1
EABS - Boratka
2
EABS - Flute's Ballad
3
EABS - My Night, My Day
4
EABS - Flair
5
EABS - Introduction (for Janusz Stefanski)
6
EABS - Purple Sun
2023 was a breakthrough year for EABS in many ways. It was all thanks to the well received, fully self-produced album entitled In Search of a Better Tomorrow, recorded in collaboration with the Pakistani band Jaubi. EABS' forthcoming sixth album is a return to their roots – literally and figuratively. It is an in-depth study on rhythm, which materialised in the form of the album titled Reflections of Purple Sun.
The back to the roots part not only manifests itself in the lack of guest instrumentalists, but also in a renewed focus on the history of Polish jazz. The band's debut album Repetitions... was dedicated to Krzysztof Komeda. This time, the band picked up the entire Purple Sun album, which Tomasz Stanko recorded half a century ago. From the POV of Purple Sun fans, a hard-to-find and somewhat forgotten album, it may seem like a doomed undertaking. However, in order to pay tribute to one of the most iconic figures of Polish jazz, it was worth embarking on this mission and attempting to engage in a non-verbal conversation with the Slavic spirit that Master Tomasz Stanko undoubtedly was.
You can learn more about Reflections of Purple Sun through the comprehensive booklet accompanying the record. The cover art was created by the label's regular collaborator, Animisiewasz, whose design pays tribute to Pia Burri's original Purple Sun concept. Release date is 10 May 2024.
A1 - Boratka
A2 - Flute's Ballad
A3 - My Night, My Day
B1 - Flair
B2 - Introduction (for Janusz Stefanski)
B3 - Purple Sun More
The back to the roots part not only manifests itself in the lack of guest instrumentalists, but also in a renewed focus on the history of Polish jazz. The band's debut album Repetitions... was dedicated to Krzysztof Komeda. This time, the band picked up the entire Purple Sun album, which Tomasz Stanko recorded half a century ago. From the POV of Purple Sun fans, a hard-to-find and somewhat forgotten album, it may seem like a doomed undertaking. However, in order to pay tribute to one of the most iconic figures of Polish jazz, it was worth embarking on this mission and attempting to engage in a non-verbal conversation with the Slavic spirit that Master Tomasz Stanko undoubtedly was.
You can learn more about Reflections of Purple Sun through the comprehensive booklet accompanying the record. The cover art was created by the label's regular collaborator, Animisiewasz, whose design pays tribute to Pia Burri's original Purple Sun concept. Release date is 10 May 2024.
A1 - Boratka
A2 - Flute's Ballad
A3 - My Night, My Day
B1 - Flair
B2 - Introduction (for Janusz Stefanski)
B3 - Purple Sun More
More records from EABS
1
EABS - The Darkness
2
EABS - Woodland Spirits
3
EABS - The Noon Witch
4
EABS - Sleza (The Fog)
5
EABS - Sleza
6
EABS - Sun Worship (The Rite)
7
EABS - Sun Worship
After the very well received, both by the audience and critics, debut album Repetitions (Letters to Krzysztof Komeda), focusing on the lesser-known works of the legendary Polish composer, the Wroclaw-based EABS decided to further expand this lead and released two more vinyl records, "live" and "on tape", which crowned the "Komeda triptych". The astounding reception of the band's debut whet listeners' appetite for completely new recordings. It took 2 years for the new album to materialise, this time, however, it is filled with 100% original material.
This time the EABS band did not directly address the legacy of the Polish school of broadly understood popular music masters. At the same time, the musicians kept in mind that such legacy is, in a sense, the capital of the past which adds up to identity and builds the future. Therefore, in their further musical quest, the band stayed observant of the signs and inspirations from their predecessors from the jazz and big beat era, who paved the way through their willingness to experiment and pursue a unique sound. Thanks to these concepts, the ensemble decided to listen even more intently to their inner voices. This has enabled EABS to avoid the obsession of imitating the Western sound, which conquers the increasingly generic domestic music industry.
The conceptual direction and the first sketches of compositions were already prepared shortly after the summer of 2017. However, the fast-paced life on tour and the desire to expand the line-up with a soprano saxophone and flute eventually played by Tenderlonious did not allow for quick studio manoeuvres. Especially that the London guest artist needed to arrive for the sessions in Wroclaw. Thankfully, time has only worked in favour of this material. The band was already incredibly harmonious while implementing all the assumptions during the recordings. The compositions have matured and evolved even more.
The idea for “The Darkness”, the composition opening the Slavic Spirits LP, was born out of collective improvisation performed before a Komeda-inspired medley of “Free Witch and No Bra Queen / Sult” played in concert. It came as a surprise to us that this new album, devoted to broadly understood Slavism, turned out to have its roots in the combination of compositions about a witch and hunger. Both were present in Central Europe, not only in the Early Middle Ages. During the tour, while travelling together, we talked a lot about Poland’s difficult history. We noticed a number of dreadful episodes and unresolved traumas that have been haunting us until this very day – Marek Pedziwiatr recollects.
Inspired by deliberations of many musicians, but also historians, journalists, writers, and even psychotherapists, new compositions began to appear rapidly, pouring out of the band’s spirit and imagination. The material is also an attempt to radically break out of the status quo of national mythology which currently steers the collective imagination of the Polish society. The musicians turned to Slavic mythology and Polish demonology, while pondering upon the contemporary spiritual condition of Poles. The enigmatic “Slavic melancholy” remains the main inspiration for the following album, as the band tried to extract it from their own DNA. Slavic Spirits is an an endeavour to get in touch with the world of a long- and brutally lost culture which, due to lack of sources, will never be thoroughly explored. A piece called “The Darkness” is a metaphor of this obscurity and the blank page in the history of our ancestors. What follows is a trip to the woods and fields where we face two demons ruling those realms, namely “Woodland Spirit” and “The Noon Witch”. In the end, we climb a marshy and foggy holy mountain (“Sleza”) to eventually practice ritual “Sun Worship”.
A1 - Ciemnosc = The Darkness
A2 - Leszy = Woodland Spirits
A3 - Poludnica = The Noon Witch
B1 - Sleza (Mgla) = Sleza (The Fog)
B2 - Sleza = Sleza
B3 - Przywitanie Slonca (Rytual) = Sun Worship (The Rite)
B4 - Przywitanie Slonca = Sun Worship More
This time the EABS band did not directly address the legacy of the Polish school of broadly understood popular music masters. At the same time, the musicians kept in mind that such legacy is, in a sense, the capital of the past which adds up to identity and builds the future. Therefore, in their further musical quest, the band stayed observant of the signs and inspirations from their predecessors from the jazz and big beat era, who paved the way through their willingness to experiment and pursue a unique sound. Thanks to these concepts, the ensemble decided to listen even more intently to their inner voices. This has enabled EABS to avoid the obsession of imitating the Western sound, which conquers the increasingly generic domestic music industry.
The conceptual direction and the first sketches of compositions were already prepared shortly after the summer of 2017. However, the fast-paced life on tour and the desire to expand the line-up with a soprano saxophone and flute eventually played by Tenderlonious did not allow for quick studio manoeuvres. Especially that the London guest artist needed to arrive for the sessions in Wroclaw. Thankfully, time has only worked in favour of this material. The band was already incredibly harmonious while implementing all the assumptions during the recordings. The compositions have matured and evolved even more.
