Saul Williams, Carlos Niño & Friends - Saul Williams meets Carlos Niño & Friends at TreePeople

Land Back!

An unadulterated opening statement intoned by Saul Williams three times, as he joins Carlos Niño & Friends in sound ceremony underneath oak and black walnut trees in Coldwater Canyon Park, Los Angeles, on December 18, 2024.

The performance, which was organized by Noah Klein of Living Earth on the grounds of longstanding conservationist organization TreePeople, was the first of its kind for longtime friends and collaborators Williams and Niño. The two have been in contact since 1997 and have worked on a variety of projects together, but had never been moved to present in this way. For the occasion, Niño assembled and directed an ensemble of frequent collaborators including Nate Mercereau (Guitar Synthesizer, Live Sampling with Midi Guitar, Sample Sources), Aaron Shaw (Flute, Soprano Saxophone with Pedals, Tenor Saxophone), Andres Renteria (Bells, Congas, Egyptian Rattle Drum, Hand Drums, Percussion), Maia (Flute, Vibraphone, Voice), Francesca Heart (Computer, Conch Shell, Sound Design), and Kamasi Washington (Tenor Saxophone).

Williams’ inspired poetics both fit seamlessly and guide clairvoyantly the electro-acoustic ecosystem created by Niño & Friends – a constellation of deep connections and intersecting linkups from complementary sound makers. There’s the dialogue between not just Niño & Williams but Niño and Renteria’s reciprocal percussions; the intergenerational woodwind counterpoint between Washington and Shaw; the hovering harmonics of Maia’s vibraphone in aerial resonance with Heart’s digital designs. Heart’s sounds also make a beautiful analogue to synth-guitarist Nate Mercereau, whose live sampling and manipulation techniques turn fleeting moments of sonic presence into musical architecture in real time. Deepening the dimensionality of this constellation, Mercereau and Niño are several years into a shared musical simpatico that has yielded dozens of powerful collaborations, making their particular interaction on this recording as spiritual and transcendent as it is subtle and implicit. And there is yet another connection to be highlighted still.

Late in the set, Williams shares an extended reflection on the Dutch East India Trade Company, the indigenous Lenape people on the island of Manahatta, the origins of Wall Street, and a prayer for the end of empire as he incites an epic crescendo from the ensemble, swirling behind the twin winds of Shaw and Washington, spirited by his repeated call “I’ve seen enough.” The smoke has only begun to clear from this emotional apex as Williams passes the torch to poet Aja Monet, who arrests the atmosphere with a soft apocalyptic reading of a piece from her notebook, “The Water Is Rising.”

As Monet finishes her poem and steps aside, Williams follows her foreboding words with a solemnly hopeful return – closing the ceremony with a parable about a firing squad, where one member's dilemma is a "system of belief" allowing for humanity in the heart of an oppressor.

Tracklist:
1. Sound Then Words
2. We Would Lift Our Voice...
3. We Are Calling out in This Moment...
4. The Water Is Rising / As We Surpass the Firing Squad... (feat. aja monet)
5. We Have Work to Do (Speaking After the Concert)

Chip Wickham - The Eternal Now

Saxophonist, flautist and composer Chip Wickham casts a formidable shadow across the UK jazz landscape. Originally from Brighton, Chip Wickham first came to prominence in the UK breakbeat scene playing with the likes of Nightmares On Wax and Graham Massey. But at heart Chip has always been a jazz musician (he played on Matthew Halsall’s debut album 'Sending My Love' in 2008 beginning a relationship with Gondwana Records that now spans 17 years) and now dividing his time between the UK, Spain and the Middle-East, he has made a name for himself with a series of beautifully crafted solo albums that draw equally on hard swinging spiritual jazz, the classic sounds of 60s British jazz and the more contemporary sounds of artists such as Jazzanova, The Cinematic Orchestra, and Nicola Conte.

'The Eternal Now’ is Chip’s most progressive recording to date and represents a heartfelt ode to submitting oneself to the practice of creating art, and the freedom that’s derived from letting go.

Co-produced by Matthew Halsall, 'The Eternal Now' features two mainstays of the Manchester scene, legendary drummer Luke Flowers of The Cinematic Orchestra and well-loved bass-player Sneaky who played on Mr Scruff’s classic Keep it Unreal. Largely flute-led it’s his most rhythm heavy offering to date taking the listener on an expansive journey that touches on the influences of Lonnie Liston Smith, Sven Wunder, David Axelrod and even library music as Chip pushes his sound into exciting new spaces without ever losing the soulful groove and heartfelt melodies that make his music so loved. 

