Thundercat – ‘Dragonball Durag (feat. Smino & Guapdad 4000) [Remix]’

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Genevieve Artadi – “All I Want For Now” off the album ‘Dizzy Strange Summer’ out now

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Jaga Jazzist – “Apex” off the album ‘Pyramid’ out now

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Jaga Jazzist return with their new album “Pyramid” on 24 April 2020, where the legendary Norwegian eight-piece takes a deep dive into post-rock, jazz and psychedelia influences. It’s their first album since 2015’s “Starfire”, their ninth album in a career now spanning four decades, but it marks the group’s debut on Brainfeeder, the LA-based imprint curated by Flying Lotus. On “Pyramid”, Jaga Jazzist have crafted a suitably cosmic sound to match their new label home, all the while nodding to forebears spanning from 80s jazz band Out To Lunch and Norwegian synth guru Ståle Storløkken, to contemporaries Tame Impala, Todd Terje and Jon Hopkins. Each of the album’s four longform entries evolves over carefully plotted movements, the tracks’ technicolour threads dreamily unspooling.

The band, led by Lars Horntveth and his compositions, took a direct approach to the creation of “Pyramid”. Whereas “Starfire” saw them take the idea of a traditional studio record to extremity, with different members dipping in and out of the booth to write, record and experiment over two years, the process behind “Pyramid” was almost the polar opposite: it took just two weeks. Both records were driven by the same curious, experimental spirit, but the processes were very different. Retreating to a secluded woodland studio in neighbouring Sweden, they bunkered into the studio for 12 hour days. “The most important thing is that we didn’t want to over-analyze every musical idea” says co-founder and drummer Martin Horntveth. “We wanted to follow the first and original idea and keep the freshness.” For a band which has never settled on any one sound or style, the continuity lies in their constant willingness to evolve, experiment and improvise.

“Pyramid” is Jaga Jazzist’s first self-produced album (most of their records being produced by close collaborator Jørgen Træen) and it meant a change in the way they operate. On the one hand, there were lots of different voices jostling to be heard. On the other, they didn’t have an independent figure to make a call on whether something was a good idea. “It was hard but felt natural to do ourselves, as five of us are producers and make records for a living,” Martin says. The result is an album that feels more collaborative than ever.

Whilst they wouldn’t describe “Pyramid” as a concept album, the band see the track titles as a conceptual starting point from which the listener can construct whatever story flows out of the songs. The album title refers to the building blocks which make up a pyramid, and how each of the four tracks – and their constituent parts – fit together. ‘Tomita’ is a nod to Japanese composer and synth player Isao Tomita, and ‘The Shrine’ alludes to Fela Kuti’s legendary Lagos venue. Lars says: “I felt that this album is a small symphony, each part containing its own rooms to explore.”

Jaga Jazzist – “Tomita” off the album ‘Pyramid’ out now

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Leave A Commentposted in Artists by PBDY ]]> http://www.brainfeedersite.com/2020/07/23/jaga-jazzist-tomita-official-video/feed/ 0 http://www.brainfeedersite.com/2020/07/17/genevieve-artadi-dizzy-strange-summer/ http://www.brainfeedersite.com/2020/07/17/genevieve-artadi-dizzy-strange-summer/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2020 18:32:20 +0000 http://www.brainfeedersite.com/?p=18812

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On “Dizzy Strange Summer”, Genevieve Artadi offers a window into her ad-lib creativity and the LA community where it’s been nurtured. This is the vocalist, composer and producer’s second solo album, and it sees her stake out her own ground outside of her other groups KNOWER, Expensive Magnets and Everything’s Under Control. She brings her own slant to the DIY LA scene that she’s grown up in, melding influences from jazz, psychedelia, bossa nova and avant-garde electronics. “Dizzy Strange Summer” marks not only Artadi’s debut on Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder imprint, but her first self-produced project released on any record label.

An impulsive spirit underwrites every part of the album, something reflected in the energy Genevieve devotes to create the videos to accompany them. It’s an honest, unmediated reflection of the period in which she created the music, supported by a close circle of like-minded musical friends including – but not limited to – Louis Cole (Brainfeeder), Sam Wilkes (Leaving Records), Henry Halliwell, Daniel Sunshine, Adam Weissman (Pollyn / Real Bad Man), Ruslan Sirota, Ross Garren, David Binney and Jacob Mann — each of whom she tapped up to add their flavour to songs where she felt their styles or talents aligned. Most tracks would begin life on her laptop, be sent to a friend for them to add their spin to it, before coming back to Artadi to be elevated to their final form. Reflecting on what drives her to create, she says: “Sometimes I just really get that burning feeling to make something and get it out there.” Above all, this is an album that speaks to that drive: to create something and share it with people.

The album was written in a time of upheaval, something reflected in both the lyrics and the sound of the record. “I was pretty lost… but enjoying feeling lost,” Artadi says. Drawing inspiration from the tumult around her and she relished the opportunity to express herself uninhibited by the shackles of compromise associated with collaboration. Crucially, this often means a silly, playful side being played off against a serious one; but she doesn’t think the former undercuts the latter, seeing the two as vital shared ingredients to what she does. “I don’t feel like I would be giving an honest picture if I didn’t do both,” she says.

“Dizzy Strange Summer” revels in juxtapositions, unleashing high energy assaults at full tilt before giving way to soft-focus melancholia, allowing Genevieve to show off the full spectrum of her vocal prowess. On the first single ‘Living Like I Know I’m Gonna Die’ for example, her delivery is beautifully understated and airy: “Living like the future is a guess, living like I’m smaller than a speck”. “I sing it softly ‘cos it’s an internal proclamation… a message to myself,” she explains. She displays this vulnerability on ‘All I Want For Now’, ‘Before The Dark’ and ‘Will You Tell Me’ too – the later a stunning duet with harp. Elsewhere, on ’Godzillaaaa’ for example, her delivery is informed by ESG and Talking Heads, stomping past on a stark riddim in a whirlwind of distorted percussion and synths.

Genevieve Artadi – ‘I Hate When I Can’t Feel My Heart’ off the album ‘Dizzy Strange Summer’ out now.