The idea for “The Darkness”, the composition opening the Slavic Spirits LP, was born out of collective improvisation performed before a Komeda-inspired medley of “Free Witch and No Bra Queen / Sult” played in concert. It came as a surprise to us that this new album, devoted to broadly understood Slavism, turned out to have its roots in the combination of compositions about a witch and hunger. Both were present in Central Europe, not only in the Early Middle Ages. During the tour, while travelling together, we talked a lot about Poland’s difficult history. We noticed a number of dreadful episodes and unresolved traumas that have been haunting us until this very day – Marek Pedziwiatr recollects.
Inspired by deliberations of many musicians, but also historians, journalists, writers, and even psychotherapists, new compositions began to appear rapidly, pouring out of the band’s spirit and imagination. The material is also an attempt to radically break out of the status quo of national mythology which currently steers the collective imagination of the Polish society. The musicians turned to Slavic mythology and Polish demonology, while pondering upon the contemporary spiritual condition of Poles. The enigmatic “Slavic melancholy” remains the main inspiration for the following album, as the band tried to extract it from their own DNA. Slavic Spirits is an an endeavour to get in touch with the world of a long- and brutally lost culture which, due to lack of sources, will never be thoroughly explored. A piece called “The Darkness” is a metaphor of this obscurity and the blank page in the history of our ancestors. What follows is a trip to the woods and fields where we face two demons ruling those realms, namely “Woodland Spirit” and “The Noon Witch”. In the end, we climb a marshy and foggy holy mountain (“Sleza”) to eventually practice ritual “Sun Worship”.
A1 - Ciemnosc = The Darkness
A2 - Leszy = Woodland Spirits
A3 - Poludnica = The Noon Witch
B1 - Sleza (Mgla) = Sleza (The Fog)
B2 - Sleza = Sleza
B3 - Przywitanie Slonca (Rytual) = Sun Worship (The Rite)
B4 - Przywitanie Slonca = Sun Worship More
More records from Astigmatic Records
1
Uniri - Soar
2
Uniri - Oneiric Voyage
3
Uniri - Oumuamua
4
Uniri - Outer Sea
5
Uniri - Solaris Ocean
6
Uniri - Neptune's Arck
7
Uniri - Cetus
8
Uniri - Celestial Waves
9
Uniri - Astra's Charge
10
Uniri - Earth-Diver
11
Uniri - Asteroidea
Revision of new beats on the horizon
Every 20 years or so, certain musical movements come full circle. Young musicians are inspired by genres dating back two decades, channelling them through their modern sensibility. The legendary J Dilla’s Donuts album was released in 2006 and instantly marked a starting point for the work of musicians worldwide, laying the foundations especially for the beat scene in Los Angeles. A whole young generation of musicians brought up on the new, instrumental and abstract hip-hop has carried jazz into a new era. The four London-based musicians who make up Uniri have gone one step further by abandoning the idea of a jazz band and "bedroom production" in favour of collective composing, creating a new look at the new-beat aesthetics, framing it as a road novel set in an unspecified time and space.
Uniri translates as ‘one unified dream’ and is the key driving motto of the project conceived by Chiminyo (Cykada, Maisha), the band's founder and head honcho. The project materialised in his private studio, where he invited fellow jazz musicians Amane Tsuganami (Jorja Smith, Maisha), Al Macsween (Nubya Garcia, Gary Bartz, Kefaya) and Luke Wynter (Nubyan Twist, Golden Mean) to spontaneously compose together. Hence, despite this being the band's first album, it wouldn't be right to call them rookies. The result of Uniri's collaborative work is the psychedelic, rhythmic album Infinite Reflections, packed with cosmic and warm synths, which neatly balances hip-hop beat and jazz composition. It's safe to say this music is even more appealing when played live, although it's equally suited to the club dancefloor.
UK Jazz has become a permanent fixture in the London landscape, but also across Europe and the US. Today, the musicians who shape the new wave of jazz are drawing on more and more genres, reducing solo improvisation for the benefit of composition and increasingly drawing on influences from the beat scene. Among such formations are the British NOK Cultural Ensemble, the Polish Bloto, the Belgian ECHT!, and the Dutch Comité Hypnotisé. Uniri is part of this emerging yet already international trend, creating an entirely fresh aesthetic that echoes artists such as Flying Lotus, Samiyam, Dorian Concept, Ras G and Nosaj Things oriented around the Californian 'new beats generation' scene.
The title Infinite Reflections alludes to a phenomenon observable on the open sea or during intercontinental flights. Gazing at the horizon blurs the boundary between the ocean and the sky, forming an infinite palette of blue shades. This inspiration sparked an elusive musical narrative, navigating between a sea voyage and an astral journey, destination unknown.
The album will be released by Astigmatic Records, with the album scheduled for release on March 29, 2024.
A1 - Soar
A2 - Oneiric Voyage
A3 - Oumuamua
A4 - Outer Sea
A5 - Solaris Ocean
A6 - Neptune's Arck
B1 - Cetus
B2 - Celestial Waves
B3 - Astra's Charge
B4 - Earth-Diver
B5 - Asteroidea
More
Every 20 years or so, certain musical movements come full circle. Young musicians are inspired by genres dating back two decades, channelling them through their modern sensibility. The legendary J Dilla’s Donuts album was released in 2006 and instantly marked a starting point for the work of musicians worldwide, laying the foundations especially for the beat scene in Los Angeles. A whole young generation of musicians brought up on the new, instrumental and abstract hip-hop has carried jazz into a new era. The four London-based musicians who make up Uniri have gone one step further by abandoning the idea of a jazz band and "bedroom production" in favour of collective composing, creating a new look at the new-beat aesthetics, framing it as a road novel set in an unspecified time and space.
Uniri translates as ‘one unified dream’ and is the key driving motto of the project conceived by Chiminyo (Cykada, Maisha), the band's founder and head honcho. The project materialised in his private studio, where he invited fellow jazz musicians Amane Tsuganami (Jorja Smith, Maisha), Al Macsween (Nubya Garcia, Gary Bartz, Kefaya) and Luke Wynter (Nubyan Twist, Golden Mean) to spontaneously compose together. Hence, despite this being the band's first album, it wouldn't be right to call them rookies. The result of Uniri's collaborative work is the psychedelic, rhythmic album Infinite Reflections, packed with cosmic and warm synths, which neatly balances hip-hop beat and jazz composition. It's safe to say this music is even more appealing when played live, although it's equally suited to the club dancefloor.
UK Jazz has become a permanent fixture in the London landscape, but also across Europe and the US. Today, the musicians who shape the new wave of jazz are drawing on more and more genres, reducing solo improvisation for the benefit of composition and increasingly drawing on influences from the beat scene. Among such formations are the British NOK Cultural Ensemble, the Polish Bloto, the Belgian ECHT!, and the Dutch Comité Hypnotisé. Uniri is part of this emerging yet already international trend, creating an entirely fresh aesthetic that echoes artists such as Flying Lotus, Samiyam, Dorian Concept, Ras G and Nosaj Things oriented around the Californian 'new beats generation' scene.
The title Infinite Reflections alludes to a phenomenon observable on the open sea or during intercontinental flights. Gazing at the horizon blurs the boundary between the ocean and the sky, forming an infinite palette of blue shades. This inspiration sparked an elusive musical narrative, navigating between a sea voyage and an astral journey, destination unknown.
The album will be released by Astigmatic Records, with the album scheduled for release on March 29, 2024.