Tracklist:
1. Drifting
2. Nara Black (feat. PEACH.)
3. The Eternal Now
4. Lost Souls
5. No Turning Back
6. The Road Less Travelled
7. Falling Deep
8. Ikigai
9. Outside

Flava D - Here & Now

Having established a reputation as one of the most versatile and respected producers in the game – with over a decade at the forefront of UK bass music, spanning UKG, grime, bassline and drum & bass, Flava D needs no introduction. Now, with her debut drum & bass album Here & Now, she levels up once again, channeling years of dancefloor know-how into a project that’s as weighty as it is emotionally dialled-in.

Across 15 tracks, Here & Now captures the breadth of Flava D’s musicality, offering a bass-charged, genre-spanning statement that’s rooted in experience but tuned into the present moment.

A self-proclaimed fan of Hospital Records from the age of 14 – the first drum & bass CD she ever bought being ‘Hospital Mix Vol. 1’ – Here & Now marks a particularly paramount milestone for the Bournemouth-born beatmaker. With a star-studded bank of collaborators, including MPH, Anaïs, Unglued, SOLAH and more, the album highlights Flava D’s curatorial ear and the strength of her network across the scene. It moves fluidly through soulful rollers, gritty steppers, and rave-indebted bangers – each track stamped with her unmistakable touch.

Born in the stillness of lockdown and forged in the fire of the club revival, this is Flava D in full command – delivering a bass-fuelled snapshot of her current sound: warm, weighty and ready for the rave.

“Three years ago, my idea of what an album would've been was different from what it is now, because I was starting it in lockdown essentially – and I didn’t have the club testing ground. I could’ve made a liquid album so easily, but it wouldn’t translate into the sets I do today. I don’t think I really have a specific style, but I have characteristics in my tunes – UKG influence is still in there in little ways, definitely with the chords and certain basslines as well.” -Flava D‘Can’t Get It Back’ sees powerhouses SOLAH and Flava D link up for the first time, a soulful and expansive tune built around warm keys, crisp percussion and that signature Flava D bounce. The track feels like golden hour in audio form – sun-drenched nostalgia and effortlessly executed.

Flava D and labelmate Anaïs join forces with Dread MC for ‘Entertainer’ – a razor-sharp drum & bass cut that flips the switch from smooth to savage in seconds. Opening with deceptively delicate notes, the track quickly flips into peak-time territory – a heavyweight stepper infused with a piercing synth hook and Dread MC’s signature firepower. It's a showcase of Flava D’s instinctive versatility, building on her reputation for genre-blending with surgical precision.

Flava’s versatile catalogue has always carried with it an indisputable swagger – and ‘Reesey Thing’ is no exception. Originally dubbed ‘Reesey Bass,’ it is one of the few solo tracks on the album and Flava’s self-proclaimed favourite. Euphoric, rave-inspired piano stabs and an unforgettable build and release boast her superb production genius while remaining masterfully playful at its core. Driven by moreish vocal chops and gliding basslines, this one exudes high-energy groove with a BPM to match.

Flava D and MPH deliver a rush of blood to the head on ‘Blush’ – add invigorating vocals from Paige Eliza into the mix, and the result is a seething weapon with both club sensibility and stereo playability. Blending a hammering bassline with exceptionally silky vocals, ‘Blush’ lends itself to both late-night joyrides and top-shelf sound systems. After citing Flava D as “by far the biggest influence on my sound to date,” UKG mercenary MPH crosses an item off the bucket list.After a decade of ascent, including standout Hospital releases like ‘Do U Want Me,’ Fluent (ft. Emz), and ‘All We Ever Do’ (ft. DRS & Paige Eliza) – Flava D’s signature sound is now deeply embedded in the DNA of UK dance music. Her technical finesse and instinctive selection have cemented her status as one of the scene’s most trusted and forward-facing tastemakers.

At its core, Here & Now is a meditation on presence — a fresh, fearless chapter from one of the UK’s most consistently innovative producers. The album is equal parts masterful and functional, giving fans what they came for while revealing new layers of Flava D’s ever-evolving sound. Through its stacked line-up of collaborators, Here & Now also connects voices who are helping shape the future of dance music, from the underground up.

Here & Now lands September 5 – and yes, it’s on vinyl.  

Tracklist:
1. Blush (feat. Paige Eliza & MPH)
2. Blackwall Tunnel
3. Entertainer (feat. Ana∩s & Dread MC)
4. Fluent (feat. EMz)
5. Can't Get It Back (feat. SOLAH)
6. Frequency (feat. Nu:Tone, Slay & Eva Lazarus)
7. All We Ever Do (feat. Paige Eliza & DRS)
8. The Function (feat. Logan_olm)
9. This Is A Roller M8 (feat. Unglued & Doktor)
10. Reesey Thing
11. Antidote (feat. Charlotte X)
12. Circles (feat. Slay & DRIIA)
13. The Cycle (feat. Lauren Archer)
14. Do U Want Me
15. Keeping Me Up (feat. Mandidextrous)

Anushka - Ancestry

Anushka's third album Ancestry comes out on BBE Music as both digital and vinyl and represents a massive hitting of the duo's potential as songwriters, musicians and performers following their well received and critically acclaimed previous releases on Brownswood and Tru Thoughts respectively. Indeed Ancestry represents their best album to date and one which befits a release on one of the UK's (and the world's) premiere independent record labels.