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Lapalux – “Earth (Live Version)” off the EP ‘Esrevoinma’ out now

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Genevieve Artadi – ‘Godzillaaaa (feat. Real Bad Man)’ off the album ‘Dizzy Strange Summer’ out now.

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Leave A Commentposted in Artists by PBDY ]]> http://www.brainfeedersite.com/2020/07/01/genevieve-artadi-godzillaaaa-feat-real-bad-man-official-video/feed/ 0 http://www.brainfeedersite.com/2020/06/25/announcing-lapalux-esrevoinma/ http://www.brainfeedersite.com/2020/06/25/announcing-lapalux-esrevoinma/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2020 23:00:47 +0000 http://www.brainfeedersite.com/?p=18435

‘Esrevoinma’ is out July 3rd on Brainfeeder

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Stuart Howard aka Lapalux returns on Brainfeeder with “Esrevoinma”, a six-track EP of “post-apocalyptic Eurorack mayhem”. The fruits of a couple months or so of “tinkering”—as Howard rather modestly describes his creative process—this sextet arrives as an extension of Lapalux’s latest album “Amnioverse”, a record that revolved around notions of fluidity; that birth, life, death, and rebirth is a never ending continuum. Described as an artist who “has always felt ahead of the curve” (Clash), “Amnioverse” was hailed as a “fluid, escapist gem” (The Line of Best Fit), and as the British producer’s “crowning glory and one of Brainfeeder’s most essential bodies of work.” (London In Stereo).

Introducing “Esrevoinma” is ‘51 Endless Pulses’—a cyclone of modular chaos that slowly builds, then whips past, faltering, before almost collapsing in on itself. It’s a stunning example of Howard’s highly textured, maximal electronica, and makes up one of the three brand new tracks on the EP alongside ‘Nebula’ and ‘Unfold’. Elsewhere Howard showcases a storming live rework of ‘Earth’ and alternate versions of album cuts ‘The Lux Quadrant’ and ‘Amnioverse’.

Jaga Jazzist – “Spiral Era (Prins Thomas Remix)”

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Highly esteemed astral traveller and Norwegian king of the disco Prins Thomas remixes ‘Spiral Era’ from Jaga Jazzist’s forthcoming album “Pyramid”, out on 07 August via Brainfeeder. Truly a match made in heaven, Prins Thomas expertly elevates the eight-piece’s monstrous grooves skywards to the stars, conjuring a cosmic rework that unravels over a cool 11 mins and 17 secs.

“We love this version and it feels like a full circle since so much of the music on this album is inspired by the Norwegian music scene fronted by Prins Thomas, Lindström and Todd Terje,” says Lars from the band.

On new album “Pyramid”, Jaga Jazzist take a deep dive into post-rock, jazz and psychedelia influences. It’s their first album since 2015’s “Starfire”, their ninth album in a career now spanning four decades, but it marks the group’s debut on Brainfeeder, the LA-based imprint curated by Flying Lotus. Nodding to forebears spanning from 80s jazz band Out To Lunch and Norwegian synth guru Ståle Storløkken, to contemporaries Tame Impala, Todd Terje and Jon Hopkins, each of the album’s four longform entries evolves over carefully plotted movements, the tracks’ technicolour threads dreamily unspooling.

The album title refers to the building blocks which make up a pyramid, and how each of the four tracks – and their constituent parts – fit together. Elsewhere on the record, ‘Tomita’ is a nod to Japanese composer and synth player Isao Tomita, and ‘The Shrine’ alludes to Fela Kuti’s legendary Lagos venue. Composer Lars Horntveth says: “I felt that this album is a small symphony, each part containing its own rooms to explore.”

“(rolrolrol)” off the album ‘Melkweg’ out now.

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Jameszoo’s LIVE album ‘Melkweg’ is finally available on vinyl.

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“Hot Mess“ off the upcoming album ‘Dizzy Strange Summer’ out July 17th

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“Living Like I Know I’m Gonna Die” off the upcoming album ‘Dizzy Strange Summer’ out July 17th

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‘Dizzy Strange Summer’ is out Brainfeeder July 17th

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‘It Is What It Is’ out NOW on Brainfeeder

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Thundercat will release his new album “It Is What It Is” on Brainfeeder Records on April 3, 2020. The album, produced by Flying Lotus and Thundercat, features musical contributions from Ty Dolla $ign, Childish Gambino, Lil B, Kamasi Washington, Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington, BADBADNOTGOOD, Louis Cole and Zack Fox.

“It Is What It Is” follows his game-changing third album “Drunk” (2017). That record completed his transition from virtuoso bassist to bonafide star and cemented his reputation as a unique voice that transcends genre. “This album is about love, loss, life and the ups and downs that come with that,” Bruner says about “It Is What It Is”. “It’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, but at different points in life you come across places that you don’t necessarily understand… some things just aren’t meant to be understood.”

The tragic passing of his friend Mac Miller in September 2018 had a profound effect on Thundercat and the making of “It Is What It Is”. “Losing Mac was extremely difficult,” he explains. “I had to take that pain in and learn from it and grow from it. It sobered me up… it shook the ground for all of us in the artist community.”

The unruly bounce of new single ‘Black Qualls’ is classic Thundercat, teaming up with Steve Lacy (The Internet) and Funk icon Steve Arrington (Slave). It’s another example of Stephen Lee Bruner’s desire to highlight the lineage of his music and pay his respects to the musicians who inspired him. Discovering Arrington’s output in his late teens, Bruner says he fell in love with his music immediately: “The tone of the bass, the way his stuff feels and moves, it resonated through my whole body.” ‘Black Qualls’ emerged from writing sessions with Lacy, whom Thundercat describes as “the physical incarnate of the Ohio Players in one person – he genuinely is a funky ass dude”. It references what it means to be a black American with a young mindset: “What it feels like to be in this position right now… the weird ins and outs, we’re talking about those feelings…”

Thundercat revisits established partnerships with Kamasi Washington, Louis Cole, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Ronald Bruner Jr and Dennis Hamm on “It Is What Is Is” but there are new faces too: Childish Gambino, Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington, plus Ty Dolla $ign and Lil B on ‘Fair Chance’ – a song explicitly about his friend Mac Miller’s passing. The aptly titled ‘I Love Louis Cole’ is another standout – “Louis Cole is a brush of genius. He creates so purely,” says Thundercat. “He makes challenging music: harmony-wise, melody-wise and tempo-wise but still finds a way for it to be beautiful and palatable.”

