JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 106th anniversary of Thelonious Monk’s birth.
Tag: instrumental
Founded in the shock wave of the 2012’s Quebec Student Protests, Montréal-based collective ce qui nous traverse seeks “to capture the intensive vibrations that compose the surrounding ambiances.”
Back in 2013, they release their self-titled debut EP. They followed up with a live improvised album 2014’s À l’écart and their full-length debut, 2016’s des lignes, which was released through Cuchabata Records to attention both nationally and internationally.
2021’s Le sacre de Sainte-Barbe is a concept album that thematically focused on the band’s singular relation to a small town in Southwestern Québec.
Earlier this year, Montréal-based collective ce qui nous traverse released Particules de Sainte-Barbe through Vancouver-based indie label Kingfisher Bluez. Particules de Sainte-Barbe was conceived as a complementary epilogue to their conceptual full-length debut, 2021’s Le sacre de Sainte-Barbe.
Much like its predecessor, the Montréal-based collective’s sophomore album thematically explores life in rural Québec and the nocturnal life. But the album’s material is orientated around an exploration of “the mysterious and enigmatic character of the anonymous villages that we pass by on the road without realizing it.” Written and recorded between Montréal and Sainte-Barbe in Montérégie, Québec, the collective’s twelve musicians created a mix of improvisation and original compositions that go across a wide range of styles and genres, including post-punk, jazz, shoegaze and more.
Particules de Sainte-Barbe‘s lead single “. . .et des éclairs” is an expansive bit of krautrock that begins with a dreamy and atmospheric introduction with twinkling percussion, followed a middle section that features a breakneck, motorik groove-driven gallop and reverb-drenched, shoegazer guitar textures before ending with a slow-burning fade out.
While sonically bringing fellow Montrealers Yoo Doo Right to mind, “. . . et des éclairs” evokes late night driving through country roads, seeing the endless blacktop and yellow-lines with everything else blurring past you.
New Audio: SHOLTO Returns with Breathtakingly Gorgeous “The Pearl That Glitters”
London-based multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Oscar “Sholto” Robertson grew up with a deep and abiding love of jazz, soul, krautrock and 60s and 70s soundtracks. Roberton may be best known for being one-half of indie outfit Sunglasses for Jaws. He honed his production skills under the guidance of Allah-Las‘ Nick Waterhouse and Inflo.
Three years ago, Robertson stepped out into the spotlight as a solo artist with his latest project SHOLTO, which sees him crafting a unique take on cinematic, instrumental soul. 2023 looks to be a big year for the rising London-based multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer: He signed to Deep Matter imprint Root Records, who will be releasing Robertson’s SHOLTO debut, The Changing Tides of Dreams EP.
Earlier this year, I wrote about “Vampire,” an expansive and cinematic arrangement that featured twinkling percussion, swirling Wurlitzer organ, cascading harp, lush strings, bursts of fluttering flute, a supple and propulsive bass line, a soulful horn solo and skittering boom bap drumming paired with a strutting groove. The result is a song that reminds me a bit of the gorgeous, widescreen instrumental soul of The Ironsides with the trippy grooves of L’Eclair and Mildlife.
The Changing Tides of Dreams EP‘s latest single, the breathtakingly gorgeous “Pearl That Glitters” is built around a lush string and cascading harp arrangement with bursts of twinkling keys and reverb-drenched bursts of guitar. Inspired by soundtrack composers like Piero Umiliani and David Axelrod, the composition is fairly literal in its meaning, with the music being written to evoke the reflection of sunlight shimmering and reflecting off the iridescent insides of a pearl.
Ugandan-born, Brussels-based producer and musician, born Alban Murenzi is best known as a founding member of successful sibling indie R&B outfit YellowStraps. The accomplished duo released their 2018’s Blame EP through Majestic Casual. They performed on the tastemaker platform COLORS back in 2019.
They followed that up with 2020’s Golddress EP and last year’s tentacle which saw Murenzi adopt the moniker Halibab Matador, before he stepped out into the spotlight as a solo artist.
Murenzi’s full-length debut as Halibab Matador, Souvenirs is slated for release this year, and the album sees the Ugandan-Belgian producer and musician focusing on largely instrumental and beat-driven material that fuses elements of hip-hop, jazz and soul.