Anushka is the collaborative name for Victoria Port and Max Wheeler. The duo first met in the vibrant club, music and arts scenes in that creativity incubating south coast town that is Brighton.

With their first single, Yes Guess, gaining support from major broadcast influencers such as Gilles Peterson they released their debut album, Broken Circuit, in 2014. With major airplay support from Mary Anne Hobbs, Annie Mac, the aforementioned Gilles Peterson and others the second album Yemaya was released in 2021. On this second record they experimented with their sound, exploring darker and more complex songs and palettes. Both albums forged Anushka's sound and production values, combining a deep respect for the UK's electronic club culture mixed with Jazz and Soul.

Now, with the release of Ancestry on BBE Music, the duo has created an album that furthers their sound, their songwriting, their arrangements and their production. Victoria's songwriting for Ancestry is influenced by her love of Ella Fitzgerald, Sampha, Jimmy Cliff and Georgia Anne Muldrow. Max's approach to the production on Ancestry is driven by his own ancestral back catalogue of music from Moodymann and Theo Parrish and further back to Larry Heard, Wu Tang Clan and the 90's electronica of Tricky, Portishead and David Holmes. It definitely bears repeating that list of influences has resulted in Ancestry being Anushka's best album yet.

Releasing on BBE Music, on both digital and vinyl formats, Ancestry is an album that is a must for lovers of the highly innovative, jazz and soul fuelled club sound that is part of the UK's contemporary music scene. 

Tracklist:
1. Overwhelmed
2. Really (Nothing is Cool)
3. Afternoon
4. My Mother's Mother
5. Ancestry
6. Magic
7. You Don't Dream
8. Keep Me in the Picture
9. Wanna Dance
10. Higher Ground
11. Q&A
12. Guided
13. Only Your Love

El Michels Affair - 24 HR Sports

Leon Michels has quietly become one of the most sought-after producers in music. His signature sound has caught the attention of the mainstream while continuing to inspire the underground. Since 2023’s El Michels Affair and Black Thought album Glorious Game, Michels has been busy producing records for other artists; Norah Jones’ Grammy winning Visions, Clairo’s Grammy nominated Charm, Kali Uchis’ Moonlight, as well as albums for labelmates Brainstory, Derya Yıldırım and Grup Şimşek, Thee Heart Tones, and Liam Bailey. His new album 24 Hr Sports marks the highly anticipated return to recording under his own moniker, El Michels Affair.

24 Hr Sports was inspired by the fashion and graphic design of ‘80s & ‘90s Sports Illustrated magazines, MF DOOM’s Special Herbs albums, the sample sources used on them, and gospel music a la Pastor T.L. Barrett. The sum of those influences with Michels’ impeccable creative touch prove to be the recipe for an instant classic that will surely be one of the most heralded releases of 2025.

Features Clairo, Norah Jones, Shintaro Sakamoto, Florence Adooni, Rogê, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, and Dave Guy.

Tracklist:
1. Drumline
2. Mágica (feat. Rogê)
3. 24 HR Sports Theme No. 1
4. Say Goodbye (feat. Florence Adooni)
5. Oakley's Car Wash (feat. Dave Guy)
6. Anticipate (feat. Clairo)
7. Eastside
8. Clean the Line
9. Cortex
10. Shining
11. 24 HR Sports Theme No. 2
12. Indifference (feat. Shintaro Sakamoto)
13. Carry Me Away (feat. Norah Jones)
14. Take My Hand (feat. Rahsaan Roland Kirk)
15. Open Season
16. Victory Lap

Tres Leches - The Smooth Sounds of Tres Leches LHCC Mart Vol 1

"A joke has never been as sensual as this Tres Leches tongue-in-cheek promo for Hiatus Kaiyote. Renditioning Love Heart Cheat Code, 80s electronics pair with a saxophone and supermarket/elevator vibes to create a funky instrumental that still has humorous undertones to its sexiness, a difficult feat for sure."
- Flying Out

What started out a joke for a truly demented promotional campaign became so much more. Originally envisioned as the soundtrack to an imaginary supermarket in the album promo for Hiatus Kaiyote's Love Heart Cheat Code, these sultry and sensual renditions of Hiatus Kaiyote classics, like Nakamarra, Red Room, Make Friends and more, soon took a life of their own. Thus Tres Leches was born, a trio of heart wrenching troubadours unafraid to turn the lights down low and set the mood to 'sexy'.

