Lopez).  He’s performed and collaborated with diverse artists, including Roscoe Mitchell, Tommy Flanagan, Eddie Harris, and many others.  He introduced the world to his mesmerizing electronic creations as a composer and producer in 2020.
Every note on The Process weaves together Gerald’s deep love and appreciation for the city that shaped him, its rich culture, and his relentless passion for creating transcendent yet relatable music that is to be felt (not only heard).  Enjoy it on LP, CD, and digital download beginning August 16, 2024.

Gerald Cleaver: electronics

Mixed and mastered by Jeremy Loucas at Sear Sound, New York City

Front photography: Barbershop (c. 1950-1959). "Barber and customer both with conked hair," New York Public Library Digital Collections, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library.

Back cover photography by Gerald Cleaver

Graphic design by Mark Smith

All music by Gerald Cleaver Music (SESAC)

Thank you, Michael Kreitz
This is a long mix of an unreleased song, El Permanente. Thus, The Process. - Gerald Cleaver

All music ©+℗ Positive Elevation (FIVE SEVEN SEVEN RECORDS MUSIC, ASCAP)

Positive Elevation is part of 577 Records
Brooklyn, New York
www.perecs.com
©+℗ 2024

The Process

PEREC006 GERALD CLEAVER: THE PROCESS (PREVIEW/EXCERPT)

577 Records is proud to be celebrating its 24 year anniversary.  The legendary music master Daniel Carter was one of the first people 577 cofounder Federico Ughi met soon after arriving in New York from Italy in 2000, after a brief stint in London.  It was a meeting of like minds and shortly thereafter the two started a series of house concerts at 577 Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn, the apartment where Federico was living at the time. The spontaneous nature of the concerts along with the incredible caliber of the deep downtown underground music they were able to present inspired them to bring the unique nature of what they were doing to a wider audience and they founded the label 577 Records to further that mission. 

577 Records started the New York Forward Festival in 2015 to mark the momentous occasion of Daniel Carter’s 70th birthday, now with festival editions happening in Morocco and Italy as well, and the international residency program Sounds of Freedom, in which active musicians are awarded the opportunity to develop their own sound, skills, and improvisation concept.

100% of profit from the sale of most of these albums goes to the musicians.

 

 “Guided by a mission to capture the ephemeral, to keep jazz relevant, and to foster a collaborative community of artists, the music 577 releases is timeless, masterful, and mystical.” - Bandcamp

“the music of new possibilities, full of spirituality and introspection, an alternative that did not need volume or screaming at the top of your lungs to position itself, and coupled with a deep sense of pulse and the blues.” - Free Jazz Blog

“577 Records, the musical home of the daring and the brave” - All About Jazz


577 Records
Brooklyn, New York
www.577records.com
©+℗ 2025

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