With so much good music coming through thick and fast, it’s easy for brand-new music to drop online and go overlooked. To help prevent this, we’ve picked five new releases you may have missed but need to hear — stream music from SPAZA, Sarathy Korwar, Ash Walker, Jeen Bassa and Scrimshire. If you like what you hear, hit the links and support the artists.
SPAZA – SPAZA
Can’t believe that i haven’t already featured this wonderful record in our weekly guide. Conceived in the Mushroom Hour Half Hour sound lab, SPAZA is a band with no permanent members, with each lineup assembled for the express purpose of recording once-off improvised music. The musicians involved in this album include Siya Makuzeni (vocals, FX & Trombone), Nosisi Ngakane (vocals), Joao Orecchia (synthesisers & electronics), Waldo Alexander (electric violin with FX pedal), Gontse Makene (percussion) and Ariel Zamonsky (upright bass). Meditative and spiritual in essence, these seven beautiful free jams, created of the moment and recorded live ( in one take) make this album a must-have. A brilliant introduction to an intriguing new project.
Sarathy Korwar – More Arriving
Recorded in India and the UK over two and half years, Sarthy Korwar’s new album More Arriving features some incredible talent drawn from the South Asian diaspora, including rappers MC Mawali, Prabh Deep and Delhi Sultanate, and spoken word artists Zia Ahmed and Deepak Unnikrishnan. The title of the album comes from the scaremongering around Brexit,” says Korwar. “It’s a tongue-in-cheek play on the fact that there are more people coming and you’ll have to deal with it!” A highly ambitious and brilliant soundtrack to these troubling times. This intense, powerful, painful, funny and conscious album is something you need, don’t sleep!
Ash Walker – Aquamarine
London producer Ash Walker returns with a new album filled with soulful vocals and funky grooves which will keep his fans happy and make him lots of new ones. ‘Under The Sun’ is one of my favourite tracks of the year, layered with catchy pop sensibilities, soulful vocals and a killer grooves he creates a truly memorable jam. The cosmic jazz of ‘Brave New World’ and the blunted beats on ‘Come With Us’ are also highlights. ‘Finishing Touch’ will get your head-nodding, while ‘Anit Got You’ will get your hips shaking and ‘Sanity’ is a slow-burning gem. Featured across the LP is the silky voice of Laville as well as trumpet and flugelhorn genius Yazz Ahmed, bassist Marc Cyril and renowned musician and producer Jonathan Shorten. Connecting the dots between jazz, trip-hop, soul and funk, the young producer embraces a wide range of styles. Three albums in and Walker just seems to be getting better and better with every release.
Jeen Bassa – Cassava Pone
Jeen Bassa is renowned for his future-soul experiments and woozy grooves. ‘Cassava Pone’ will only strengthen his reputation. Heavily influenced by his Mauritian roots, the album takes you on a journey through aboriginal and pan African sounds, with dense layers of percussion and samples from his fatherland. Tunes like ‘Crunked Funk’ and ‘Everday’, the bumping ‘The Thing (to do)’ and the soulful, broken rhythms of ‘Hold You Down’ are archetypal Bassa. This is a classic beat-tape style LP of the highest order. Well worth investing in this enjoyable set.
Scrimshire – Listeners
Albert’s Favourites co-founder Adam Scrimshire returns with his first album in 5 years. The album is packed with bright and breezy uptempo tempo cuts like ‘Won’t Get Better’, ‘Thru You’ and ‘After’. As well as downtempo gems ‘Don’t Stop Here’, and ‘I Never’ and ‘Before’. With a wide range of influences, Srimshire moves in different directions throughout the 9-song project displaying impressive musicianship and a variety of musical styles, from jazz, soul and electronic and beyond. The album features a host of stellar guest vocalists and musicians who weave their personal stories into Srimshire’s wonderful soundscapes. Across the LP you’ll hear fantastic contributions from the likes of Georgia Anne Muldrow, Ego Ella May, Emma-Jean Thackray, Joshua Idehen, And Is Phi, Madison McFerrin, Chip Wickham, and James Alexander Bright. This is an album that you’ll keep returning to and one that keeps on giving on each listen.