Tracklist:
1. Get Sun
2. And We Go Gentle
3. Love Heart Cheat Code
4. Blood And Marrow
5. Telescope
6. Make Friends
7. By Fire
8. Red Room
9. Nakamarra

Steven Bamidele - THE CRASH!

“You're gonna love the sound on this!” – Jamie Cullum (BBC Radio 2) “Electronic soul at its finest” – Clash
“A killer combination of groove and angular harmony” – Soweto Kinch (BBC Radio 3)
“Steven Bamidele ain’t no fool” – Emma-Jean Thackray

Steven Bamidele presents his sophomore album ‘THE CRASH!’. A collision of cosmic soul, existential dread and a desperate search for meaning in the static.

Nigerian-born, London-based singer, songwriter, musician and producer Steven Bamidele's keenly anticipated ‘THE CRASH!’ is a sonically rich exploration of purpose, doubt and personal reckoning. Written against the backdrop of an ever-changing world, the album combines soul, rock and jazz, acoustic and electronic textures, along with daydream-esque storytelling for a thought-provoking journey in pursuit of something real in an age of hyper-curation and superficiality.

The album’s lead singles reveal nuanced interpretations of its central themes, each offering a distinct perspective. “The Fool” featuring renowned US-based composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Sly5thAve, wrestles with the self-imposed loneliness of ambition; “Exoskeleton” reveals the paradox of shedding emotional barriers, only to forge a trauma-bonded connection; and “Cuckoo Goes the Clock” with British hip-hop artist Cam Thomas, questions who will be the ‘straw to break the camel’s back’ and disrupt the comfortable facade of feigned reactions, exposing the passivity behind the ‘good life’ – a life increasingly curated for public consumption on social media, where sincerity is often sacrificed for performance

“Truman”, a reference to the Jim Carrey film ‘The Truman Show’, explores how social media has normalised constant surveillance, fostering an exhausting cycle of self-presentation – a chilling phenomenon also explored in the musical comedy Bo Burnham’s ‘Inside’. Steven laments the loss of innocence, stating, “I’m a child in an adult’s body. I feel so nostalgic for the games I played, the friends I had. I was always a self-conscious kid but feeling like you’re constantly being viewed exacerbated it tenfold. Life before being a ‘musical artist’ was the “thing” was just way simpler”. Living in a habitual state of monitoring and inauthenticity, Steven explores the ridiculousness of this reality and what it has done to his peace of mind over the years.

“In my youth, I really enjoyed writing songs and playing instruments, there was nothing more to it for me. Musical success, to me, was starting and finishing a song. I genuinely believed widespread recognition would come through the merits of the music alone. I was blissfully unaware of the realities of the industry back then and what it would eventually become. As the internet expanded and became capitalised, a lot of my generation’s life, let alone my music, has become about how we come across to people online and how, in fact, that process has seeped into the way we are with people in person”

At its core, ‘THE CRASH!’ is a soulful meditation on the weight we place on relationships, the fundamental cost of growth and the search for direction in an imperfect world. It’s a deeply personal project, shaped by Steven’s own journey through faith, disillusionment and self-discovery. Raised in a strictly Christian household, Steven’s first crisis of belief came at 17, when he began questioning the very foundations of existence. As his faith unravelled, music became his new guiding force – a source of direction, discipline and identity. But as he turned 30, disillusionment crept in once again. The stark realities of the music industry, coupled with global uncertainty, reignited that same despondent weight he had battled in his youth.

“It was an intoxicating feeling when I was younger and had no responsibilities, to foolishly believe I was the first person in history who'd worked something out that no one else had. It gave me this twisted sense of power and was a big creative motivator. Where I'm at now, nihilism is debilitating, boring and unhelpful. I’ve worked to find a way to channel those feelings into this project. I’m really proud of it”

'THE CRASH!' also features “Wreckage,” which offers a critique of performative online culture, while “Turn Ugly” embraces doomsday paranoia, questioning whether an apocalypse would feel any more surreal than reality. “Nichiyoubi” with French-born singer, songwriter and guitarist Célia Tiab, offers a raw reflection on relationships and “The Moment That You Know” slows the pace, creating space for contemplation. “Take Cover” captures the thrill of escape, but “Withdrawn” featuring Brighton-based musician Scarlett Fae, soon unravels that illusion, marking the emotional breaking point of both a doomed relationship and Steven’s evolving connection to music.

Closing the album, “Phone Home” with Célia Tiab and Manchester-based Trumpeter Aaron Wood leaves things open-ended, its final words “I need to phone home” posing a lingering question of where meaning and solace can truly be found.” Navigating the habitual doubts of existence, Steven confronts pessimism with a quiet hope for forward movement, establishing himself as a thought-provoking and adventurous artist grappling with the profound questions of his generation.

