The Offline - La couleur de la mer

Following his debut EP ‘En clair-obscur’ and a series of singles earlier this year cementing his place as a rising voice in the world of cinematic soul & funk, Hamburg’s finest cinematic soul artist ‘The Offline’ announces his debut album 'La couleur de la mer'.

Reminiscent of film scores from the 60s and 70s, The Offline worked with co-producer Tim Liztenberger to channel the influence of film composers such as Francois de Roubaix and Brian Bennet, creating his own soundtrack on ‘La couleur de la mer’. Inducing images of manorial, fog-swept villas at the sea's edge, silhouetted sailing boats and cigar-chomping villains attempting to thwart the mission of an imaginary hero, the record is a masterfully composed sonic journey. Experimenting with themes and atypical song structures, the music moves from dramatic cues to fragile romanticism. It incorporates psychedelic spaciness, retro soul and hip-hop sensibilities informed by The Offline’s extensive record collection and crate-digger status.

“Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated by the soundtracks from the 60s and 70s, and I always wanted to make an album in the film score direction. I wrote about 30 demos, kicked half of it and stuck to the ones that felt right in the dramaturgical structure of the ‘movie'. Interestingly the main theme was set really early on while writing the album, which made the writing process much easier.”

Aptly named, ‘Thème de la couleur de la mer’ opens proceedings, establishing the core motifs of the record. Haunting flutes and xylophones lead the way into Khruangbin-esque guitar lines, which sit against a hip-hop canvas that returns on boom-bap head boppers like ‘Quelque chose reste’. Retro soul revival takes precedence on deep cuts like ‘Un bout de chemin’, with wah-gated guitars interacting with emotive cello lines and symphonic string & horn sections.

The Offline came to life when composer and photographer Felix Müller travelled the Atlantic coastline in the south of France with his analogue camera, capturing beach life on film. After coming back to Hamburg, he started writing songs as the sonic counterpart to the analogue visuals. His Debut EP ‘En Clair-Obscur’ includes five tracks that capture the essence of his journey and the feeling of a cool summer soundtrack. 

Tracklist:
1. Thème de la couleur de la mer
2. L'eau
3. Jeanne et Alain
4. Quelque chose reste
5. Le motard
6. L'eau (Reprise)
7. La mission commence
8. Cap Camarat
9. Un bout de chemin
10. No. 33
11. Sous-marin
12. La couleur de la mer
13. Enfin, la paix

Hot Mustard - Seconds

Hot Mustard returns with an epic second course that brings new depth of flavor to the unique sound that the duo served up on their debut. In the mix with the hard-hitting drums, tasty guitar and ultra groovy low end, lies the punchy brass work of Antibalas’ trumpeter Jordan Mclean and TV on the Radio Trombonist Dave ’Smoota’ Smith. The album, titled ‘Seconds’, features a spicy blend of Hammond organ throughout and is garnished by the masterful hands of cellist Helen Gillet. The lone vocal on the album is delivered by the soulful songstress Alanna Royale who caps off the feast brilliantly. Hip-hop aficionados and connoisseurs of vintage funk and soul are certain to leave the table with their taste buds buzzing after this one.

Tracklist:
1. Gravy Boat
2. The Golden Beet
3. Low Boy
4. Butcher Block
5. Mustard Green
6. Whole Grain
7. Nickel Empire
8. Stono Hustle
9. The End of Time

Qwalia - Sound & Reason

New London based quartet Qwalia, led by drummer Yusuf Ahmed, offer a plethora of influences whilst remaining resolutely itself. Assembled from musicians who play with David Byrne, Joy Crookes, Nubiyan Twist, Frank Ocean, Jordan Rakei, Sampha, Cat Stevens and more; Yusuf is joined by Tal Janes on guitars and vocals, Ben Reed on bass and keyboardist Joseph Costi. Qwalia’s debut album ‘Sound And Reason’ is set for release by Alberts Favourites on 24th March 2023.

The name Qwalia stems from the same sounding word Qualia, a philosophy of mind with the property of being an ineffable experience. Qwalia’s music is an instinctive aural expression of how things seemed in the moment of creation.

In April ‘21, Qwalia spent two days recording completely improvised music at the Fish Factory in North West London. There was no plan or preconceived idea of what the music should sound like or what was going to happen.

“We set up altogether in one room, dimmed the lights, pressed record and just played,” says Yusuf. “We came away with over 13 hours of music, which was consolidated into three albums worth of material. The final record is mainly a result of pulling faders up or down to create space and structure out of what was already there from the live recording. The production process felt akin to a sculptor chipping away excess stone to reveal a statue that was already there, and occasionally putting some makeup on it!”

The band members are Pakistani, Italian, Venezuelan, Jewish and English. A reflection of the fact that cultural categories are infinite; Qwalia’s music unconsciously explores identity, exposing what this can mean. Or perhaps that it doesn’t mean anything at all. 

Tracklist:
1. Fool Me Once
2. The Grip
3. Sound & Reason
4. Electric Highway
5. Haven't You Heard
6. Vagherah
7. In Your Own Words