A1 - Soar
A2 - Oneiric Voyage
A3 - Oumuamua
A4 - Outer Sea
A5 - Solaris Ocean
A6 - Neptune's Arck
B1 - Cetus
B2 - Celestial Waves
B3 - Astra's Charge
B4 - Earth-Diver
B5 - Asteroidea
More
1
Bloto - Kaluze
2
Bloto - Mady
3
Bloto - Czarnoziemy
4
Bloto - Bagna
5
Bloto - Czarne ziemie
6
Bloto - Redziny
7
Bloto - Bielice
8
Bloto - Ziemie zdegradowane przez czlowieka
9
Bloto - Glina
10
Bloto - Gleby brunatne
4th Press - 600 copies only
It didn't take long for Bloto to become a thing, shrouded by underground secrecy. First, there was the gig during Spring Break 2019 in Poznan where the Blue Note club was packed to the brim. That event gave momentum to 4 more performances in Warsaw and Wroclaw, with no music released at that time. Then, the first pressing of the vinyl was sold out within 24 hours without any single nor cover revealed.
The word about Bloto has spread, increasingly gaining ground, reaching Japan, where the album will also be available on CD. No one expected such a turn of events. In fact, neither did the band itself; after all, Bloto came to being accidentally, yet naturally, like a puddle after a rainy day.
It all started in the summer of 2018 when EABS was touring and the band had a day off. As they were approaching Tricity, people were getting off and eventually there were only four musicians. An evening off, a well-tuned rhythm section on the road, harmonious as can be, and a great deal of creative potential within the members of Bloto band forming at that very moment stirred up common enthusiasm. The album was created without much deliberation, stemming from the need of the heart and the joy of making music together. As a result, 90 minutes of music was recorded of which about 40 made it to “Erozje”.
The music is deeply rooted in brutal hip-hop grooves, referring to the sound of 90’s New York. Dirty and uncompromising, this music’s strength lies in the drums and bass as its sound refers to classics such as Wu-Tang Clan and Company Flow. Radical in a sense, it also captures the atmosphere of the times in which it is created. The times of the planet on the verge of disaster, distinct social divisions, hate speech, growing nationalism, police brutality, nepotism, and various political deals. All this is happening before our eyes. The soil of the world as we know it is eroding right now.
Tracklist:
A1 - Kaluze
A2 - Mady
A3 - Czarnoziemy
A4 - Bagna
A5 - Czarne ziemie
A6 - Redziny
B1 - Bielice
B2 - Ziemie zdegradowane przez czlowieka
B3 - Glina
B4 - Gleby brunatne More
It didn't take long for Bloto to become a thing, shrouded by underground secrecy. First, there was the gig during Spring Break 2019 in Poznan where the Blue Note club was packed to the brim. That event gave momentum to 4 more performances in Warsaw and Wroclaw, with no music released at that time. Then, the first pressing of the vinyl was sold out within 24 hours without any single nor cover revealed.
The word about Bloto has spread, increasingly gaining ground, reaching Japan, where the album will also be available on CD. No one expected such a turn of events. In fact, neither did the band itself; after all, Bloto came to being accidentally, yet naturally, like a puddle after a rainy day.
It all started in the summer of 2018 when EABS was touring and the band had a day off. As they were approaching Tricity, people were getting off and eventually there were only four musicians. An evening off, a well-tuned rhythm section on the road, harmonious as can be, and a great deal of creative potential within the members of Bloto band forming at that very moment stirred up common enthusiasm. The album was created without much deliberation, stemming from the need of the heart and the joy of making music together. As a result, 90 minutes of music was recorded of which about 40 made it to “Erozje”.
The music is deeply rooted in brutal hip-hop grooves, referring to the sound of 90’s New York. Dirty and uncompromising, this music’s strength lies in the drums and bass as its sound refers to classics such as Wu-Tang Clan and Company Flow. Radical in a sense, it also captures the atmosphere of the times in which it is created. The times of the planet on the verge of disaster, distinct social divisions, hate speech, growing nationalism, police brutality, nepotism, and various political deals. All this is happening before our eyes. The soil of the world as we know it is eroding right now.
Tracklist:
A1 - Kaluze
A2 - Mady
A3 - Czarnoziemy
A4 - Bagna
A5 - Czarne ziemie
A6 - Redziny
B1 - Bielice
B2 - Ziemie zdegradowane przez czlowieka
B3 - Glina
B4 - Gleby brunatne More
1
Bloto - Œcieki
2
Bloto - Szlam
A lot of water has flown under the bridge since B³oto released their last album. Sadly, in Polish rivers it wasn't just water
flowing, but also all sorts of sewage of unknown origin, which destroyed the condition of these once vibrant bodies of water;
it eventually led to a real catastrophe on the Odra River, which, after all, surrounds the entire city of Wroclaw, the band's
birthplace. It is time for a decisive response. B³oto is making a comeback with a seven-inch vinyl and their first singles in
over two years - "Szlam" and "Œcieki".
Climate change had already led to a permanent hydrological drought, which was echoed on Erozje LP. Today, as many as
91.5 percent of Poland's rivers are in very poor condition. It is not only drought that threatens rivers, but also excessive
salinity. This is precisely the kind of disaster that happened on the Odra river. It resulted in 360 tonnes of dead fish and
death of the river along a stretch of almost 500 km, and the reason for that was short-sighted human activity that could
have been avoided. Still, the decision was made to turn the river into a cesspool.
Two years of hiatus is far too long. During this time, reality has not let up for a moment, providing new inspiration. Szlam
(eng. sludge) is the sediment that forms on the river bed and sometimes the river banks. The Polish word derives from
German (Schlamm), which means swamp - or mud. Szlam is therefore a sticky and unsettling remorse that rests somewhere
at the bottom of the human consciousness.
In "Szlam" and "Œcieki" tracks, you will not only hear references to Erozje, but also to Kwasy i Zasady LP. For it is also a
metaphor for everything that pours out of the media, smartphones, and then flows into one's head. The constant bickering,
conflicts and dirty play in political campaigns, scandals to which we are already numb. On top of this, hate speech, lowquality
stupefying influencer content, resulting in an ever-decreasing cultural capital of a society that breeds conformists,
individualistically-minded egoists and mindless consumers. This state of affairs spawns a society of egoists, incapable of
critical reflection, questioning and rebelling against reality.
The sound and genres explored by the band are, as usual, difficult to pigeonhole. These two musical miniatures contain a
lot of anxious and neurotic sounds, as well as synth glitches evoking emotions such as fear, anger, sadness and guilt. The
quartet consisting of Wuja HZG, OlafSaxx, Cancer G and Latarnik managed to distill this mental state by encapsulating it in
shades of breakbeat ("Szlam"), and broadly defined house music ("Œcieki").
A. Szlam
B. Œcieki More
flowing, but also all sorts of sewage of unknown origin, which destroyed the condition of these once vibrant bodies of water;
it eventually led to a real catastrophe on the Odra River, which, after all, surrounds the entire city of Wroclaw, the band's
birthplace. It is time for a decisive response. B³oto is making a comeback with a seven-inch vinyl and their first singles in
over two years - "Szlam" and "Œcieki".
Climate change had already led to a permanent hydrological drought, which was echoed on Erozje LP. Today, as many as
91.5 percent of Poland's rivers are in very poor condition. It is not only drought that threatens rivers, but also excessive
salinity. This is precisely the kind of disaster that happened on the Odra river. It resulted in 360 tonnes of dead fish and
death of the river along a stretch of almost 500 km, and the reason for that was short-sighted human activity that could
have been avoided. Still, the decision was made to turn the river into a cesspool.
Two years of hiatus is far too long. During this time, reality has not let up for a moment, providing new inspiration. Szlam
(eng. sludge) is the sediment that forms on the river bed and sometimes the river banks. The Polish word derives from
German (Schlamm), which means swamp - or mud. Szlam is therefore a sticky and unsettling remorse that rests somewhere
at the bottom of the human consciousness.