His isolated upbringing has shaped the introspective nature of his songwriting, which pairs with his distinctive reverb-drenched falsetto, synth textures and syncopated beats, to create a forward-thinking, soulful sound.  

Tracklist:
1. If It Matters
2. Wreckage
3. Turn Ugly
4. Exoskeleton
5. Cuckoo Goes The Clock (feat. Cam Thomas)
6. The Moment That You Know (Interlude)
7. Nichiyoubi
8. Take Cover
9. The Fool (feat. Sly5thAve)
10. Truman
11. Withdrawn (feat. Scarlett Fae)
12. Phone Home (feat. Aaron Wood & Célia Tiab)

VA - Soulful Vocals vs Papa 3

Tracklist:
1. Imaani & The Layabouts – Shine [The Layabouts Vocal Mix]
2. DJ Spinna & Phonte – Tonight We Ride [Vocal Mix]
3. Domu, The Muthafunkaz & Pete Simpson – Look A Little Further (feat. The Muthafunkaz) [MuthaFunkaz 12" Vocal Mix]
4. Yukihiro Fukutomi, The Realm & V – One Chance (feat. Yukihiro Fukutomi) [Yukihiro Fukutomi Remix]
5. Reel People, David Federmann & Maeva – Cherry Tree (feat. Maeva & Reel People) [Reel People Remix]
6. Frankie Feliciano & L. Young – I Love My Girl (feat. Frankie Feliciano) [Frankie Feliciano Classic Vocal Mix]
7. Dalminjo & Lenny Hamilton – I'll Wait (feat. Lenny Hamilton)
8. Alison David & Bopstar – Dreams (feat. Bopstar) [Bopstars Vudoo Refix]
9. Reel People & Vanessa Freeman – The Light [4Phlash Rework]
10. Nathan Haines, The Layabouts & Shelley Nelson – Believe (feat. Shelley Nelson & The Layabouts) [The Layabouts Vocal Mix]

Chicago Underground Duo - Hyperglyph

Chicago Underground Duo is the long-running collaborative project of composer/trumpeter/electronicist Rob Mazurek (Exploding Star Orchestra, Isotope 217, New Future City Radio with Damon Locks) and composer/drummer/mbiraist Chad Taylor (jaimie branch’s Fly or Die, Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons, Luke Stewart’s Silt Trio). Hyperglyph is their first album in 11 years, and 8th in the absolute cabinet of wonders that is the Chicago Underground Duo.

The pair have played music together in a multitude of formations over nearly three decades, including their ongoing partnership in Mazurek’s large-format-skyward-expressionism vehicle Exploding Star Orchestra, in the expanded Chicago Underground Trio & Quartet (with guitarist Jeff Parker), and in a plethora of other assemblages. The early albums by the Duo have proven to be embryonic blueprints for the avant-jazz / electronic / indie rock hybridizations of the time, making them majorly important moments in the articulation of the “jazz” dimensionality of the then-burgeoning "post rock" sound. That sound, of course, was being transmitted far and wide due to the success of these groups as well as Mazurek’s Isotope 217 project with Jeff Parker, and the Chicago Underground’s frequent collaborators in Tortoise.

But the sounds being created by this extended family are and were far from static. Just as most of the still-working artists born of that Chicago era have evolved, reconfigured, and grown, Chicago Underground Duo has undergone a number of musical moltings, with the project always in the background of disparate individual aural investigations — always an option, always an outlet. As the project drops off and picks back up, the concurrent personal evolutions of Mazurek and Taylor make the Duo a true reflection of their own lives and friendship.

“Rob is my longest collaborator and also one of my best friends,” says Taylor, who first performed with Mazurek at a club in Chicago in 1988, aged 15.

“When it feels right we do it,” says Mazurek of the gaps in duo activity. “We have worked together and have been friends for a long time. This creates a kind of continuity not only in the music, but in our lives.”

Musically, there are certainly internalized nods here to AACM composers like Wadada Leo Smith, or albums like Don Cherry & Ed Blackwell’s “Mu” and El Corazon, but the songs of Hyperglyph exemplify Mazurek and Taylor’s individualities while also addressing another longtime influence on the Chicago Underground Duo sound — the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost of extreme studio editing in jazz-adjacent music, Miles Davis and Teo Macero’s Bitches Brew, In A Silent Way, and Get Up With It.

“Post production has always been a big part of our process,” says Taylor.

“Sometimes it just flows and we one-take a thing,” Mazurek elaborates. “Other things take time to ferment. We hit those hard in the post production.”

International Anthem engineer Dave Vettraino was indispensable as part of this process, recording and mixing the entire album at IARC HQ in Chicago. “We are very open and free in the studio,” says Mazurek. “Working with Dave is a joy because he is so intuitive and open with his approach as well. We can try anything with him. In this way it is more like a trio than a duo.”

