Towards The Flame, Vol. 1

The Flame (Robert Mitchell, Neil Charles, Mark Sanders): 'Ignitions (excerpt/preview)' (577 Records)

Welcome to Episode #123 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran connect with Robert Mitchell.

Initially recorded as part of our International Jazz Day celebrations, we're thrilled to now present the full unedited version of our conversation with pianist, composer, poet, author and educator Robert Mitchell.

Mitchell has forged a formidable reputation as a gifted pianist and composer. Currently a piano professor (Jazz) at the Guildhall, piano lecturer at Leeds Conservatoire and a teacher at YMM.  Whether he is releasing music amongst a collective or as a solo improvised performer, Robert Mitchell continues to present inspired and forward-thinking music that cements his talent and his name as of the UK's most revered jazz artists.  Robert's second book, 'City Of Sanctuary', will be out later this year on Common Tone Press.

With two incredible projects to delve into, it's an immeasurable pleasure to present our in-depth conversation with Robert Mitchell discussing his TRUE THINK project, his upcoming The Flame improvising trio as well as delving into conversations about technology and our wider societal issues relating to race within the UK and overseas.

TRUE THINK have upcoming performances at the following UK venues:

4/5 - Soundcellar (Poole)
6/5 - Vortex (London)
12/5 - Crookes Social Club (Sheffield)
18/5 - Jazz Refreshed (London)
25/5 - Zedel’s Brasserie (Crazy Coqs, London)

www.blueingreenradio.com
TuneIn: bit.ly/2LBK0BD

The Blue-in-Green:PODCAST runs in conjunction with the online radio station, Blue-in-Green:RADIO which celebrates 21st century soul, jazz, funk, Latin & hip-hop music. These shows are designed to give you some insight into the incredible range of talented presenters we're so lucky to host from all over the world and to geek out musically with us.

Blue-in-Green:PODCAST_#123_Robert Mitchell

Robert Mitchell - Piano, narration, percussion
Neil Charles - Double bass
Mark Sanders - Drums, percussion

Recorded February 10, 2022 by Shaun Crook at Cafe Oto, London, UK
Mixed and mastered by Jeremy Loucas at Sear Sound, New York City

Illustration by Robert Mirolo
Graphic design by Mark Smith

Music by Charles, Sanders, and Mitchell (Bucks Music Group Ltd)


577 Records is an independent record label 
based in Brooklyn, New York 
operating since 2001

577 Records
Brooklyn, New York
www.577records.com
©+℗ 2024



When the stirring musical passions of piano virtuoso Robert Mitchell, celebrated double bassist Neil Charles, and drum wizard Mark Sanders came together as a trio in 2022, “The Flame” was born, altering sound forever.  Now, 577 Records is thrilled to inject your reality with the group’s second album!  Towards the Flame, Vol. 2 features 40 minutes of captivating avant-garde, experimental music in three tracks (“A Son Of Windrush Reflects - All Across the Sprit Prism”, “Spark Of The Catalyst”, and “Be Kind”).

Much like their first album, Vol. 2 is yet another sparkling contribution to the rich vibe that is British improvised music.  This outstanding interplay among trio members brings together the perfect balance of adventurous improvisation, abstract rhythms, and dreamy melodies that linger oh so pleasantly in your mind.  Robert Mitchell opens the album with a dedication to the woman who gave him life.  He tenderly recites his beautifully written poem about the selfless sacrifice of a mother so devoted to helping others.



“This is the second half of The Flame’s debut show at Café Oto in Feb 2022,” explains Professor Robert Mitchell.  “It also features my poem ‘A Son Of Windrush Reflects’ in tribute to my mother and all of the nurses who served in the UK’s National Health Service from 1948 onwards - and the ongoing Windrush Scandal (5 years and counting).

A massive thank you to Polly Barnes, Federico Ughi and all who work tirelessly at 577 to bring so much amazing music into the world! In serving peace and cultivating continued vital foundations for our creative future they are vital in this ever changing and fractious environment.”

Towards the Flame, Vol. 2 drops on July 19th, available digitally and on limited edition vinyl and CDs.


An Offering.

We sit in a semicircle,
Knowing what we know,
Open to the flow:
The universal food for our growth. 

Hickory, oak, maple stick splint,
By product of an ecstatic glint, 
Elemental transmission - near mint,
Reminders of our miniscularity - as syncopated hint.

Rosin firmly enticed onto bow,
Overtones entranced to reveal their soul,
Pizz decay with an infinite goal,
Body percussion magic upon one from the luthier’s mould.

Revealing node upon overstrung ingenuity,
Unique fingerprint distributes weight upon key perspicacity,
Momentum’s gain and loss as air score read transparently,
88 tuned hearts, in potential synchronicity.