In "Szlam" and "Œcieki" tracks, you will not only hear references to Erozje, but also to Kwasy i Zasady LP. For it is also a
metaphor for everything that pours out of the media, smartphones, and then flows into one's head. The constant bickering,
conflicts and dirty play in political campaigns, scandals to which we are already numb. On top of this, hate speech, lowquality
stupefying influencer content, resulting in an ever-decreasing cultural capital of a society that breeds conformists,
individualistically-minded egoists and mindless consumers. This state of affairs spawns a society of egoists, incapable of
critical reflection, questioning and rebelling against reality.
The sound and genres explored by the band are, as usual, difficult to pigeonhole. These two musical miniatures contain a
lot of anxious and neurotic sounds, as well as synth glitches evoking emotions such as fear, anger, sadness and guilt. The
quartet consisting of Wuja HZG, OlafSaxx, Cancer G and Latarnik managed to distill this mental state by encapsulating it in
shades of breakbeat ("Szlam"), and broadly defined house music ("Œcieki").
A. Szlam
B. Œcieki More
1
Cykada - Crystalline Peaks
2
Cykada - Fallacy
3
Cykada - So Divided
4
Cykada - 3301
5
Cykada - The Cracks in the Bricks (Prologue)
6
Cykada - The Cracks in the Bricks
7
Cykada - Ashen Faun
8
Cykada - Last Throes of the Temporal Monolith
When Cicadas appear in the area they cause a huge uproar. It’s hard to escape the distinctive noise these critters make, reaching up to 120 decibels. The hypnotic, trance-inducing sound disappears with the insects. A few months after Cykada's explosive debut, the world was hit by turbulence and from Cykada there was silence - fortunately only seemingly, because the next cycle began underground, in the privacy of the studio. It was there that the cicadas matured, waiting for a metamorphosis.
The year 2019 was very successful for Cykada, with a brilliantly received debut album, concerts at numerous festivals in the UK and Europe such as Glastonbury, Wilderness, London Jazz Festival, BAM Festival, La Defense Jazz Festival or Love Supreme Festival, along with constantly composing and preparing material for the second album. As the musicians entered the studio, the coronavirus pandemic was already in full swing across the globe. It was clear then that the world would never be the same. With increasing restrictions Cykada went underground, waiting for changes to surface again. Unfortunately the expected change that was happening seemed only for the worse - Brexit and its socio-economic consequences, worldwide disinformation, accelerating climate catastrophe and Russian invasion of Ukraine. The collapse of the old world order is the perfect moment for metamorphosis and with this message Cykada steps out again into broad daylight, matured and carrying a message with their long-awaited second album “Metamorphosis”.
The meaning behind the title is multifaceted. It refers both to changes taking place in our society and changes to our world as nature defends itself from human stupidity and greed. It is also a reference to the personal and musical development of the band members in that difficult period. It all became a foundation to bravely attempt to make new beginnings.
The metamorphosis is also clear in the musical aspect of Cykada. Their debut album was already difficult to shoehorn into specific genres with their sound that balanced jazz, electronics and elements of global music styles. With the second album their eclectic style has evolved into something distinct and innovative, combining folk/jazz song form and improvisation with heavier sounds inspired by sound system culture and rock. The band grew into a septet thanks to multi-instrumentalist Rob Milne, expanding the horn section to 3 instruments and galvanising its sound. But the biggest change that happened compared to the first album is the singing of Cykada leader Jamie Benzies in singles “So Divided” and “The Crack in the Bricks”. Both songs carry an important message, showing us that the changes in the world are already happening and that only we can make it head in the right direction. This unique sonic mix along with the message unleashes a powerful energy that the musicians want to send to and infect every listener.
A1 - Crystalline Peaks
A2 - Fallacy
A3 - So Divided
A4 - 3301
B1 - The Cracks in the Bricks (Prologue)
B2 - The Cracks in the Bricks
B3 - Ashen Faun
B4 - Last Throes of the Temporal Monolith More
The year 2019 was very successful for Cykada, with a brilliantly received debut album, concerts at numerous festivals in the UK and Europe such as Glastonbury, Wilderness, London Jazz Festival, BAM Festival, La Defense Jazz Festival or Love Supreme Festival, along with constantly composing and preparing material for the second album. As the musicians entered the studio, the coronavirus pandemic was already in full swing across the globe. It was clear then that the world would never be the same. With increasing restrictions Cykada went underground, waiting for changes to surface again. Unfortunately the expected change that was happening seemed only for the worse - Brexit and its socio-economic consequences, worldwide disinformation, accelerating climate catastrophe and Russian invasion of Ukraine. The collapse of the old world order is the perfect moment for metamorphosis and with this message Cykada steps out again into broad daylight, matured and carrying a message with their long-awaited second album “Metamorphosis”.
The meaning behind the title is multifaceted. It refers both to changes taking place in our society and changes to our world as nature defends itself from human stupidity and greed. It is also a reference to the personal and musical development of the band members in that difficult period. It all became a foundation to bravely attempt to make new beginnings.
The metamorphosis is also clear in the musical aspect of Cykada. Their debut album was already difficult to shoehorn into specific genres with their sound that balanced jazz, electronics and elements of global music styles. With the second album their eclectic style has evolved into something distinct and innovative, combining folk/jazz song form and improvisation with heavier sounds inspired by sound system culture and rock. The band grew into a septet thanks to multi-instrumentalist Rob Milne, expanding the horn section to 3 instruments and galvanising its sound. But the biggest change that happened compared to the first album is the singing of Cykada leader Jamie Benzies in singles “So Divided” and “The Crack in the Bricks”. Both songs carry an important message, showing us that the changes in the world are already happening and that only we can make it head in the right direction. This unique sonic mix along with the message unleashes a powerful energy that the musicians want to send to and infect every listener.
A1 - Crystalline Peaks
A2 - Fallacy
A3 - So Divided
A4 - 3301
B1 - The Cracks in the Bricks (Prologue)
B2 - The Cracks in the Bricks
B3 - Ashen Faun
B4 - Last Throes of the Temporal Monolith More
1
Tomasz Stañko Quintet - Piece 1
2
Tomasz Stañko Quintet - Piece 2
3
Tomasz Stañko Quintet - Piece 3
4
Tomasz Stañko Quintet - Piece 4
5
Tomasz Stañko Quintet - Piece 5
6
Tomasz Stañko Quintet - Piece 6
It would appear that Polish jazz is a well-known subject through and through. Dozens of outstanding albums, biographies of the masters,
hundreds of journal articles. As it turns out, it is still possible to find music that has been waiting for years to be discovered. On the 80th
birthday of Tomasz Stañko, Astigmatic Records presents the first part of Wooden Music, a conceptual project created by the maestro
and his legendary quintet, which has been stored in the archives of Radio Bremen for 50 years.
Tomasz Stañko was an exceptional Polish jazz trumpeter. He passed away in 2018, leaving behind a legacy of numerous releases,
soundtracks, concert recordings and wild stories involving him. Before rising to the top, he honed his craft alongside Krzysztof Komeda
and Andrzej Trzaskowski. In the mid-1960s, he appeared on Astigmatic and Polish Jazz Vol. 4 – the albums that were a creative
manifesto for Polish jazz of those years. However, all this time he was constantly thinking about starting his own band.