Couple this trio’s take on the now classic cut-and-recut production techniques of Davis/Macero with Mazurek and Taylor’s longtime interest in deep electronic sounds (think Bernard Parmegiani, Morton Subotnick, Xenakis, Eliane Radigue, Plux Quba), transformative processing (think Autechre, King Tubby, Mouse On Mars, Carl Craig) and we can finally get close to understanding just where the duo lands in this lineage — this ongoing narrative each individual finds themselves in whether they see it or not. The Chicago Underground Duo, it seems, sees it.

While the musical language of Mazurek and Taylor can certainly be clocked in the slew of projects that they participate in together, the sound of a Chicago Underground Duo album is singular among them. Hyperglyph is no exception and could even be considered a distillation of that intuitive yet complex sound. A key can be found in the title of the album itself: highly complex geometric structures which can seem overly complex at first but, when thousands are arrayed in 3D space and with user training and adaptation, can significantly enhance perception and information assimilation and lead to new knowledge and insights.

The album opener “Click Song” kicks off with a blown-out horn chant from Mazurek, doubled by tuned bells and nestled into a muscular and symmetrical stereo-overdubbed polyrhythm from Taylor. Synthesized bass pulls our ears along cyclically, dropping in and out to almost severe dynamic effect while Mazurek and the subtle-yet-persistent bells elaborate upon the melody before ultimately departing from their repetitive psalm in favor of improvisation. It’s all held together by the steady, deep, chest-thump boom of Taylor’s kick drum pattern.

“There has always been a lot of African influence in the rhythms we play,” says Taylor. “With this record, specifically, we utilize rhythms from Nigeria, Mali, Zimbabwe, and Ghana.” Taken as a whole, spiritually, this introductory three-minute stomper lives somewhere between a Tuareg wedding and the most hypnotic moments of the click songs of Northern Africa.

Title track “Hyperglyph” follows, and begins with a chromatic moving harmony played by Mazurek on the RMI electric piano, an instrument famously utilized on Miles Davis’ groundbreaking Filles de Kilimanjaro. The vibe here, though, is one of unyielding, trancelike repetition. The trumpet introduces the time, with Taylor's chunky smacking rhythm hitting hard from the get go. Eventually, the tune undergoes a transformation, with the back and forth of melody and rhythm hitting a fever pitch. A pitch-shifted trumpet becomes a New Orleans march baritone. Dennis Bovell-style dub sounds enter (or, maybe, reveal themselves) at the start of the song’s final movement, followed by wordless incantations. Swelling and saturated, the track sounds as if it’s about to tear itself apart. Static pulsing merges and overtakes the recorded percussion to present a new rhythm of hissing electronics — the harnessed wailing of the unleashed ghost in the machine. A spiritual awakening from the bowels of the earth.

“Hemiunu”, a Chad Taylor composition, is a waltz based around a simple piano figure repeated throughout. A folk melody from anywhere, the kind that’s been in the air for as long as anyone can remember. One might imagine the melody played clawhammer on an Appalachian afternoon, bowed somberly on the Chinese erhu, or hummed nonchalantly on the factory line. From the jump, Taylor’s percussion threads itself into the sound of a well-worn upright piano as the high register is haunted in wide stereo by that roiling RMI electric piano in octaves, alternately dubby and harplike. Enter Mazurek with another folk-like melodic phrase. Pause. Again. Pause. Leaving room for the now densely waltzing bouquet to bloom before diving deep into laser-sharp Lee Morganesque territory with a wildly vibrating high trumpet cry, but with a tone Mazurek owns completely.

The deeper reference for Mazurek’s most untethered emotional playing is his late friend and mentor Bill Dixon, an extraction most apparent in the three-part "Egyptian Suite.” At the start of part one (“The Architect”) a cyclical pattern from Taylor becomes a bed for Mazurek’s repeating, descending, synthetic-Egyptian scaled theme. This call to action dissolves into the second movement, “Triangulation of Light,” where Taylor’s bowed cymbals set the stage for an exploration of microtonal color with and against the occasional joining and un-joining of tones that stretch the frequencies to their limits from Mazurek's open and half muted trumpet. Like a tornado siren in the distance, breaking through the membrane of storm clouds on the horizon, in search of another siren.

The third and final movement, “Architectonics of Time,” announces itself with free rolling swaths of percussion from Taylor à la Robert Frank Pozar’s mind-bending percussion on The Bill Dixon Orchestra’s classic Intents and Purposes. Here, though, the lineup is limited to two, with no overdubs or post-production. Taylor's singular style and Mazurek's tonal painting coalesce into a maelstrom of intervallic tone and beat before the final repeat of the lead melody from the suite’s first movement. It truly feels like reaching the summit. It’s pure and free duo interaction, the symbiosis of 30 years.