Earlier this month, I wrote about album single “Lili,” which saw the acclaimed Brussels-based musician and producer collaborating with Léa Kadian, who contributes a supple bass line, twinkling keys from Tim de Fontaine and soulful vocal harmonies from Stacy de Bruges. The result is a vibey, neo-soul lullaby of sorts that evokes the comfort of a warm blanket on a chilly day — or seeing your lover smile after a period of absence.
“This song is dedicated to my lover. For me, it represents light, warmth and freedom,” the Ugandan-Belgian producer and musician explains. “It represents the good fortune of being alive and experiencing beautiful moments of joy.
“Léa Kadian on bass and Stacy de Bruges on vocal harmonies. I love what they do and feel privileged to be able to collaborate with such talented people. My friend Tim de Fontaine also chipped in with some sweet piano notes.”
“White Pages,” Souvenirs‘ latest single is a built around a looped, finger-plucked, shimmering guitar melody paired with atmospheric synths. While seemingly being a synthesis of Nick Drake-like folk and ambient electronica, the ethereal “White Pages,” possesses a wistful and nostalgic air.
“This track is the most nostalgic track on the project. It was created two years ago with my friend Tim when we were flatmates. Tim came up with these chord ideas and I instantly loved it,” the acclaimed Ugandan-Belgian artist explains. “Then we started playing this loop with two guitars and just jammed on it. It was a great feeling. We both love the nostalgic feels of music in general – it always has some beauty in it I think.
“For me it was a nice track to conclude the album because it’s an accurate summary of what I tried to share with those tracks. In this album I tried to share a feeling of nostalgia linked to the souvenirs we can have in a lifetime. A happy nostalgia that reminds us how lucky we are to have experienced all these moments, and the hope of reliving many more in the future.
I also like the fact that the song ends with this ‘reverse’ effect, as it gives the impression of a flashback to the past.”
Throwback: Happy Belated 97th Birthday, John Coltrane!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms belted celebrates John Coltrane’s 97th birthday.
New Audio: Brazil’s Belagio Shares Vibey “Caldo È Pra Tomar”
Marcelo Altenfelder is Brazilian singer/songwriter musician and producer, who has played with Four Tet and dabbled with post-rock before starting his own band Holger back in 2006. And sine then Holger has become one of his homeland’s most influential indie rock bands.
After spending close to two decades with Holger, Altenfelder began recording a series of sparse, instrumental tracks that saw him blurring the boundaries of post-rock, dub, electronic music and ambient. The result is the acclaimed Brazilian artist’s solo recording project, Belagio.
2023 has been a busy year for the acclaimed Brazilian artist: He has released two albums Nuvem 9 and the recently released, Entradas Para Sair. Entradas Para Sair is a sonic departure from its immediate predecessor, with the album being a blend of ambient and post-rock with Altenfelder playing and recording all the instrumental parts himself, employing the use of analog instruments for an organic aesthetic.
Clocking in at a little over two minutes,. Entradas Para Sair‘s latest single “Caldo È Pra Tomar” is breezy composition built around looped handclaps, wobbling and glistening synth arpeggios and brief bursts of supple bass line before quickly evaporating into the ether. Sonically, “Caldo È Pra Tomar” brings L’Eclair and JOVM mainstays Mildlife, with the vibey composition possessing a similar lounge and club friendly groove.
New Audio: Montreal Chill Panic Shares Vibey and Brooding “Day 75”
Montreal Chill Panic is the moniker of a mysterious Trois-Rivières, Québec-based instrumental electronic music producer and artist. Since the project started about 18 months ago, the mysterious Canadian artist and producer has managed to release three albums, last year’s Playing With Time, and this year’s Another Midnight and Journée de travail, all of which have amassed over 350,000 streams on Spotify to date.
Through their three albums, the prolific Canadian artist has established a difficult to pigeonhole sound, which comfortable straddles the boundaries of hip-hop, house, ambient and IDM — with a decidedly lo-fi sound. To celebrate the project’s first year, Montreal Chill Panic released a new composition every day for the 100 days leading up to the project’s anniversary on February 12.
Building upon a growing profile, 2023 looked to be very busy: They had shows planned throughout the year and are currently working on a new album.