Elsewhere on the album, ‘Dragonball Durag’ exemplifies both Thundercat’s love of humour in music and indeed his passion for the cult Japanese animé. “I have a Dragon Ball tattoo… it runs everything. There is a saying that Dragon Ball runs life,” he explains. “The durag is a superpower, to turn your swag on. It does something… it changes you,” he says smiling.

Thundercat’s music starts on his couch at home: “It’s just me, the bass and the computer”. Nevertheless, referring to the spiritual connection that he shares with his longtime writing and production partner Flying Lotus, Bruner describes his friend as “the other half of my brain”. “I wouldn’t be the artist I am if Lotus wasn’t there,” he says. “He taught me… he saw me as an artist and he encouraged it. No matter the life changes, that’s my partner. We are always thinking of pushing in different ways.”

Comedy is an integral part of Thundercat’s personality. “If you can’t laugh at this stuff you might as well not be here,” he muses. He seems to be magnetically drawn to comedians from Zack Fox (with whom he collaborates regularly) to Dave Chappelle, Eric Andre and Hannibal Buress whom he counts as friends. “Every comedian wants to be a musician and every musician wants to be a comedian,” he says. “And every good musician is really funny, for the most part.” It’s the juxtaposition, or the meeting point, between the laughter and the pain that is striking listening to “It Is What It Is”: it really is all-encompassing. “The thing that really becomes a bit transcendent in the laugh is when it goes in between how you really feel,” Bruner says. “You’re hoping people understand it, but you don’t even understand how it’s so funny ‘cos it hurts sometimes.”

Thundercat forms a cornerstone of the Brainfeeder label; he released “The Golden Age of Apocalypse” (2011), “Apocalypse” (2013), followed by EP “The Beyond / Where The Giants Roam” featuring the modern classic ‘Them Changes’. He was later “at the creative epicenter” (per Rolling Stone) of the 21st century’s most influential hip-hop album Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly”, where he won a Grammy for his collaboration on the track ‘These Walls’ before releasing his third album “Drunk” in 2017. In 2018 Thundercat and Flying Lotus composed an original score for an episode of Golden Globe and Emmy award winning TV series “Atlanta” (created and written by Donald Glover).

Thundercat – “Fair Chance (feat. Ty Dolla $ign & Lil B)” [Official Audio]

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Brainfeeder happily welcomes Genevieve Artadi to the family.

More to come…!

“Black Qualls” LIVE on Jimmy Kimmel featuring  Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington & Flying Lotus

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“Atoms Song (feat. Thomas Stankiewicz)” [Official Video]

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Wajatta — the musical duo of Reggie Watts and John Tejada — return with their second album, “Don’t Let Get You Down”, to be released by Brainfeeder on 28 February 2020. Coming from different worlds, but sharing a passion for the rich history of electronic music, beat-boxer/comedian/musician Watts and electronic music artist/DJ/producer Tejada bring out the best in each other’s formidable skill sets. Where the duo’s debut album “Casual High Technology” hinted at the broad stylistic possibilities inherent in the marriage of Watts’ elastic, soul-stirring vocals and Tejada’s layered, melodically inventive productions, “Don’t Let Get You Down” makes good on that promise.

The first single from new 11-song LP, released today, is the infectious title track. With its brightly pulsing synths and whistling hook, ‘Don’t Let Get You Down’ is, in the words of Reggie Watts, “the poppiest song we’ve ever done.”

Wajatta (pronounced wa-HA-ta) is a mash-up of the artists’ last names. Having grown up with similar musical influences, Austrian-born Tejada and German-born Watts draw from their love of electronic music. Exploring the intersection between influences and innovation, the two describe Wajatta’s music as “electronic dance music with its roots in Detroit techno, Chicago house, ’70s funk and New York hip hop.” It’s a sound that is both familiar and wholly original — and, like all great dance music, ultimately life-affirming, as Watts vocalizes, sometimes without words, the joyful energy of his and Tejada’s funky, shape-shifting productions. “That’s the great thing about working with John,” Watts says with an infectious grin. “He’s so steeped in the history of this music. I just pick up on that and run with it.”

Wajatta builds most tracks from scratch, bouncing ideas off one another from initial spark to finished product. It’s all done face-to-face: “We never just share files,” Tejada notes. They also try to keep their sessions as spontaneous as possible, in a never-ending quest to, as Watts puts it, “capture the freshness.” As a result, the 11 tracks on “Don’t Let Get You Down” crackle with the energy of fresh ideas captured at the moment of inspiration. It’s electronic music made organically, from two masters at the top of their respective games.

Their organic approach extends to their live shows, at which Tejada rebuilds the duo’s tracks on his samplers and synths, while the multi-octave Watts conjures vocal symphonies out of little more than a loop station and a delay pedal. They’ve performed at Movement in Detroit, MUTEK in Montreal, CRSSD Festival in San Diego, two Dirtybird shows (BBQ in 2018 and Campout in 2019), in addition to a live studio session for KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic. The duo’s live energy is captured on the final track of the album ‘All I Need Is You’, a fully improvised song that was part of a spontaneously created 90-minute performance for Club Something at The Sweat Spot, an L.A. dance studio run by choreographer Ryan Heffington. It’s a six-minute snapshot of the improvisational brilliance that lies at the heart of everything Wajatta does — an approach summed up in Watts’ off-the-cuff one-liner near the track’s end: “We’re making everything here for you from scratch — just to ensure maximum freshness.”

“Dragonball Durag”

Directed by Zack Fox

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‘Pyramid’ is out August 7th on Brainfeeder

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The 2nd single off Thundercat’s upcoming album ‘It Is What It Is’

“Dragonball Durag”

The 2nd single “Tonight” by Wajatta is out now!

‘Don’t Let Get You Down’ is out February 28th on Brainfeeder.

