The imaginative neo-soul-meets-jazz pairing of singer-songwriter Edy Szewy alongside pianist Guilhem Forey make a delightful return under their guise of Edy Forey. With two years now having passed since their debut full-length 'Culture Today' boasted their formal introduction to audiences, the Edinburgh-based duo return with a scintillating summer-enriched single that sounds like the lovechild of an imagined - and definitively joyous - 1990s Roy Ayers and Erykah Badu collaboration. While 'Culture Today' showcased some phenomenal tracks that painted Edy Forey as an immensely talented and self-assured combination, 'From 'Burgh to the World' finds Szewy and Forey completely recontextualising their sound and delivering one of their most inspired tracks as a result. As a group wholly committed to forging their own path, Edy Forey have clearly maintained their resolve and steadfast devotion towards their music in this regard which will find us continually eager to embrace more releases as they become available. In the meantime, 'From 'Burgh to the World' will undoubtedly remain one of the year's strongest releases and a compulsory purchase.
With nearly three years having passed since the band's last full-length release, the Belgian musical ensemble Alpacas Collective lead the charge for a triumphant return to form. Through previous albums, 'Seven Wisdoms of Plutonia' and 'Big Words', listeners have found themselves treated to inspired and broad sonic soundscapes that draw from a variety of cultures and eras including 60s and 70s Ethiopian styles and compositions, afrobeat and US style funk. While 'Seven Wisdoms' positioned the band amidst the fictional settings of a 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth'-styled novel, 'Big Words' moved the narrative onto the more stark and abrasive contexts of a politically corrupt and morally bankrupt socio-political environment. Latest single 'Highlife' however offers a significantly more affectionate and dancefloor-friendly aesthetic with Joël Diarra appearing on balafon for the infectious groove-fiddled original while Goss One & Cali are enlisted for the more breaks and hip-hop inspired remix. Two outstanding numbers marking another assured return to form for the Alpacas Collective.
The incredible and dynamic musical perspectives of Tommy "The Night Service Commute" Willetts have manifested themselves once again into a new single release which continues to revel within his lush jazz-meets-hip-hop soundscapes. While recent single releases - including his 'Certain Sevens' double-header in 'Downfall' and 'Halfspeed' - have leant further into more haunting and even trippier productions, 'Dust' sees Willetts return to the style of his beloved 'In Transit' full-length which served as a flawless introduction of his indelible talents. The moody night-time soliloquy effortlessly straddled the space in between hip-hop and jazz in much the same way that 'Dust' does now. Released through Village Live - home to projects by KungFoolish, Ishfaq, Move 78 and Fthmlss - Willetts proves near unmatchable when donning his Night Service Commute cowl so new music is always an absolute treat!
Swiftly following up on their 'My Brain Feels So Good' collaboration from just a few months ago, Emily "Socool" Sobool once again connects with Steve "CommsBreakdown" Ash to merge their respective tendencies for Socool's more sublime, downtempo productions alongside the drum & bass aesthetic more commonly associated with CommsBreakdown releases. While their previous single release stemmed from conversations about the use of guitars within electronic music - subsequently resulting in each artist reinterpreting a guitar riff recorded by Ash for two varying mixes, 'Sax Trax' finds itself a project that has found life from a similar starting point. This time, however, the challenge finds the two substituting the guitar for a dMoney saxophone sample with each artist analysing, dissecting and recontextualising the recording into a selection of new compositions. Across the EP's six tracks, there's a fascinating gamut of electronic music interpretations of tracks like the broken beat/trip hop-inspired 'Sax Appeal', the more chilled-out reprise of 'Westwild' or the funk-filled breaks of 'Funk My Sax'. An undeniably jubilant collection of compositions, remixes and collaborations that can't help but make us wonder what their next musical challenge will revolve around.
No comments:
Post a Comment