But in the meantime, the Canadian artist shared “Day 75” with me. Built around a dusty, lo-fi production featuring wobbling and shimmering synths, plinking and skittering beats “Day 75” is a vibey and moody composition that evokes an autumnal chill.
New Audio: Drab Majesty Shares Brooding and Meditative “Yield To Force”
Initially known for his work drumming in Marriages, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Andrew Clinco founded founded Drab Majesty back in 2011 as a way to create music as a solo project, with him recording every instrument himself. Clinco created the androgynous character Deb Demure for himself. Alex Nicolaou, a.k.a. Mona D (keys, vocals) joined the project in 2016.
Since signing to Dais Records, the Los Angeles-based duo have released three albums, 2015’s Careless, 2017’s The Demonstration, 2019’s Modern Mirror, which saw the project combining androgynous aesthetics and commanding vocals with futuristic and occult lyrics, to create a style and sound that the band’s Demure refers to as “tragic wave.”
Released late last month through Dais Records and clocking in at 32 minutes, the duo’s latest release An Object in Motion sits somewhere between an EP and mini-album while also marking a new chapter in the project’s story: Written during a 2021 retreat to the remote costal Oregon town of Yachats, the band’s Deb Demure leaned into the neo-psychedelic resonance of a uniquely bowl-shaped 12-string Ovation acoustic/electric guitar.
After early morning hikes in the rain, Demure would record ambient guitar experiments the rest of the day, tapping into “flow states,” in which he would let the sound lead the way. Those sessions were then refined or recreated and then later elevated with contributions from Slowdive‘s Rachel Goswell, Beck’s, M83‘s and Air’s Justin Meldal-Johnsen, and Uniform’s Ben Greenberg. Fittingly, the EP reportedly holds true to its title, as it captures Demure and Drab Majesty in a transitional state, and evolving while showcasing a series of potential futures from the project.
In the lead-up to the EP’s release, I wrote about two of its singles:
- The effort’s first single, “Vanity,” featuring Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell. Built around shimmering, reverb-drenched, 12 string guitar and gated reverb-soaked drum patterns. Demure’s plaintive yet commanding baritone is paired with Goswell’s imitable and expressive vocal, which seamlessly intertwine in an uncannily gorgeous, swooning harmony. To my ears, “Vanity” seemed like a synthesis of Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne‘s “Close My Eyes Forever,” Sisters of Mercy, Disintegration-era The Cure and Goswell’s work with Slowdive — or in other words, something that will warm the cold hearts of any goth.
- “The Skin and The Glove,” a lush, Smiths-meets-Slowdive/RIDE-like song built around reverb-soaked, shimmering 12 string guitar, a driving groove paired with the Los Angeles-based duo’s uncannily unerring knack for gorgeous harmonies and catchy hooks. But under the lush soundscapes is a song that thematically touches upon the endless march of time, and our inevitable mortality.
Clocking in at a little over 15 minutes, An Object in Motion‘s closing track, the expansive “Yield To Force” is built around glistening, cynical strings, ominous slide guitar and shimmering synthesizer. The result is a composition that’s intuitive yet meditative with the instrumentation that spirals, sways, crests and ebbs like waves crashing into the shore.
London-based multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Oscar “Sholto” Robertson grew up with a deep and abiding love of jazz, soul, krautrock and 60s and 70s soundtracks. Roberton may be best known for being one-half of indie outfit Sunglasses for Jaws. He honed his production skills under the guidance of Allah-Las‘ Nick Waterhouse and Inflo.
Three years ago, Robertson stepped out into the spotlight as a solo artist with his latest project SHOLTO, which sees him crafting a unique take on cinematic, instrumental soul. 2023 looks to be a big year for the rising London-based multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer: He signed to Deep Matter imprint Root Records, who will be releasing Robertson’s SHOLTO debut, The Changing Tides of Dreams EP.
The Changing Tides of Dreams EP‘s first single “Vampire” is built around an expansive and cinematic arrangement featuring twinkling percussion, swirling Wurlitzer organ, cascading harp, lush strings, burst of fluttering flute, a supple and propulsive bass line, a soulful horn solo and skittering boom bap drumming paired with a strutting and infectious groove. The result is a song that reminds me a bit of the gorgeous, widescreen instrumental soul of The Ironsides with the trippy grooves of L’Eclair and Mildlife.