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‘YATDC’ is out now on Brainfeeder

(Visualizer by Strangeloop Studios)

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A few words from Little Snake about his forthcoming EP “YATDC” comprising four new productions that juxtapose space, texture, melody, tempo and rhythm in his utterly inimitable style:

“YATDC does not fit into the category of an EP, an LP, or anything in between. YATDC is a message, delivered to you by omnipresent entities that have appeared in your skies for some time, via Little Snake as a vessel. It is something you have known for a long time, and you will soon return to it. Although you could not be told this directly, and even when you have deciphered it in full, words cannot fathom it. Through the centre point of every force and motion within this message, you will find the truth…”

Little Snake (real name Gino Serpentini) resides in Calgary, Alberta. His music deconstructs dancefloor norms and subverts traditional structures, balancing intricacy with explosive bass weight. His tracks have become a staple in Flying Lotus’s DJ sets who signed him to his label Brainfeeder in 2018, describing his productions as “fkn insane”. “YATDC” follows “ENTER” EP inspired by the Gaspar Noé film Enter The Void and 2019’s “LOST IN SPIRALS” EP informed by math rock, textural noise, acid techno and jungle.

Little Snake’s YATDC is out February 7th on Brainfeeder

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The first single off the upcoming Thundercat album ‘It Is What It Is’

“Black Qualls (feat. Steve Lacy & Steve Arrington)”

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Leave A Commentposted in Artists by PBDY ]]> http://www.brainfeedersite.com/2020/01/15/thundercat-black-qualls-feat-steve-lacy-steve-arrington/feed/ 0 http://www.brainfeedersite.com/2020/01/15/announcing-thundercat-it-is-what-it-is/ http://www.brainfeedersite.com/2020/01/15/announcing-thundercat-it-is-what-it-is/#comments Thu, 16 Jan 2020 00:48:42 +0000 http://www.brainfeedersite.com/?p=16483

Thundercat – ‘It Is What It Is’ out April 3rd on Brainfeeder

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Tracklist:

01 Lost in Space / Great Scott / 22-26
02 Innerstellar Love
03 I Love Louis Cole [ft. Louis Cole]
04 Black Qualls [ft. Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington and Childish Gambino]
05 Miguel’s Happy Dance
06 How Sway
07 Funny Thing
08 Overseas [ft. Zack Fox]
09 Dragonball Durag
10 How I Feel
11 King of the Hill
12 Unrequited Love
13 Fair Chance [ft. Ty Dolla $ign & Lil B]
14 Existential Dread
15 It Is What It Is

‘Don’t Let Get You Down’ is out February 28th 2020 on Brainfeeder

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“Prey/Pray (feat. Casey MQ)”

Directed by PBDY

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 ‘Careworn’ is out now on Brainfeeder

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“Careworn” is eerily beautiful and defies easy categorisation, floating between highly textured ambient soundscapes and widescreen electronica, drawing inspiration from experimental doom/sludge metal act The Body, Massive Attack and film scores such as “Moonlight” by Nicholas Britell. Founded on home recordings blessed with additional contributions from friends and family – more often than not simply recorded on a phone and dispatched via email – the record features guitarist Jeff Parker (of pioneering post-rock outfit Tortoise), Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (violin), drummer Justin Brown (Thundercat, Ambrose Akinmusire), Brainfeeder label mates Salami Rose Joe Louis (vocals) and Miguel Baptista Benedict (guitar), violinist Tylana Renga, Casey MQ (Unbuttoned), French/Canadian duo O’Hara, pianist MICHELANGEL0 and vocalist Anika who is best known for her collaborative work with Geoff Barrow (Beak / Portishead) and her band Exploded View.

The title “Careworn” is defined as “tired and unhappy because of prolonged worry”. It’s the first in a trilogy of records by Preston exploring the human condition: specifically love, loss and death. Written after the passing of his mother (amongst other heartaches) these songs explore the aftermath of someone trying to move on and reflect the anxieties of not knowing if/when things will get better. “It’s about the feeling of the unknown, wanting to feel better not sure if one should be allowed to feel that way,” he explains. “Revelling in sadness can create such beauty but what degree of masochism do we need to go through to find this place of peace with what’s given in life?”

Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, it was Brainfeeder label head Flying Lotus who encouraged Paul to make the move to Los Angeles, immerse himself in the music community and finish this record. Paul has been the resident selector/DJ at the heart of the Brainfeeder family for nearly 8 years, hosting radio shows, building DJ mixes, rocking label showcases, instores, afterparties and touring worldwide with Thundercat, Flying Lotus and The Cinematic Orchestra. A self-confessed music fanatic, his inestimable and seemingly inexhaustible passion for new sounds is utterly infectious. He established his label TAR in 2013, creating a platform to share his favourite experimental sounds sourced from lesser known acts as far afield as Asia, Australia and Russia.

It was simply a matter of time before his energy shifted from musical curation to creation. In 2017 PBDY linked with Jeremiah Jae under the moniker JP Moregun for a moody, psych-heavy rap mixtape on Brainfeeder. It was PBDY’s first outing in the role of producer. 2018 saw PBDY make his solo debut on Brainfeeder, contributing the beautiful ‘Bring Me Down’ to the label’s 10th anniversary compilation “Brainfeeder X”.

‘End of Empire’ Boxset is out now on Brainfeeder

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Legit pioneer, standard bearer for experimental electronics, and newly minted faculty at Berklee College of Music, Daedelus (aka Alfred Darlington) returns on Brainfeeder with a new album titled “The Bittereinders” sounding of ancient requiem with evocations of Township Jazz, but still modern electronic music by way of drone, pipe organ wheezing and incessant beats.

“The Bittereinders” brings Daedelus’ “End of Empire” trilogy on Brainfeeder to a close, following 2010’s “Righteous Fists of Harmony” inspired by The Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) and 2014’s “The Light Brigade” that recalled the Crimean War of 1853-56. The culmination of the series, “The Bittereinders” dives into the final 3 year conflict from the Victorian era that was perhaps its most brutal. The Second Boer War is recounted as fought between the British and formerly Dutch Z.A.R. and Free Orange People and ended by treaty in 1902. What is not made clear in the ‘counting is the thousands of Black and Brown people were caught in the colonial crossfire of Empire’s endless appetite. This is the conflict that coined modern use of the term “concentration camp” and brought new bloody levels of guerrilla warfare. Just as in “Righteous Fists of Harmony” and “The Light Brigade”, Daedelus has taken liberty in using modern sound sources against a backdrop of mystic overtones.