In 1968 he completed the line-up – Janusz Stefañski on drums, Bronis³aw Suchanek on double bass, Janusz Muniak on tenor
saxophone and Zbigniew Seifert on alto saxophone, which he soon replaced with the violin. Stañko classified the quintet's output into
three periods. The first, composed, is associated with Music for K, Stañko's publishing debut as a leader, which became a permanent
entry in the canon of Polish jazz records. The second period is wooden music – it's the free jazz period, the least known in the quintet's
history despite the fact that it spanned more than three years. The third and final period is linked to the release of the band's final album,
the cult Purple Sun. However, the entire period between Music for K and Purple Sun is shrouded in mystery, as the band was mainly in
Western Europe at the time. In the early 1970s, all the musicians take one-year visas. In between tours they live in Germany: first in a
hippie commune in Wurtzburg, then in Darmstadt. They play in clubs on a day by day basis. The quintet is said to be distinguished from
other bands by their ability to completely "burn" in the fire of improvisation. They lead their lives as a single organism, touring without
wives or girlfriends. The compositions are blurred, the fascination with free music prevails. Short pieces and motives are the starting point
for further performance. The ensemble does not plan, they just play. On 28 May 1972 they play at the Iserlohn jazz festival. JG Records
would release this performance as Jazzmessage from Poland. The very music recorded there represents what the quintet called Wooden
Music.
The foundation of wooden music is the sound of the double bass and the violin, but it soon becomes apparent that all instruments except
for Tomasz Stañko's trumpet are wooden. A string orchestra is born, over which the metal trumpet can weave all sorts of hues
accompanied by the saxophone. What fascinates the quintet in wooden music is the melody, rhythm and timbre - where these are usually
just an element, they fill the entire piece in their case. Bronis³aw Suchanek, the last living member of the quintet, recalls:
"Wooden music is all about total improvisation. We used to arrive at a gig, start playing without really knowing where we were heading.
The only thing that guided us was the common and mental compatibility, understanding, friendship and respect along this musical journey.
Music was the first most important element to attribute to – it was free jazz in its purest form. If there are any moments that seem
orchestrated it is because we played together for several years, evening after evening, going from club to club. We knew each other
better than our parents knew us, we had total trust in each other – that's what made this music exist in the way it did."
A1 - Piece 1
A2 - Piece 2
A3 - Piece 3
A4 - Piece 4
B1 - Piece 5
B2 - Piece 6 More
hundreds of journal articles. As it turns out, it is still possible to find music that has been waiting for years to be discovered. On the 80th
birthday of Tomasz Stañko, Astigmatic Records presents the first part of Wooden Music, a conceptual project created by the maestro
and his legendary quintet, which has been stored in the archives of Radio Bremen for 50 years.
Tomasz Stañko was an exceptional Polish jazz trumpeter. He passed away in 2018, leaving behind a legacy of numerous releases,
soundtracks, concert recordings and wild stories involving him. Before rising to the top, he honed his craft alongside Krzysztof Komeda
and Andrzej Trzaskowski. In the mid-1960s, he appeared on Astigmatic and Polish Jazz Vol. 4 – the albums that were a creative
manifesto for Polish jazz of those years. However, all this time he was constantly thinking about starting his own band.
In 1968 he completed the line-up – Janusz Stefañski on drums, Bronis³aw Suchanek on double bass, Janusz Muniak on tenor
saxophone and Zbigniew Seifert on alto saxophone, which he soon replaced with the violin. Stañko classified the quintet's output into
three periods. The first, composed, is associated with Music for K, Stañko's publishing debut as a leader, which became a permanent
entry in the canon of Polish jazz records. The second period is wooden music – it's the free jazz period, the least known in the quintet's
history despite the fact that it spanned more than three years. The third and final period is linked to the release of the band's final album,
the cult Purple Sun. However, the entire period between Music for K and Purple Sun is shrouded in mystery, as the band was mainly in
Western Europe at the time. In the early 1970s, all the musicians take one-year visas. In between tours they live in Germany: first in a
hippie commune in Wurtzburg, then in Darmstadt. They play in clubs on a day by day basis. The quintet is said to be distinguished from
other bands by their ability to completely "burn" in the fire of improvisation. They lead their lives as a single organism, touring without
wives or girlfriends. The compositions are blurred, the fascination with free music prevails. Short pieces and motives are the starting point
for further performance. The ensemble does not plan, they just play. On 28 May 1972 they play at the Iserlohn jazz festival. JG Records
would release this performance as Jazzmessage from Poland. The very music recorded there represents what the quintet called Wooden
Music.
The foundation of wooden music is the sound of the double bass and the violin, but it soon becomes apparent that all instruments except
for Tomasz Stañko's trumpet are wooden. A string orchestra is born, over which the metal trumpet can weave all sorts of hues
accompanied by the saxophone. What fascinates the quintet in wooden music is the melody, rhythm and timbre - where these are usually
just an element, they fill the entire piece in their case. Bronis³aw Suchanek, the last living member of the quintet, recalls:
"Wooden music is all about total improvisation. We used to arrive at a gig, start playing without really knowing where we were heading.
The only thing that guided us was the common and mental compatibility, understanding, friendship and respect along this musical journey.
Music was the first most important element to attribute to – it was free jazz in its purest form. If there are any moments that seem
orchestrated it is because we played together for several years, evening after evening, going from club to club. We knew each other
better than our parents knew us, we had total trust in each other – that's what made this music exist in the way it did."
A1 - Piece 1
A2 - Piece 2
A3 - Piece 3
A4 - Piece 4
B1 - Piece 5
B2 - Piece 6 More
1
Tomasz Stanko Quintet - Calme
2
Tomasz Stanko Quintet - 6 & 8 I
3
Tomasz Stanko Quintet - 6 & 8 II
4
Tomasz Stanko Quintet - Flute's Ballad
The discovery of Tomasz Stañko's archive recordings from 50 years ago at Radio Bremen demonstrated the dynamic development of
this shrouded in mystery quintet, which was a blank spot in the history of Polish jazz. Released by Astigmatic Records, the album
turned out to be a surprise and a huge musical treat for many fans who no longer remember such a fiery period in the career of the
outstanding trumpeter. The record received much critical acclaim and sold out in a blink, and Jazz Forum magazine recognised Wooden
Music I as the historic album of the year. Now the time has come for the 2nd and final installment of wooden music.
It takes more than one album to fully illustrate the evolution of the band with which Tomasz Stañko, as its leader, recorded Music for K,
one of the most important albums in Polish jazz. It is the early 1970s, Zbigniew Seifert gives up the saxophone in favour of the violin, so
the band's sound becomes more 'wooden', and around this expression Stañko builds the foundations of a philosophy, which he wrote
down on four small sheets of paper, still kept by Bronis³aw Suchanek, the quintet's bass player:
We seek to create the kind of music that, while operating with all the elements of the most genuine jazz, attempts to look at it from a
different angle, from a different mental plane. We do not experiment with the material, but with the form. For the form does not have to
be a logical and strict construction of the entire piece, it can be free, improvised while playing, resulting from the mood, or atmosphere
existing at a given moment, or random things, creating with their free fluidity that specific "magical mood". This, of course, excludes
compositions in the traditional sense - Tomasz Stañko wrote at the time.
Wooden Music is therefore like a postcard - not so much of a specific gig, but of the entire period of the quintet's activity. It opens with
compositions featured on Jazzmessage from Poland. Wooden Music I recorded in Bremen on 15 June 1972 is its peak - when the band
plays free, vigorous music, but more sensitively planned, as the group is more in-tune after hours of joint stage encounters. Wooden
Music II, recorded in Hamburg on 9 November 1972, is the conclusion of their vision of free-jazz - the final phase where composed
pieces ("Calme" and "6 & 8") begin to emerge from wild improvisation. Some of these would, a few months later, find their way onto an
iconic piece in Tomasz Stañko's discography - the Purple Sun album (e.g. "Flute's Ballad")... but with a slightly different line-up. When
the band decides to wrap up, they are at the peak of their form, each feeling the need to develop on their own. They know when to step
off the stage. They are invincible. Tomasz Stañko Quintet was one of the most outstanding European free jazz ensembles of its time.