New Audio: Chicago’s The Color of Cyan Shares Cinematic and Shoegazey “Egress”
Chicago-based post rock/post-metal outfit The Color of Cyan — Henry Cole (drums), Jorge Santana (bass) and Eduardo Cintron (guitar) — originally formed in San Juan, Puerto Rico back in 2000. The band re-emerged during the height of the pandemic as a solely instrumental project that created intricate soundscapes with aggressive guitar.
The band wrote and recorded their full-length debut, 2021’s Agape, an album that featured multi-layered material that patiently built in pressure and impact.
The act’s sophomore album, Egress, which was recorded between Puerto Rico, Chicago and Mexico City will reportedly see the band blurring the boundaries of a sound that feature elements of post metal, post rock and neo-classical while introspectively exploring emotion through delicate layering,. “Our music arrangements are purposely in constant motion, guided by emotions, impossible to replicate perfectly, like waves in the sea. Nothing is ever the same as before,” the Chicago-based outfit explains.
Egress‘ latest single, album title track “Egress” is a brooding and cinematic composition that brings Collapse Under The Empire and others to mind — but while having a painterly, A Storm in Heaven-like textured quality. “‘Egress’ embodies the pursuit of happiness, no matter the obstacles in life,” the band explains.
New Video: Gotts Street Park Shares Funky “Fuego”
With the release of a handful of singles the rising neo-soul and hip-hop outfit Gotts Street Park— Josh Crocker (bass, production), Tom Henry (keys) and Joe Harris (guitar) — quickly amassed fans and acclaim while working with Rejje Snow, Kali Uchis, Cosima, Yellow Days, Chester Watson, Celeste, Rosie Lowe, and a growing list of others.
2021’s Diego EP, which featured a collection of compositions informed by the raw energy of being together and creating in the same room, a cinematic batch of gongs inspired by The Godfather and Yasujirō Ozu.
The British outfit’s highly-anticipated full-length debut On The Inside is slated for an October 13, 2023 release through Blue Flowers. The 12-song album is reportedly a window into the band’s world, a world that’s been expanding since the band’s formation several years ago. What initially began as an outlet for their shared love of 60s Motown quickly became one of Leeds’ most successful and acclaimed bands, while amassing over 69 million Spotify streams.
Earlier this year, I wrote about “Got To Be Good,” an effortless, vintage soul-inspired strut built around skittering boom bap-like drumming, glistening Rhodes, burst of funk guitar and a sinuous and supple bass line paired with Pip Millett‘s yearning delivery.
“’Got To Be Good’, came together pretty fast. Whenever we’ve been in the room with Pip, it’s pretty free and fruitful,” the members of Gotts Street Park explain. “When a song comes together like this, we don’t overthink it or alter the final take too much and just hope to have the same energy come through to the listener as we felt in the room creating it.”
“’Got To Be Good’ is about pulling yourself out of the darkness,” Pip Millett adds. “You have to really want for a change in order to pull away from that sadness, and that’s what I was writing about.”
On The Inside‘s latest single “Fuego” sees the trio returning to their instrumental roots. Featuring an irresistibly funky, El Michels affair-meets-classic soul-like groove, “Fuego” is built around a shape-shifting arrangement of twinkling keys, squiggling funk guitar and relentless boom-bap snares. The song sees the acclaimed British trio crafting a mischievously anachronistic jam that’s perfect for lounges and for crate diggers looking for deep, hypnotic grooves.
Directed by Kumara Vision, the accompanying video for “Fuego” offers a rare snapshot into the band’s inner workings with hazy, mind-bending footage of the band working in the studio.
“’Fuego’ started as a quick jam one afternoon during our June 2022 residency at Laylow,” the rising British trio explain.”It was super hot in London that day, and we were sweating it out in the top floor studio. The riff came about as we were letting off steam in between writing and developing ideas with a vocalist. Josh hit on the bass riff first and it kinda flowed from there.
“When we’re in a session writing with someone, we can end up playing the same chords round and round for a few hours – and ideas like ‘Fuego’ come about when we’re letting loose and being super playful after being so restricted.”