“From the belief that contemporary events are too difficult to address,” Alfred explains. “I’ve reached back into history to relate some of what is largely forgotten to directly look into the ravages which continue to echo. All records fuse unrelenting repetition of lyric and forms, evocative noise and reaching melodies.”

Recorded at Brainfeeder label mate Jameszoo’s Willem Twee Studios in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands – an exceptional analogue electronic sound and music workspace – and Red Bull Studios in Cape Town, South Africa. “The Bittereinders” features Lee Thomson (trumpet on ‘The Irreconcilables’, in a nod to the Township Jazz tradition); Mikhaela Faye Kruger (vocals on ‘Sold As’ and ‘Veldt’); Shane Cooper (bass on ‘Du Sud’ with American Amir Yaghmai providing ghost vocals as a connection to the previous LPs).

A limited edition 3LP box set housing the “End of Empire” trilogy will be released on 15 November 2019 and is available to preorder now.

Tracklisting:

Disc I

Righteous Fists of Harmony

A1. An Armada Approaches

A2. Tidal Waves Uprising

A3. The Open Hand Avows

A4. Order Of The Golden Dawn

B1. The Finishing of a Thing

B2. Succumbing To

B3. Stampede Me

B4. Fin De Siècle

——-

Disc II

The Light Brigade

A1. Until Artillery

A2. Baba Yaga

A3. Onward

A4. The Victory of the Echo Over the Voice

A5. Sevastopol

B1. Tsars and Hussars

B2. Battery Smoke

B3. Belonging

B4. Pre-munitions

B5. Shot and Shell

B6. Country Of Conquest

——-

Disc III

The Bittereinders

A1. Deep in Concentration

A2. Trifling

A3. The Irreconcilables

A4. Sangoma

A5. Sold As

B1. Anima

B2. Staatsartillerie

B3. Veldt

B4. Du Sud

B5. Puts You Under

A mini doc by Jackie Radinsky

‘Amnioverse’ is out now on Brainfeeder

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Lapalux (aka Stuart Howard) returns to Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder for his fourth album. “Amnioverse”—“a sort of portmanteau of the amniotic sac and the universe,” he explains—revolves around notions of fluidity; that birth, life, death, and rebirth is a never ending continuum.

He channels these ethereal ideas through a new and ever-expanding modular synth set-up, injecting human emotion, and layering recordings of weather, wind, rain and fire, lending  an elemental, celestial feel to the composition. While 2017’s “Ruinism” was about sonic wreckage and deconstruction, with “Amnioverse”, Howard took a different approach, basing each track around a snippet of spoken word from “friends, lovers, and ex partners”, and building the music around it. He also reconnects with Icelandic vocalist JFDR (Jófríður Ákadóttir) who returns for two tracks on ’Thin Air’ and ‘The Lux Quadrant’, as well as vocalist Lilia on ‘Limb To Limb’, ‘Voltaic Acid’ and ‘Momentine’. “For me the real focus was that the whole record flowed,” he says. ”I worked on each song sequentially and wouldn’t stop working on a session until they fitted together and told the story that I wanted to tell.”

Initial inspiration for the album came from a photograph of James Turrell’s Twilight Epiphany Skyspace installation in Texas. “I looked at it every day for three years whilst making this record.” explains Howard, “People are sitting in what looks like a waiting room lit in a purple hue, looking up at the dark night sky through a rectangular hole in the ceiling. The image has so much depth and means so much to me…. it seems like we are all in that waiting room, waiting to be somewhere or go somewhere. That’s what I tried to encapsulate in this record.”

Turrell’s influence extends to the album cover too, itself an homage to the artist’s  groundbreaking work with light, shadow and perspective. Conceived by Creative Director and photographer Dan Medhurst and Owen Gildersleeve—an expert in hand-crafted illustration and set design—the build stemmed from a vision that Howard imagined: “I initially had an idea of a person, or group of people, in an impossibly large room set in a fog of pink looking into a void symbolic of a womb or amniotic sac,” he says. “We then ran with the idea of making a structure that had a deeper perspective, the ever decreasing octagon shape that suggests a sort of birth canal into the unknown.”

Support for Lapalux has come from the likes of Pitchfork, Mixmag, FADER, FACT, Dazed, SPIN, The Wire, A.V. Club and many more. With Benji B, Huw Stephens, Lauren Laverne, Mary-Anne Hobbs and many others championing his music across radio.

Capping off last year with two standout performances at the Brainfeeder X showcase at Brixton Academy, and alongside Jacques Greene at Brooklyn’s Elsewhere, Lapalux is set to return with a new live-AV show—driven and delivered by his modular gear set-up—to present a cohesive light, projection and sound performance.

“Tears or Rain (feat. Samuel T. Herring)”

Music Video by Diego Navarro

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‘Anicca’ is out now on Brainfeeder

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The wait is finally over for new music by Teebs, aka Mtendere Mandowa. It’s been 5 years since his last body of work, but 25 October will mark the release of his next full length album “​Anicca”.​ With the help of a host of musical friends including ​Panda Bear (Animal Collective), Sudan Archives, Ringgo Ancheta aka MNDSGN, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Anna Wise, daydream Masi, Former Boy, Pink Siifu, Jimetta Rose and Thomas Stankiewicz, the 4​7 minute LP fuses Teebs’ signature bright and fluid productions with the grounded and colorful elements of his collaborators.

With roots at the ‘My Hollow Drum’ collective, Dublab, and Low End Theory, Teebs is a staple in Los Angeles music. “My creative family in LA is so important,” he explains. “It’s a part of who I am when I step outside and how others in LA view me. I love the feeling of community and trying to understand how I can be useful in it.”