This offering is a threatened occurrence,
 Our natural state’s survival depends on all our endurance, 
The storyteller gene needs our promise, our insurance,
Or the right to heal ourselves will be ‘educated’ out of our very existence. 

(c) R.Mitchell 2024

The Flame (Robert Mitchell, Neil Charles, Mark Sanders): 'Be Kind' from Towards The Flame, Vol. 2

Song: The Flame
Music producer: Sonic Fiction
G Harmonic Minor
BPM: 127
Original Mix
Contact: info@stereotica.com
Record label: Stereotica
Release date: 21-03-2025

Sonic Fiction - The Flame

Zo Tche Kpo Do Te (Original Version)

Stereotica is an underground record label dedicated to pushing the boundaries of tech house and house music.

We aim to showcase innovative sounds from emerging artists and seasoned producers alike.

Our mission is to create a vibrant community of music lovers and DJs who appreciate the depth and energy of club culture.

Join us as we explore new rhythms and promote fresh talent that embodies the essence of the dance floor. Let the music take you on a journey—welcome to Stereotica!

Owner: Dragan Pejić aka Sonic Fiction

For beat leasing or music production contact me via Email: info@stereotica.com

Sonic Fiction is an electronic music project created with a goal to produce a style that combines rhythm and emotions. The project was founded by Dragan Pejic, a house music producer who has been creating and releasing music since 2011.

Dragan's passion for electronic music began at a young age, and he has spent the past decade honing his skills and experimenting with different genres. Over the years, he has released a plethora of house music tracks for various record labels, including Lifted House, LoveStyle Records, Three Dot House, and Manyoma Records.

In addition to his work as a house music producer, Dragan has also spent time studying and experimenting with other genres, both electronic and acoustic. This has allowed him to develop a unique and versatile musical style that is constantly evolving.

Between 2015 and mid-2019, Dragan worked as a ghost producer, creating tracks for DJs and companies that needed the services of a multi-genre producer. Through this work, he gained valuable experience and built a reputation as a skilled and versatile producer.

Today, Sonic Fiction focuses on house, tech house, and progressive techno, but Dragan's music is always changing and evolving. He is known for his ability to create tracks that are both rhythmic and emotionally resonant, and he continues to push the boundaries of electronic music with each new release.
Contacts :
General business inquiries: stereotica@gmail.com

DJ / Record label 

CNPY013 Sue Wright - I Believe In You 12" Out Now!

https://linktr.ee/canopyrecords

Out now..

CNPY001 General Ehi Duncan - Africa My No. 1
CNPY002 bosq ft Kaleta - Song For Ehi
CNPY003 Tomede Ehue - Bella Bello 
CNPY004 The Celebrant - Re-Calibrated
CNPY005 Alafia - Assanssan
CNPY006 Kiko Navarro ft Kaleta - Funky Man Dey Sleep
CNPY007 Alafia - The Sam Redmore Reworks
CNPY008-1 OPOLOPO X ALAFIA - AXXANXXAN/AXXIOVE
CNPY008-2 OPOLOPO - AXXANXXAN/AXXIOVE (Instros)
CNPY009 Kiko Navarro - Kéléjé
CNPY010 Poly-Rythmo Reworks
CNPY011 Poly-Rythmo Reworks
CNPY012-2 Joi N'Juno - Samemala
CNPYLP001 Myke Moul - Oppressor LP

CNPYLAP001 London Afrobeat Collective - Esengo LP 
CNPYLAPDIG1 London Afrobeat Collective-Topesa Esengo Na Motema 
CNPYLAPDIG2 London Afrobeat Collective - Freedom (Digital)
CNPYLAPDIG3 London Afrobeat Collective - My Way (Kiko Navarro Remixes) (Digital)

Events

13/10/23 Troyes, France
14/10/23 La Barge, Troyes, France
20/10/23 Strogi Centar, Belgrade, Serbia
21/10/23 Klub Feedback, Niš, Serbia
28/10/23 Malanga Café, Ibiza
15/12/23 Tropical Discoteque, Torino, Italy
29/03/24 Bird Vinyl Bar, Copenhagen
30/03/24 Jolene, Copenhagen
11/05/24 Fiasco, Porto, Portugal

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

Thanks for checking us out.  The podcasts & mixes here run in conjunction with Blue-in-Green:RADIO (http://www.blueingreenradio.com/) - an independent and contemporary funk, soul, jazz & Latin radio station.  

The station is home to a team of super passionate & insanely talented presenters and DJs who create shows from all over the world including London, the US, Japan and Australia.  The plan is/was/and always will be to hopefully put people on to something fantastic and new in the world of soul music.  If you've never heard of them, and like what you hear, then that's great; if it makes you want to get in touch and pitch things my way, then that's even better.

New tracks tagged #the flame