The Polish musicians, plus a plethora of individuals such as Brötzmann, Mangelsdorff, Schlippenbach, Vesala or Surman, contributed to
a movement which, while co-operating with the American avant-garde, had its own specificity and its own unique audience. Polish
jazzmen, newcomers from behind the Iron Curtain, were seen as carrying a message of freedom to the countries of the region. It took
many years for this message to come true. Today, European jazz seems to be far more erudite, emotionally restrained, intellectual, seeking
links with contemporary avant-garde and ethno music. It's all very beautiful, but sometimes one would like to discard all of this extra
wrapping and bring out the essence of jazz - the synergic energy and striving for the limits of expression, even if it poses the risk of a
musical explosion - Tomasz Szachowski states in Jazz Forum. Therefore, it is time to see if we are dealing with explosive material in the
case of the second installment of wooden music.
Thus, the Wooden Music series culminates with its second part coming from the archives of NDR radio, which recorded the footage in a
small club in Hamburg called Jazzhouse. This time, the additional stem-mastering was done by Marcin Cichy, who perfected the sound
on the album even more.
A1 - Calme
A2 - 6 & 8 I
B1 - 6 & 8 II
B2 - Flute's Ballad More
this shrouded in mystery quintet, which was a blank spot in the history of Polish jazz. Released by Astigmatic Records, the album
turned out to be a surprise and a huge musical treat for many fans who no longer remember such a fiery period in the career of the
outstanding trumpeter. The record received much critical acclaim and sold out in a blink, and Jazz Forum magazine recognised Wooden
Music I as the historic album of the year. Now the time has come for the 2nd and final installment of wooden music.
It takes more than one album to fully illustrate the evolution of the band with which Tomasz Stañko, as its leader, recorded Music for K,
one of the most important albums in Polish jazz. It is the early 1970s, Zbigniew Seifert gives up the saxophone in favour of the violin, so
the band's sound becomes more 'wooden', and around this expression Stañko builds the foundations of a philosophy, which he wrote
down on four small sheets of paper, still kept by Bronis³aw Suchanek, the quintet's bass player:
We seek to create the kind of music that, while operating with all the elements of the most genuine jazz, attempts to look at it from a
different angle, from a different mental plane. We do not experiment with the material, but with the form. For the form does not have to
be a logical and strict construction of the entire piece, it can be free, improvised while playing, resulting from the mood, or atmosphere
existing at a given moment, or random things, creating with their free fluidity that specific "magical mood". This, of course, excludes
compositions in the traditional sense - Tomasz Stañko wrote at the time.
Wooden Music is therefore like a postcard - not so much of a specific gig, but of the entire period of the quintet's activity. It opens with
compositions featured on Jazzmessage from Poland. Wooden Music I recorded in Bremen on 15 June 1972 is its peak - when the band
plays free, vigorous music, but more sensitively planned, as the group is more in-tune after hours of joint stage encounters. Wooden
Music II, recorded in Hamburg on 9 November 1972, is the conclusion of their vision of free-jazz - the final phase where composed
pieces ("Calme" and "6 & 8") begin to emerge from wild improvisation. Some of these would, a few months later, find their way onto an
iconic piece in Tomasz Stañko's discography - the Purple Sun album (e.g. "Flute's Ballad")... but with a slightly different line-up. When
the band decides to wrap up, they are at the peak of their form, each feeling the need to develop on their own. They know when to step
off the stage. They are invincible. Tomasz Stañko Quintet was one of the most outstanding European free jazz ensembles of its time.
The Polish musicians, plus a plethora of individuals such as Brötzmann, Mangelsdorff, Schlippenbach, Vesala or Surman, contributed to
a movement which, while co-operating with the American avant-garde, had its own specificity and its own unique audience. Polish
jazzmen, newcomers from behind the Iron Curtain, were seen as carrying a message of freedom to the countries of the region. It took
many years for this message to come true. Today, European jazz seems to be far more erudite, emotionally restrained, intellectual, seeking
links with contemporary avant-garde and ethno music. It's all very beautiful, but sometimes one would like to discard all of this extra
wrapping and bring out the essence of jazz - the synergic energy and striving for the limits of expression, even if it poses the risk of a
musical explosion - Tomasz Szachowski states in Jazz Forum. Therefore, it is time to see if we are dealing with explosive material in the
case of the second installment of wooden music.
Thus, the Wooden Music series culminates with its second part coming from the archives of NDR radio, which recorded the footage in a
small club in Hamburg called Jazzhouse. This time, the additional stem-mastering was done by Marcin Cichy, who perfected the sound
on the album even more.
A1 - Calme
A2 - 6 & 8 I
B1 - 6 & 8 II
B2 - Flute's Ballad More
1
EABS - The Darkness
2
EABS - Woodland Spirits
3
EABS - The Noon Witch
4
EABS - Sleza (The Fog)
5
EABS - Sleza
6
EABS - Sun Worship (The Rite)
7
EABS - Sun Worship
After the very well received, both by the audience and critics, debut album Repetitions (Letters to Krzysztof Komeda), focusing on the lesser-known works of the legendary Polish composer, the Wroclaw-based EABS decided to further expand this lead and released two more vinyl records, "live" and "on tape", which crowned the "Komeda triptych". The astounding reception of the band's debut whet listeners' appetite for completely new recordings. It took 2 years for the new album to materialise, this time, however, it is filled with 100% original material.
This time the EABS band did not directly address the legacy of the Polish school of broadly understood popular music masters. At the same time, the musicians kept in mind that such legacy is, in a sense, the capital of the past which adds up to identity and builds the future. Therefore, in their further musical quest, the band stayed observant of the signs and inspirations from their predecessors from the jazz and big beat era, who paved the way through their willingness to experiment and pursue a unique sound. Thanks to these concepts, the ensemble decided to listen even more intently to their inner voices. This has enabled EABS to avoid the obsession of imitating the Western sound, which conquers the increasingly generic domestic music industry.
The conceptual direction and the first sketches of compositions were already prepared shortly after the summer of 2017. However, the fast-paced life on tour and the desire to expand the line-up with a soprano saxophone and flute eventually played by Tenderlonious did not allow for quick studio manoeuvres. Especially that the London guest artist needed to arrive for the sessions in Wroclaw. Thankfully, time has only worked in favour of this material. The band was already incredibly harmonious while implementing all the assumptions during the recordings. The compositions have matured and evolved even more.
The idea for “The Darkness”, the composition opening the Slavic Spirits LP, was born out of collective improvisation performed before a Komeda-inspired medley of “Free Witch and No Bra Queen / Sult” played in concert. It came as a surprise to us that this new album, devoted to broadly understood Slavism, turned out to have its roots in the combination of compositions about a witch and hunger. Both were present in Central Europe, not only in the Early Middle Ages. During the tour, while travelling together, we talked a lot about Poland’s difficult history. We noticed a number of dreadful episodes and unresolved traumas that have been haunting us until this very day – Marek Pedziwiatr recollects.