A consummate artist with a completely unique style, his ideas seemingly flow from a cloudy hidden realm of the ether straight through the medium and onto the canvas. As both a producer and a painter, his projects possess a flawless consistency that pull one deep into the worlds he creates.

Reflecting on his 5 year hiatus from releasing music, he says: “It feels like it [the music] comes from a different place now. My inspiration to work has changed and my choices with it. I’ve explored more with what tools and instruments I used and tried to be more open to collaboration.” ​The record showcases just how effortlessly his work lays landscapes for his guests’ contributions to blend in with his own production and Teebs himself is full of admiration for his collaborators. For example, of Panda Bear from Animal Collective, who is featured on lead single ‘Studie’ he explains that: “Everything he decides to do is pure gold or fine wine.” It’s a similar story with kindred spirit Sudan Archives who graces ‘Black Dove’ – of whom he says, “She really is a scary genius who deserves the world’s ears and eyes.”

The album was recorded mostly at home using his Roland SP-404 sampler, Mellotron M4000D synthesizer, seprewa (Ghanaian harp-lute), guitar and laptop – “If you listen closely you might hear my daughter speaking or my wife typing on a laptop on the record,” Teebs says smiling.

Family is at the heart of Mtendere’s life now and they are his primary source of inspiration. “My daughter was born the year after ‘Estara’ and taking time to watch her grow meant everything to me…” he explains. “Also my relationships with my wife,mother, brother, and the friends around me, and the mistakes I’ve made through my life have all inspired Anicca.” He also cites the American poet David Antin and his 1976 work “Talking at the Boundaries” as a notable read and a quote about art, nature and form from Hans Arp’s “Notes from a Dada Diary” that struck a chord with him during the making of the record.

As for the title – “Anicca” – it describes the impermanence of all being in Buddhism. Recognition of the fact that ‘anicca’ characterizes everything is one of the first steps in the Buddhist’s spiritual progress toward enlightenment. “It’s a reminder to myself that nothing is permanent,” he says.

A highly respected visual artist, Teebs created the artwork for “Anicca” just as he has done for his previous albums. “I’m using the two disciplines [music and art] together to explore the worlds of communication and semi abstractions” he explains. The artwork for “Anicca” started as a drawing about his wife and mother and evolved into an enamel pin that transformed again as he collaborated with his friend Megan Geer-Alsop to make a stained glass replica. That work later got photographed and digitally enhanced to make the cover. “The artwork is so special to me because of all the hands working together to create an idea,” says Mtendere. “The piece went through so much change and landed in a state of constant change being made out of glass with its colors and reflections… no matter how you look at it or what time of day it is, it’s always something different, yet the same… quite like nature works. It felt like life, like semi abstractions and like the album title.”

‘Amnioverse’ is out Nov 8th on Brainfeeder

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‘The Bittereinders’ is out now on Brainfeeder

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Legit pioneer, standard bearer for experimental electronics, and newly minted faculty at Berklee College of Music, Daedelus (aka Alfred Darlington) returns on Brainfeeder with a new album titled “The Bittereinders” sounding of ancient requiem with evocations of Township Jazz, but still modern electronic music by way of drone, pipe organ wheezing and incessant beats.

“The Bittereinders” brings Daedelus’ “End of Empire” trilogy on Brainfeeder to a close, following 2010’s “Righteous Fists of Harmony” inspired by The Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901) and 2014’s “The Light Brigade” that recalled the Crimean War of 1853-56. The culmination of the series, “The Bittereinders” dives into the final 3 year conflict from the Victorian era that was perhaps its most brutal. The Second Boer War is recounted as fought between the British and formerly Dutch Z.A.R. and Free Orange People and ended by treaty in 1902. What is not made clear in the ‘counting is the thousands of Black and Brown people were caught in the colonial crossfire of Empire’s endless appetite. This is the conflict that coined modern use of the term “concentration camp” and brought new bloody levels of guerrilla warfare. Just as in “Righteous Fists of Harmony” and “The Light Brigade”, Daedelus has taken liberty in using modern sound sources against a backdrop of mystic overtones.

“From the belief that contemporary events are too difficult to address,” Alfred explains. “I’ve reached back into history to relate some of what is largely forgotten to directly look into the ravages which continue to echo. All records fuse unrelenting repetition of lyric and forms, evocative noise and reaching melodies.”

Recorded at Brainfeeder label mate Jameszoo’s Willem Twee Studios in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands – an exceptional analogue electronic sound and music workspace – and Red Bull Studios in Cape Town, South Africa. “The Bittereinders” features Lee Thomson (trumpet on ‘The Irreconcilables’, in a nod to the Township Jazz tradition); Mikhaela Faye Kruger (vocals on ‘Sold As’ and ‘Veldt’); Shane Cooper (bass on ‘Du Sud’ with American Amir Yaghmai providing ghost vocals as a connection to the previous LPs).

A limited edition 3LP box set housing the “End of Empire” trilogy will be released on 15 November 2019 and is available to preorder now.

‘Anicca’ is out Oct 25th

“Studie (feat. Panda Bear)” is out now

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PBDY – Brainfeeder’s resident selector/DJ – is in the midst of a 34 date US tour supporting Flying Lotus that ends next week on 20 September at The Novo in their hometown Los Angeles. His new single ‘This State of Mine (Mind)’ released today comes hot on the heels of ‘Eucalyptus & Lavender / So Help Me (DOG)’ a hazy, loose-knit jam that featured Jeff Parker (of pioneering post-rock outfit Tortoise) on guitar, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on viola and Justin Brown (Thundercat, Ambrose Akinmusire) on drums. In contrast, ‘This State of Mine (Mind)’ is founded on pounding 4×4 kicks and features vocals by British/German recording artist Anika who is best known for her collaborative work with Geoff Barrow (Beak / Portishead), Shackleton and her band Exploded View.

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‘The Bittereinders’ – new album by Daedelus out on 20 Sept.

The final chapter in his epic ‘End of Empire’ trilogy including the albums ‘Righteous Fists of Harmony’ & ‘The Light Brigade’.

Preorder the ltd 3LP box set (out in Nov) & stream ‘Veldt’

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Salami Rose Joe Louis releases new album “Zdenka 2080” via Brainfeeder.