“Succulent Amber,” the final track on Hyperglyph, could fit just as easily on side two of Autobahn. After a brief modular synth-induced pan-harmonic melody shift, a steady kalimba is joined by the gentle intermittent raindrop-melodicism of the RMI electric piano in this understated final duo performance, unadorned by further studio arrangement. It’s a full-on comedown moment after the intensity of “Egyptian Suite,” though rather than winding down or petering out, here the Chicago Underground Duo still manage to point toward some kind of incoming mystery with four sudden-yet-patient ascending chords on the low-register of the RMI electric piano just before the curtains close. The piano notes end on a leading tone, leaving the resolution to the listener.

Once we’ve climbed the mountain, they remind us, we have to deal with what’s on the other side.  

Tracklist:
1. Click Song
2. Hyperglyph
3. Rhythm Cloth
4. Contents of Your Heavenly Body
5. The Gathering
6. Plymouth
7. Hemiunu
8. Egyptian Suite / Part 1: The Architect
9. Egyptian Suite / Part 2: Triangulation of Light
10. Egyptian Suite / Part 3: Architectronics of Time
11. Succulent Amber

Ami Taf Ra - The Prophet and The Madman

North African, LA-based singer-songwriter Ami Taf Ra announces her debut album, The Prophet and The Madman, arriving August 22 via Brainfeeder. A transcendent, sonic palate cleanser that draws from Moroccan gnawa, gospel, and spiritual jazz, the album is a personal and poetic meditation on duality, healing, and ancestral memory. Inspired by Khalil Gibran’s seminal work, The Prophet, Ami Taf Ra’s album was produced by legendary saxophonist composer and her frequent collaborator Kamasi Washington. Arriving alongside the announcement is Ami Taf Ra’s powerful new single “How I Became A Madman” featuring Kamasi Washington. With soaring arrangements and entrancing emotional arcs, the track captures the tension between inner chaos and clarity—a central theme of the forthcoming album.

“How I Became A Madman” follows the release of “Speak To Us (Outro)”, Ami Taf Ra’s Brainfeeder debut, praised for its emotional depth and the accompanying video’s striking visual storytelling. Her upcoming album expands that sonic vision into a richly textured 11-track journey, featuring collaborators including Ryan Porter, Miles Mosley, Brandon Coleman, Tony Austin, Taylor Graves, Cameron Graves, Ronald Bruner Jr., Allakoi Peete, Kahlil Cummings, and Kamasi Washington. Ami Taf Ra’s The Prophet and The Madman is a bold statement from a vocalist rooted in the traditions of Arabic greats like Fairuz, Umm Kulthum and Warda, yet reaching fearlessly into new sonic territory. It’s an album that seeks not answers but presence—a devotion to the journey, not the destination. 

Tracklist:
1. Speak to Us (Intro)
2. How I Became a Madman (feat. Kamasi Washington)
3. The Prophet
4. God
5. Love (feat. Ryan Porter)
6. My Friend (feat. Brandon Coleman)
7. Children
8. Gnawa (feat. Kamasi Washington)
9. Gibran
10. Khalil
11. Speak to Us (Outro)

La Chooma - Local Spirits

FFO: Jimi Tenor, Meridian Brothers, The Comet Is Coming, The Mauskovic Dance Band, Sun Ra Arkestra, Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids

Psychedelic dub, Afro-Latin rhythms and cosmic grooves come together on La Chooma’s self-titled debut for Batov Records. Drawing on Moroccan Gnawa, Colombian cumbia, Afrobeat, Jamaica dub & roots, and cosmic jazz, the six-piece ensemble create deep, hypnotic music rooted in global traditions and shaped for contemporary dancefloors.

Having already captivated local audiences with their hypnotic, organic live performances, La Chooma – now a six-piece ensemble – have been steadily building an international following. Initial singles “Magic Plant” and “Huachuma” earned support from tastemakers including BBC Radio 6 Music’s Deb Grant and Tom Ravenscroft.

“Magic Plant” distills the band’s signature blend of hypnotic grooves, lush percussion and woozy synths, like Jimi Tenor lost in the Colombian Amazon. A dreamlike, dub-infused trip driven by organic rhythm and cosmic textures. “Huachuma” picks up the thread, fusing Afrobeat percussion, swirling basslines and psychedelic flourishes into a hallucinogenic jam made for a tropical dancefloor.

“High Grow” conjures images of The X-Files set in Addis Ababa, with Ethio-jazz-style synths dancing and tripping across a relentless Mulatu-inspired bassline and Afrobeat drums, all drenched in foreboding dub delay. Perfect for dark, smoke-filled rooms in the small hours.