Inspired by deliberations of many musicians, but also historians, journalists, writers, and even psychotherapists, new compositions began to appear rapidly, pouring out of the band’s spirit and imagination. The material is also an attempt to radically break out of the status quo of national mythology which currently steers the collective imagination of the Polish society. The musicians turned to Slavic mythology and Polish demonology, while pondering upon the contemporary spiritual condition of Poles. The enigmatic “Slavic melancholy” remains the main inspiration for the following album, as the band tried to extract it from their own DNA. Slavic Spirits is an an endeavour to get in touch with the world of a long- and brutally lost culture which, due to lack of sources, will never be thoroughly explored. A piece called “The Darkness” is a metaphor of this obscurity and the blank page in the history of our ancestors. What follows is a trip to the woods and fields where we face two demons ruling those realms, namely “Woodland Spirit” and “The Noon Witch”. In the end, we climb a marshy and foggy holy mountain (“Sleza”) to eventually practice ritual “Sun Worship”.
A1 - Ciemnosc = The Darkness
A2 - Leszy = Woodland Spirits
A3 - Poludnica = The Noon Witch
B1 - Sleza (Mgla) = Sleza (The Fog)
B2 - Sleza = Sleza
B3 - Przywitanie Slonca (Rytual) = Sun Worship (The Rite)
B4 - Przywitanie Slonca = Sun Worship More
This time the EABS band did not directly address the legacy of the Polish school of broadly understood popular music masters. At the same time, the musicians kept in mind that such legacy is, in a sense, the capital of the past which adds up to identity and builds the future. Therefore, in their further musical quest, the band stayed observant of the signs and inspirations from their predecessors from the jazz and big beat era, who paved the way through their willingness to experiment and pursue a unique sound. Thanks to these concepts, the ensemble decided to listen even more intently to their inner voices. This has enabled EABS to avoid the obsession of imitating the Western sound, which conquers the increasingly generic domestic music industry.
The conceptual direction and the first sketches of compositions were already prepared shortly after the summer of 2017. However, the fast-paced life on tour and the desire to expand the line-up with a soprano saxophone and flute eventually played by Tenderlonious did not allow for quick studio manoeuvres. Especially that the London guest artist needed to arrive for the sessions in Wroclaw. Thankfully, time has only worked in favour of this material. The band was already incredibly harmonious while implementing all the assumptions during the recordings. The compositions have matured and evolved even more.
The idea for “The Darkness”, the composition opening the Slavic Spirits LP, was born out of collective improvisation performed before a Komeda-inspired medley of “Free Witch and No Bra Queen / Sult” played in concert. It came as a surprise to us that this new album, devoted to broadly understood Slavism, turned out to have its roots in the combination of compositions about a witch and hunger. Both were present in Central Europe, not only in the Early Middle Ages. During the tour, while travelling together, we talked a lot about Poland’s difficult history. We noticed a number of dreadful episodes and unresolved traumas that have been haunting us until this very day – Marek Pedziwiatr recollects.
Inspired by deliberations of many musicians, but also historians, journalists, writers, and even psychotherapists, new compositions began to appear rapidly, pouring out of the band’s spirit and imagination. The material is also an attempt to radically break out of the status quo of national mythology which currently steers the collective imagination of the Polish society. The musicians turned to Slavic mythology and Polish demonology, while pondering upon the contemporary spiritual condition of Poles. The enigmatic “Slavic melancholy” remains the main inspiration for the following album, as the band tried to extract it from their own DNA. Slavic Spirits is an an endeavour to get in touch with the world of a long- and brutally lost culture which, due to lack of sources, will never be thoroughly explored. A piece called “The Darkness” is a metaphor of this obscurity and the blank page in the history of our ancestors. What follows is a trip to the woods and fields where we face two demons ruling those realms, namely “Woodland Spirit” and “The Noon Witch”. In the end, we climb a marshy and foggy holy mountain (“Sleza”) to eventually practice ritual “Sun Worship”.
A1 - Ciemnosc = The Darkness
A2 - Leszy = Woodland Spirits
A3 - Poludnica = The Noon Witch
B1 - Sleza (Mgla) = Sleza (The Fog)
B2 - Sleza = Sleza
B3 - Przywitanie Slonca (Rytual) = Sun Worship (The Rite)
B4 - Przywitanie Slonca = Sun Worship More
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Private pressings have always been objects of demand and research by record collectors. In most cases, print runs were no more than 300 copies, and despite the total lack of recognition, this movement can be seen as a countercurrent act to the mass music industry. Private presses are non-commercial print runs distributed as a promotion or sold at concerts.
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Label:Be With Records
Cat-No:bewith157lp
Release-Date:07.06.2024
Genre:HipHop/Rap/Urban
Configuration:2LP Excl
Label:Be With Records
Cat-No:bewith157lp
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D1 We Got Plots 3:38
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Release Notes:
Holy grail hip-hop alert! Superstar Quamallah's Invisible Man was never released on wax so, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this astounding record, we present the first ever vinyl edition. A stunning record which gained accolades upon its initial release, such as a prominent feature on Gilles Peterson's renowned Best Of 2009 show, it's one of the most essential jazz rap albums of all time. Cut across double vinyl, it’s exceedingly limited, with just 500 pressed for the world.
Deep jazz rap on that mellow-melodic tip, Invisible Man is an unforgettable album with nothing but dope beats and dope bars. There's a strong chance this album has passed you by but we truly believe it to be a lost hip-hop masterpiece. It supremely captures the essence of a golden age classic without being slavish to the past. No, this ain't some facile throwback rap. It's a fresh and deeply soulful, original album shot through straight from the heart. Perfect to chill to, Invisible Man is profoundly jazz-oriented and captures with simplicity and sincerity the essence of hip-hop circa 1983-1994. It sounds like vibing with your nearest, dearest and oldest friends on a long hot summer night as the tantalising thought that anything is possible fills the air. You know what, we can just call this "magic hour rap" and we think you'll know what we mean. It's just beautiful. Just Listen.
Brooklyn-born, California-based emcee, DJ, and producer Superstar Quamallah was active in the West Coast underground scene throughout the 90s and recorded extensively with such revered names as Defari and Tajai. His parents were some serious artistic heavyweights, too; his father was soul organist Big John Patton, a giant in the jazz world known for his releases on Blue Note whilst his mother was an active designer. However, he remains relatively unknown. Invisible Man, named ostensibly after the classic Ralph Ellison novel, could also refer to how he is viewed by the public at large. With close affiliations to the Hieroglyphics, Dilated Peoples and Likwit crew, his debut EP "Don't Call Me John" arrived in 1999 on ABB Records, after which he took a sabbatical from recording which included graduate school, travelling, teaching at Inglewood High and eventually a professorship of African Studies at Berkeley.
With a laidback flow and deep, relaxing presence on the mic, Superstar Quamallah is equal parts Big Daddy Kane, Rakim and Guru. Invisible Man is refined, soulful, feel-good hip-hop of the old school. Its wise, spiritual and literate sound, combined with the summertime vibes projected by the smooth beats and the nostalgia-inducing samples and vocal scratches, created jazzy boom-bap rap reminiscent of prime De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr.
Irresistibly bouncing opener "You Need Knowledge" loops sparkling pianos, horns and a nagging whistle refrain with scratched vocal refrains from Slick Rick, Mobb Deep and Guru. The super-smooth head-nod classic "88 Soul" also utilises a beautifully swelling piano line and dusty breaks whilst Quamé reminisces about his childhood in NYC. Deeply moving, the silky, sultry "Black Shakespeare" is built around an elegant piano loop and goes hard on the superman lover tip whilst "For My People...It's Spiritual" is transcendental rap in conversation with Rakim and older gods. The "Moment Of Truth"-sampling "Lonely At The Top" is striking for its undiluted boom-bap stylings and the staccato flute-hop of "Just Listen" is riddled with soulful refinement. The deeply-affecting, wistful-yet-triumphant bells and horn-drenched single "California Dreamin'" is top-tier rap of unimpeachable quality. What a flow!
