Mulatu Astatke & Hoodna Orchestra "Tension"
Ethio-jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke joins the Hoodna Orchestra, Tel Aviv’s number one Afro funk collective, melding his enchanting vibraphone playing with their brass heavy force across seven original compositions that play tribute to the classic Mulatu sound while forging fresh paths. Produced by and featuring Dap-King Neal Sugarman, the results are gritty, yet majestic, soulful and uplifting.
Mulatu Astatke requires little introduction at this point. Born in Jimma, Ethiopia, Mulatu went on to live and study in London, Boston and New York. Initially drawn to and trained in jazz and Latin music, he developed the sound he called “Ethio-jazz” over a series of seminal albums combining jazz, Latin, funk and soul, with traditional Ethiopian scales and rhythms.
Long a cornerstone of the Ethiopian recording industry, his albums and even guest appearances were long sought after by record collectors and music enthusiasts around the globe. However the release of an acclaimed ‘Éthiopiques’ compilation dedicated to his instrumental recordings in 1998, followed by the 2005 release of Jim Jarmush’s acclaimed ‘Broken Flowers’ film, which heavily featured Astatke’s irresistible music, introduced him to a much wider international audience. Mulatu would go on to be sampled by the likes of Nas, Kanye West, Cut Chemist and Madlib, whilst touring to large audiences across the globe, and collaborating with London-based psych jazz collective, the Heliocentrics.
Wand "Help Desk / Goldfish"
From Drag City Records:
Mere months after inflicting a massive case of Vertigo on the world, Wand ride on, plating the pre-release digi-single “Help Desk” alongside “Goldfish,” a bonus dose of oceanic luminescence from Vertigo’s Big Bang. Plus, in the name of the ever-expanding universe (and the much-needed dream-extension app!), three remixes — from Beat Detectives, Dean Spunt and Dead Rider — for good measure. Not sure where you’re at? Check in with the “Help Desk”.
Envy "Eunoia"
Soaring past the 30-year mark as a band, Japan’s envy returns with their 8th studio album, Eunoia. Packed with an abyssal emotional depth and an increasingly eclectic (and seemingly inexhaustible) well of ideas, Eunoia is envy’s most efficiently impactful album of their unbelievably lengthy career. A major personnel shift in 2018 threatened the very existence of envy, but it instead inspired enormous growth and reinvigorated the band on their second album together with this new line-up. As founding member and songwriter, Nobukata Kawai, explains: “The concept of creating the album was to honestly face our own powerlessness. Searching for a little hope, and recording the emotions gained from daily life in a diary-like manner. Even without explaining the songs, Tetsu’s lyrics were wonderful and added depth to the piece. It has been six years since the member line-up changed, and the good relationship of trust has been strongly reflected in the work.” envy are an underground institution that has literally inspired entire sub-genres of music. Their creative and cultural influence in undeniable, and their legacy was cemented long ago. The fact that they’re still breaking new ground more than three decades in is a testament to the unique and extraordinary power and pull of envy, and Eunoia emits that power and pull with the natural weight and wonder of a total eclipse.
Bronze "Bronze"
From Under the Radar Magazine:
Chicago indie band Bronze are set to debut their self-titled LP, a record that hearkens back to a bygone breezy and sun-dappled era of AM radio pop. Band members Dylan Ryan, Scott McGaughey, and Nic Johns are all veterans of the indie rock underground, having played with bands like The Motels, Cursive, Ben Lee, Red Krayola, and Man Man, but found themselves wanting to pursue a pop experiment. They were united by a shared love of the soft rock and yacht rock of the ‘70s like Roxy Music, Robin Gibb, and Steely Dan.
The band created Bronze as an attempt to evoke those influences, playing with sleek studio craftsmanship on a DIY budget. They have been sharing a series of new singles from the record this year, “Jewelry is Magic,” “Light on Shadow,” and “Grand Canyon,” and today they’re back with a final taste of the album, “Mezzanine,” premiering with Under the Radar.
Their latest singles have further proven the band as devotees of vintage radio pop, with each track playing with a slightly different tone. “Jewelry Is Magic” was flashy and catchy while “Light On Shadow” and “Grand Canyon” felt lithe and airy. “Mezzanine” immerses the band in a similarly kitschy retro pop veneer, but pulls them in a simmering nocturnal direction, akin to bands like The Blue Nile. The track pulses with subtle bass grooves, weaving luxuriant funk undercurrents amongst the sleek guitar licks and drum machine beat. The results feel exceedingly smooth and effortlessly playful, offering the sort of easygoing charm born from a studied love of the band’s influences.