Salami Rose Joe Louis (real name Lindsay Olsen) – the Bay Area based musician, composer, and producer – will release her new album “Zdenka 2080” via Brainfeeder on 30 August 2019. It follows a busy start to the year in which she joined Toro Y Moi’s “Outer Peace Tour” in the US and supported The Cinematic Orchestra on their European tour.

Olsen hails from Crockett in Northern California. “It’s a tiny, very strange and sleepy little town. There is a giant sugar factory and the whole town often smells like marshmallows and caramel, which is ideal,” she says. She lives in the basement of her friend’s house which is the perfect place “to get very weird”. In 2017, in the wake of the release of her album “Zlaty Sauce Nephew”, Olsen sustained a wrist injury in a car accident that forced her to miss a fortnight of her regular job at an asbestos lab in Berkeley. Serendipitously, this coincided with one of her tracks unexpectedly being licensed for a TV commercial and Olsen decided to take the plunge. “I felt like it was a sign from the galaxies to take the leap to concentrating on music full time,” she smiles.

Drawing inspiration from film, literature, art, and music, “Zdenka 2080” was heavily influenced in particular by a series of apocalyptic sci-fi novels by Octavia Butler and Gene Wolf. “They inspired me to explore the realms of fantasy as a means of illuminating concepts and truths about our own society and humanity,” she says. “I also was very inspired by the movies Tekkonkinkreet and Embrace of the Serpent – a beautiful exploration of capitalism, colonialism and greed.”

Musically, Olsen references fellow members of Oakland record label/musical family Hot Record Societe: Cheflee, Mejiwahn, Asonic Garcia and Pacific Yew as ever present influences, alongside musical giants Shuggie Otis and Herbie Hancock, composer, bandleader and all-round visionary Raymond Scott, plus the likes of Stereolab and Flying Lotus.

“Sometimes my songs can be very silly and whimsical,” Olsen explains – with new single ‘Cumulous Potion (For the Clouds to Sing)’ being a case in point. “Sometimes they are more serious and emotional. I was looking for a way to weave all of my styles into a cohesive narrative, and I found a lot of inspiration in the way often movies and shows in the animé tradition seamlessly connect the whimsical, silly, serious, and meaningful.”

Olsen’s music is highly conceptual and “Zdenka 2080” describes a future dystopian Earth in the year 2080 that has been mis-managed by unethical governments and corporations. An initiative by greedy big business to capture solar energy to power a super-sized spaceship, results in a rapidly cooling Earth, and the elite escape via the spaceship to colonize another distant planet. The earthlings left behind find themselves fading with the cooling sun. The first half of the album follows the journey of a young earthling left behind. She discovers an octagonal room with eight paintings, each one leading to a new dimension, and travels through the dimensions in search of a way to save her planet. Her journey eventually leads her to a window where we discover that the octagonal room is the brain of the Earth and the paintings and coinciding dimensions are the thoughts of the Earth creature. The imagery of the paintings affect the thoughts of the Earth creature. Zdenka is the name of the artist who creates the paintings inside the octagonal room. Thus, she can influence the thoughts and actions of the Earth creature and humans on Earth based on what she paints. In this story, Zdenka is lost and confused and she paints very dark imagery. The young earthling begins a quest to find and convince her to paint more positive imagery.

Olsen says that her moods are often very connected to whether or not she is feeling creatively inspired and productive. “I have noticed creative blocks for me can be dark spirals into ego-centric, self loathing, isolating, and selfish tendencies,” she explains. “In this story, I wanted to explore the ways in which art can easily take dark and careless turns, but how important it is to remember the effects art has on others. I am not advocating for optimistic art only – I just wanted to write this story as a reminder to myself to strive to be intentional in the art I create.”

‘Epiphany’ is out now

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Out Now!

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While Ross from Friends’ – AKA Felix Clary Weatherall’s – debut album “Family Portrait” was dedicated in part to his parents, the new 12” “Epiphany” is an homage to (and named after) Clary Weatherall’s sister: “One of the most important role models I have”. The three tracks are sleeker and tougher than his acclaimed debut album but his signature warmth and personality is ever present. The artwork is by legendary pro skateboarder, entrepreneur and artist Chad Muska.

Recorded in the wake of the release of “Family Portrait” and constructed with the dancefloor at the forefront of his mind, he explains that the move to a new studio – “I finally got a place with a window” – coupled with the fact that he was also “getting into a lot of woodwork, DIY and making a lot of the furniture in the space” – precipitated a different approach in process when it came to the music. “I constantly wanted to take a step back and think about the structures in a more conventional sense. I spent a lot of time making it sound like it could be played in a club, particularly with ‘Phantom Ratio’ – I wanted to challenge myself to make a weird club track with that one.”

For the title track in particular, he drew inspiration from sci-fi movies. “I was watching a bunch of these films like The Thirteenth Floor, The Matrix (happy 20th anniversary) or Fifth Element, and I wanted the release to play on the idea of a desolate physical and social landscape becoming a utopia from a communal epiphany – or revolution”.

“Family Portrait” – hailed as “a powerful debut” by Crack Magazine – was described by Mixmag as “a gliding and glittering tour de force” in their ‘Albums of the Year 2018’ roundup. While NME praised Clary Weatherall’s unique sonic identity as “a mind-melting picture that takes in house, techno, jazz and ambient music, and ties it together to make something distinctly unique” and Rolling Stone declared him “a master of fun, gooey textures”. Similar praise came from the likes of Resident Advisor, The Wire, Pitchfork, AV Club, Loud & Quiet, DJ Mag, Clash, PopMatters, FADER and more.

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Salami at home performing her newest single “Sitting With Thoughts”

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PBDY (pronounced Peabody) releases a brand new single ‘Eucalyptus & Lavender / So Help Me (DOG)’ via Brainfeeder.

The track features Jeff Parker (of pioneering post-rock outfit Tortoise) on guitar, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on viola and Justin Brown (Thundercat, Ambrose Akinmusire) on drums.