Another highlight is the rich melodic piano-rap of "Purity", a beautiful ode to the foundations of rap and those keeping the culture authentically alive. Beautifully played instruments and spiritual jazz samples elevate the deep thinking present on "Kunta Kente" whilst the darker jazz-tinged battle-rap of "93 Shit" goes super hard both in a lyrical sense and with its no-holds drum punches. The breezy Rhodes and string loops that serve as the sonic backdrop to the slinky jazz rap of "We Got Plots" are just gorgeous as our hero evokes Common's "I Used To Love H.E.R." with a head-spinning tale of crime, deception and double crossing. And some twist! "Do Win-Dis" has a tense crime-funk backing and rolling beats which complement Quamé's flow perfectly before the record is rounded out by the tough yet jazzy brilliance of rap confessional "Hope She Remembers Me". Just sensational.
Upon its original release, Quamallah himself declared: "My favorite time period for Hip Hop music was definitely between 1983 and 1994 with 1988 and 1993 being two years that standout as extremely impressive years musically and culturally. The fashion, slang, movies, TV shows and vibe during those years was incredible. While totally submerged in the feelings and music of that entire time period, I went to work on Invisible Man and I am excited for people to hear the result! It is an album that I would want to hear from some of my favorite artists of the past and present today. This is not a RETRO trip for me; this is me at my best lyrically and spiritually using the accessories of the 80s and 90s to fuel me. I am a 88 soul as the song states!"
This album goes deep. It goes all in. When Invisible Man first came out it had a real hold on us here at Be With HQ. We couldn't stop listening to it. We'd venture to say it's one of the top 25 rap records of the 2000s. In the years since its release, it has remained a criminally underrated record, an increasingly hidden gem. We sincerely hope this first time double LP release will go some way to correct this. It's been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Cicely Balston and pressed at Record Industry. Finally available on the format it should always have been on, it must never be rendered invisible again.
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Track List:
A1 Mr. Righteous (Intro) 0:35
A2 You Need Knowledge 3:45
A3 88 Soul 3:12
A4 Black Shakespeare 3:02
B1 For My People...It's Spiritual 2:55
B2 Lonely At The Top 3:56
B3 Just Listen 4:05
B4 California Dreamin' 4:33
C1 Purity 3:59
C2 Kunta Kente 4:20
C3 1993 Shit 3:49
D1 We Got Plots 3:38
D2 Do Win-Dis 4:11
D3 Hope She Remembers Me 3:15
Release Notes:
Holy grail hip-hop alert! Superstar Quamallah's Invisible Man was never released on wax so, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this astounding record, we present the first ever vinyl edition. A stunning record which gained accolades upon its initial release, such as a prominent feature on Gilles Peterson's renowned Best Of 2009 show, it's one of the most essential jazz rap albums of all time. Cut across double vinyl, it’s exceedingly limited, with just 500 pressed for the world.
Deep jazz rap on that mellow-melodic tip, Invisible Man is an unforgettable album with nothing but dope beats and dope bars. There's a strong chance this album has passed you by but we truly believe it to be a lost hip-hop masterpiece. It supremely captures the essence of a golden age classic without being slavish to the past. No, this ain't some facile throwback rap. It's a fresh and deeply soulful, original album shot through straight from the heart. Perfect to chill to, Invisible Man is profoundly jazz-oriented and captures with simplicity and sincerity the essence of hip-hop circa 1983-1994. It sounds like vibing with your nearest, dearest and oldest friends on a long hot summer night as the tantalising thought that anything is possible fills the air. You know what, we can just call this "magic hour rap" and we think you'll know what we mean. It's just beautiful. Just Listen.
Brooklyn-born, California-based emcee, DJ, and producer Superstar Quamallah was active in the West Coast underground scene throughout the 90s and recorded extensively with such revered names as Defari and Tajai. His parents were some serious artistic heavyweights, too; his father was soul organist Big John Patton, a giant in the jazz world known for his releases on Blue Note whilst his mother was an active designer. However, he remains relatively unknown. Invisible Man, named ostensibly after the classic Ralph Ellison novel, could also refer to how he is viewed by the public at large. With close affiliations to the Hieroglyphics, Dilated Peoples and Likwit crew, his debut EP "Don't Call Me John" arrived in 1999 on ABB Records, after which he took a sabbatical from recording which included graduate school, travelling, teaching at Inglewood High and eventually a professorship of African Studies at Berkeley.
With a laidback flow and deep, relaxing presence on the mic, Superstar Quamallah is equal parts Big Daddy Kane, Rakim and Guru. Invisible Man is refined, soulful, feel-good hip-hop of the old school. Its wise, spiritual and literate sound, combined with the summertime vibes projected by the smooth beats and the nostalgia-inducing samples and vocal scratches, created jazzy boom-bap rap reminiscent of prime De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr.
Irresistibly bouncing opener "You Need Knowledge" loops sparkling pianos, horns and a nagging whistle refrain with scratched vocal refrains from Slick Rick, Mobb Deep and Guru. The super-smooth head-nod classic "88 Soul" also utilises a beautifully swelling piano line and dusty breaks whilst Quamé reminisces about his childhood in NYC. Deeply moving, the silky, sultry "Black Shakespeare" is built around an elegant piano loop and goes hard on the superman lover tip whilst "For My People...It's Spiritual" is transcendental rap in conversation with Rakim and older gods. The "Moment Of Truth"-sampling "Lonely At The Top" is striking for its undiluted boom-bap stylings and the staccato flute-hop of "Just Listen" is riddled with soulful refinement. The deeply-affecting, wistful-yet-triumphant bells and horn-drenched single "California Dreamin'" is top-tier rap of unimpeachable quality. What a flow!
Another highlight is the rich melodic piano-rap of "Purity", a beautiful ode to the foundations of rap and those keeping the culture authentically alive. Beautifully played instruments and spiritual jazz samples elevate the deep thinking present on "Kunta Kente" whilst the darker jazz-tinged battle-rap of "93 Shit" goes super hard both in a lyrical sense and with its no-holds drum punches. The breezy Rhodes and string loops that serve as the sonic backdrop to the slinky jazz rap of "We Got Plots" are just gorgeous as our hero evokes Common's "I Used To Love H.E.R." with a head-spinning tale of crime, deception and double crossing. And some twist! "Do Win-Dis" has a tense crime-funk backing and rolling beats which complement Quamé's flow perfectly before the record is rounded out by the tough yet jazzy brilliance of rap confessional "Hope She Remembers Me". Just sensational.
Upon its original release, Quamallah himself declared: "My favorite time period for Hip Hop music was definitely between 1983 and 1994 with 1988 and 1993 being two years that standout as extremely impressive years musically and culturally. The fashion, slang, movies, TV shows and vibe during those years was incredible. While totally submerged in the feelings and music of that entire time period, I went to work on Invisible Man and I am excited for people to hear the result! It is an album that I would want to hear from some of my favorite artists of the past and present today. This is not a RETRO trip for me; this is me at my best lyrically and spiritually using the accessories of the 80s and 90s to fuel me. I am a 88 soul as the song states!"
This album goes deep. It goes all in. When Invisible Man first came out it had a real hold on us here at Be With HQ. We couldn't stop listening to it. We'd venture to say it's one of the top 25 rap records of the 2000s. In the years since its release, it has remained a criminally underrated record, an increasingly hidden gem. We sincerely hope this first time double LP release will go some way to correct this. It's been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Cicely Balston and pressed at Record Industry. Finally available on the format it should always have been on, it must never be rendered invisible again.
More
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