Like the lost child of Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids and The Comet Is Coming, “Lonely” hits like a sledgehammer of cosmic synth funk and intense Afro-rock drums, riding an acoustic bassline that breaks into a frenetic solo after a minute. The drums constantly threaten to overwhelm, but open up for the spiraling synths to peak half way through the track.

“Cozumel” follows seamlessly, moving to a slightly slower groove built on a deep electric bassline and irresistible four-to-the-floor Afro-Latin rhythms. Synths rise in harmony with the haunting call of the hand-carved Egyptian kawala flute as the energy builds in the third minute before the tension finally releases. There’s something in the music’s spiritual core and soulful presence that recalls the groundbreaking work of Jamaican legends Count Ossie and Cedric Brooks, who fused jazz with Rastafari drumming.

La Chooma draw dotted lines across time and space, finding hidden connections and shared frequencies, pulling threads together into a sound that hypnotises the mind and moves the body.

Tracklist:
1. Magic Plant
2. High Glow
3. Huachuma
4. Praise
5. Rhinno Dance
6. Lonely
7. Cozumel
8. Gamal Gadol
9. Cookie Crumble Cumbia
10. Veggie Berber Boy

Vimbai Mango - Searching (Nzira)

British-Zimbabwean soul singer, producer, and composer Vimbai Mango releases her debut EP Searching (Nzira) on Tru Thoughts, in collaboration with labelmate South London producer and DJ Footshooter.

The EP is a journey of self-discovery and transformation, grounded in electronic textures, intricate jazz harmonies, and soulful vocal expression. Vimbai’s voice, woven through tender sung verses and delicate spoken word, unites broken beat rhythms with African-inspired instrumentation. The project includes the single of the same name, Searching (Nzira).

Nzira, translates to “the journey” in Shona, a Bantu language spoken by the Shona people of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. “That’s exactly what this project has been,” Vimbai explains, adding, “it started at a time when so many of us were searching for connection and clarity. Nzira is a reflection of identity, heritage, and the power of collaboration. It’s about navigating where we’ve come from and where we’re going, through sound.”.

The EP opens with its focal track, I Am (Ndinzonzi), a symbolic piece for Vimbai. Deeply influenced by Vimbai’s childhood memories and her grandfather’s vinyl collection, the song evokes the era surrounding Zimbabwe’s independence. Through the lyrics, she likens herself to “a bridge between two worlds,” reflecting the experience of a first-generation immigrant, echoing the journey of a first-generation immigrant, she celebrates a sense of self forged at the confluence of cultures.

Continuing the themes of storytelling, transformation, identity, and cultural fusion, Hatibatike (feat. MA.MOYO) shines as an affirming anthem. MA.MOYO, a Zimbabwean-born author, poet, and sound artist based in London, channels the rhythms of the African diaspora, weaving education with art. Her powerful lyricism and resonant voice deepen the track, framed by the uplifting refrain: “You’re bad and you’re bold and you’re bright and you’re beautiful,” carried by soulful keys and a vibrant, thumping dance beat.

The interlude Zongororo flows from a tender, lilting ballad into a fractured soundscape with dragging hip-hop drums, sonically mirroring its themes of change and evolution. In Shona, zongororo means millipede, a creature symbolising vadzimu, ancestral spirits of transformation, often seen as a sign of shifting tides and spiritual metamorphosis.

Closing the project is Not There Yet, a soulful collaboration with gifted trumpeter Wilf Petherbridge, whose rich, melodic lines add depth and warmth. Blending African instrumentation with UK jazz and broken beat influences, courtesy of Footshooter, the track offers a gentle compass, encouraging the listener to cultivate a sense of belonging from within.

“The mission was to build something drawing on Vimbai’s Zimbabwean heritage but also paying homage to U.K. house, broken beat, jazz, soul and trip hop that we both love. We very much co-produced this one.” – Footshooter

Vimbai Mango’s sound blends electronic music with African rhythms, jazz instrumentation, and folk-spoken word in both English and Shona. Incorporating traditional instruments like the mbira, her work bridges ancestral roots and contemporary sonic landscapes. She has collaborated with artists such as Beringei, Arnheim, and Andrés Alcover, and performed at Glastonbury, Rich Mix, and with Bristol-based bands Konketsu and Matuki.

Footshooter, following his acclaimed album The Oasis, praised by Jamz Supernova, Joe-Armon Jones, and supported across BBC, NTS, and Jazz FM, joins Vimbai in this project. A resident of Balamii Radio and a fixture on stages like Love Supreme and We Out Here Festival, he brings his deep-rooted UK sound to the collaboration.

Tracklist:
1. I Am (Ndinonzi)
2. Searching (Nzira)
3. Hatibatike (feat. Ma.Moyo)
3. Zongororo (Interlude)
5. Not There Yet (feat. Wilf Petherbridge)