Crucial Material – Best Releases Of The Week (September 24th, 2019)

Back at it again with your weekly roundup of unmissable albums and EP’s and reissue projects.

As always we hope you make some nice discoveries and feel free to encourage these artists/labels if you do! Enjoy and have a great week.

NEW EP’s & ALBUMS

Joe Armon-Jones “Turn To Clear View”

Label: Brownswood
Genre: Jazz
Buy: Physical & Digital (via Bandcamp)

Keyboard wizard Joe Armon-Jones, who also is a member of Ezra Collective and often performs alongside Nubya Garcia, is one of the leading lights among the currently thriving London jazz scene. He follows up last year’s breakthrough EP ‘Starting Today’ with a brilliant new full-length album, titled ’Turn To Clear View’. On this 8-track recording, Armon-Jones successful fuses together jazz, dub, p-funk, R&B, and hip-hop influenced grooves. This new album continues to make the argument that the keyboardist is clearly one of the most forward-thinking artists right now.
– Selected by TJ Gorton

Resolution 88 “Revolutions”

Label: Legere
Genre: Jazz / Funk
Buy: Physical & Digital (via Juno)

London-based jazz-funk quintet Resolution 88 return with an incredible new conceptual album that explores “the vinyl record,” everything from pitch changes, the sensation of the the spinning wax, runout grooves, and matrix markings on record pressings. Musically the record blends cosmic electric synth and keys, with hypnotic saxophone melodies, funky percussion rhythms, and heavy bass grooves. Fans of Headhunters and Herbie Hancock should take notice.
– Selected by TJ Gorton

PYJÆN “s/t”

Label: DeepMatter
Genre: Jazz
Buy: Physical & Digital (via Bandcamp)

Featuring trumpeter Dylan Jones of Ezra Collective, the London jazz quintet PYJÆN releases their debut full-length album. The energetic seven-track recording fuses together jazz, funk, Afrobeat, and psychedelic grooves.
– Selected by TJ Gorton

Greg Foat & James Thorpe “Photosynthesis”

Label: Athens of the North
Genre: Jazz
Buy: Physical & Digital (via Bandcamp)

Another fantastic library inspired album from keys man Greg Foat, this time in collaboration with James Thorpe. Absolutely blissful music from the pair. Hypnotic and warm bass, keys and drum machines wash over you. The effect it a musical reset or therapy session, if you like. Highly recommended!
– Selected by Oli Brunetti

Brahja “S/T”

What a lovely surprise! A spiritual jazz record featuring some great hometown talent. “Brahja” is frontman Devin Brahja Waldman’s (saxophone, piano, synthesizer, drums) sixth album and after being a mainstay on the NY Jazz scene, we’re quite happy to have him be a part of the Montreal musical landscape! Gorgeous album on a deluxe 2LP loud press. Highly recommended!
– Selected by Lexis

Afrikan Sciences “All Speculative”

http://afrikansciences.bandcamp.com/album/all-speculative

Absolutely everything and anything Afrikan Sciences releases is buy on sight for me. One of the few producers who is consistently doing his thing without any compromises and without following whatever the flavour of the month happens to be. Incredible album sitting at the nexus of jazz, techno, house and experimental music. Highly recommended for the ones who know.
– Selected by Lexis

Tribe Of Colin “Age Of Aquarius”

Here is another selection for a more discerning audience than those sticking to the usual techno template. This is techno with benefits. Including about a hundred different vantage points from dub, industrial, footwork, ebm and more. “Age Of Aquarius” might feel like a headphone record first but it can also be quite effective on an adventurous dance-floor. I’m certainly going to drop it in my sets whenever I can get away with it. A very special record indeed!
– Selected by Lexis

REISSUES & ARCHIVAL

Lloyd McNeil “Elegia”

Label: Sounds of the Universe
Genre: Jazz
Buy: Physical & Digital (via Sounds of the Universe)

The 5th in Soul Jazz’s series of LP reissues cataloguing the output of flautist, painter, academic, poet, and photographer, Lloyd McNeil, and for many the longest awaited. Exuberant spiritual jazz from 1980, with strong undercurrents of Brazilian rhythm, instrumentation and song, which even features famed Brazilian musicians such as Nana Vasconcelas, Dom Salvado & Portinho, alongside prolific bassist Cecil McBee, a sure signal of a must buy LP!
– Selected by Oli Brunetti

Strain Crack & Break: Music From The Nurse With Wound List Volume One

Label: Finders Keepers Records
Buy: Physical & Digital (via Bandcamp)

Nurse With Wound’s Steven Stapleton is finally compiling the “right tracks” from his famed “list” of psych, prog & punk oddities, with the help of Andy Votel’s Finders Keepers Records. Vol. 1, here is focuses on France. Every track feels truly unique, running the gamut from a remarkably organic horror soundtrack by musique concrète pioneer Pierre Henry, to Lard Free’s eery & hypnotic prog-groove with its long repetitive sax blowing & Snarling guitar.
– Selected by Oli Brunetti