Paul has been the resident selector/DJ at the heart of the Brainfeeder family for nearly 8 years, hosting radio shows, building DJ mixes, rocking label showcases, instores, afterparties and touring worldwide with Thundercat, Flying Lotus and The Cinematic Orchestra. A self-confessed music fanatic, his inestimable and seemingly inexhaustible passion for new sounds is utterly infectious. He established his label TAR in 2013, creating a platform to share his favourite experimental sounds sourced from lesser known acts as far afield as Asia, Australia and Russia.

It was simply a matter of time before his energy shifted from musical curation to creation. In 2017 PBDY linked with Jeremiah Jae under the moniker JP Moregun for a moody, psych-heavy rap mixtape on Brainfeeder. It was PBDY’s first outing in the role of producer. 2018 saw PBDY make his solo debut on Brainfeeder, contributing the eerily beautiful ‘Bring Me Down’ (featuring vocals by his friend and labelmate Salami Rose Joe Louis) to the label’s 10th anniversary compilation “Brainfeeder X”.

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“Toothbrush / Booth Thrust” 12″ is out now on Brainfeeder

The debut record from Salami Rose Joe Louis on Brainfeeder is out August 30th

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Taken from the album ‘Zdenka 2080′, released 30 August 2019 on Brainfeeder

Video by Japhy Riddle

Out Aug 2nd on Brainfeeder

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oldie but goodie – 'toothbrush' out now on @BRAINFEEDER !!! 12" out early august … https://t.co/9fNIkAqQN1 pic.twitter.com/R3vQT9ApoP

— dorian concept (@dorianconcept) July 3, 2019

Dorian Concept performing “Toothbrush” LIVE

His two track 12″ is out Aug 2

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Out Now

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Little Snake continues his mission to inspire change within electronic dance music, returning to Brainfeeder with a fresh collection of DJ tools expressly built to turn dancefloors upside down and inside out. “LOST IN SPIRALS EP” is the literal translation of the feelings that Little Snake (real name Gino Serpentini) attempts to invoke in the execution of these tracks, drawing on math rock, textural noise, acid techno and jungle, and striving to translate the impossible, intangible spiralling feeling deep within himself, but still maintain a drum pattern.

Residing in Calgary, Alberta – Little Snake’s music balances intricacy with explosive bass weight and his tracks have become a staple in Flying Lotus’s DJ sets. FlyLo described his productions as “fkn insane” and promptly signed the 20 year old to Brainfeeder in 2018 to release “ENTER” EP (inspired by the Gaspar Noé film Enter The Void) and also contribute to the label’s tenth anniversary compilation “Brainfeeder X”.

Out Now

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In 2017 Jameszoo opened Amsterdam Dance Event with a very special collaboration with Jules Buckley and the Grammy-Award winning Metropole Orkest at the iconic Melkweg concert hall. The recordings of this momentous collaboration will be released via Brainfeeder on 17 May 2019.

The magic and the chemistry in the room that evening was both exhilarating and heartwarming as Buckley – Chief Conductor of the Metropole Orkest since 2013 – led the 49-piece orchestra, plus Richard Spaven (drums); Niels Broos (organs, synths, Rhodes); Frank Wienk aka Binkbeats (percussion); John Dikeman (saxophone) and Mitchel van Dinther aka Jameszoo (electronics, synths and Wurlitzer) on a truly joyful journey, elevating compositions from van Dinther’s 2016 album “Fool” to transcendental realms.

“This was as wonderful as it was frightening,” says van Dinther. “I was in great hands being guided by Jules and the orchestra. Because of them I could hear my compositions flower.”

Jules Buckley describes the collaboration as “a really open and rewarding process. Mitchel’s mind rolls in a different way and so, tapping the orchestra into those avenues – for me – created some really beautiful and unusual results I’m really proud of.”

Jameszoo released his debut album “Fool” in 2016 via Brainfeeder. A curious, at times downright awkward, but thoroughly enjoyable blend of jazz and off kilter electronics, it was heralded by Pitchfork for its playful hybridity, free spirited character and innovation: “It bursts at the seams with ideas”. The record featured cameos from two outright legends: Brazilian composer Arthur Verocai and pianist Steve Kuhn; bassist Thundercat; keyboardist Niels Broos and drummers Richard Spaven and Julian Sartorius.

“The Seroquel Tapes Vol. I is a collection of handpicked trap/rap tunes slowed down, chopped up, and screwed..”

available now at: http://bit.ly/seroquel1 

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In 2017 Jameszoo opened Amsterdam Dance Event with a very special collaboration with Jules Buckley and the Grammy-Award winning Metropole Orkest at the iconic Melkweg concert hall. The recordings of this momentous collaboration will be released via Brainfeeder on 17 May 2019.

The magic and the chemistry in the room that evening was both exhilarating and heartwarming as Buckley – Chief Conductor of the Metropole Orkest since 2013 – led the 49-piece orchestra, plus Richard Spaven (drums); Niels Broos (organs, synths, Rhodes); Frank Wienk aka Binkbeats (percussion); John Dikeman (saxophone) and Mitchel van Dinther aka Jameszoo (electronics, synths and Wurlitzer) on a truly joyful journey, elevating compositions from van Dinther’s 2016 album “Fool” to transcendental realms.

“This was as wonderful as it was frightening,” says van Dinther. “I was in great hands being guided by Jules and the orchestra. Because of them I could hear my compositions flower.”

Jules Buckley describes the collaboration as “a really open and rewarding process. Mitchel’s mind rolls in a different way and so, tapping the orchestra into those avenues – for me – created some really beautiful and unusual results I’m really proud of.”

Jameszoo released his debut album “Fool” in 2016 via Brainfeeder. A curious, at times downright awkward, but thoroughly enjoyable blend of jazz and off kilter electronics, it was heralded by Pitchfork for its playful hybridity, free spirited character and innovation: “It bursts at the seams with ideas”. The record featured cameos from two outright legends: Brazilian composer Arthur Verocai and pianist Steve Kuhn; bassist Thundercat; keyboardist Niels Broos and drummers Richard Spaven and Julian Sartorius.

Congrats to Louis Cole for winning the Digital Award at the 2019 JAZZFM Awards!

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