With so much good music coming through thick and fast, it’s easy for albums to drop online and go overlooked. To help prevent this, we’ve picked five releases you need to hear — stream music from Andy Hay, Sarah Pagé, Aloha Got Soul, The Day Goes and ODD OKODDO. If you like the music, hit the links and support the artists.
Andy Hay – Many Rivers
UK drummer Andy Hay recently released his new album title ‘Many Rivers’. Recorded recently in Manchester’s Limefield studios the project explores the immediate place of creation and the inner voice that dictates the drummer’s conversations and ideas. The music found on this recording is rarely less than magical, with Hay and his collaborators seamlessly mixing free and spiritual jazz with spoken word poetry and a scattering of feel-good vibrations. With a band that includes players like John Ellis and Nat Birchall you’d expect nothing but first-rate instrumentation, and that’s precisely what you get from the first note to the very last. Standouts include the title cut as well as the drowsy jazz/spoken word bliss of ‘Seeking Conversation’, the piano smoothness and tight sax of ‘Lost Lonnie’ and kora perfection of ‘Walking With Ali’ plus the entrancing ‘Call (inner voices speaks)’. A mightly impressive release – support the vinyl, support the CD, support…..
Sarah Pagé – Dose Curves
Montreal-based experimental harpist Sarah Pagé shared her debut solo album last month, and it’s a little special. Dose Curves is an LP full of beautiful harp playing but also live sound manipulation featuring Page’s homemade pickups and pedal setup, which you can hear especially on Lithium Taper. The instrumentation is great throughout but Page’s careful manipulations of her harps, pedals, amps are so refreshingly different marking this as a thoroughly unique collection of music. The range of sounds she is able to pull out of the harp while remaining tethered to the 5000-year-old instrument’s essence is astounding. As debut solo goes, they don’t get much better.
Aloha Got Soul – From These Shores (VA)
Aloha Got Soul follows up their superb ‘AOR & Disco in Hawai’ 1979-1985’ compilation from 2016 with another brilliant comp. This time around AGS delves deep into the otherworldly sound of soft psychedelic, cosmic folk and psych from Hawaii. Highlights are many, opening with the instrumental lounge-psych of ‘High Tide’ and spoken-word psychedelic perfection on ‘Reb’ll Message’, to the horizontal bliss of ‘Magic Sands’. The uplifting sounds of ‘Soul Catcher’ and ‘Kaimu Sun’ are also magical. A wonderful album that effortlessly joins the musical dots from every corner of the Hawaiian Islands. We can’t wait for volume two!
The Day Goes – The Day Goes EP
The music your about to hear is very, very, good. I’m new to Dave De Rose and clearly, I’ve been missing out on some very fine work. This album of wonderful improvised jazz infused with dub, ambient and electronic flourishes showcases a master at his craft. The Days Goes consist of Dave De Rose (Bass & FX ), Dario Rossetti-Bonell (Guitar, Loops & FX) and Yusuf Ahmed (Drums) and like all the best musicians, the trio sounds naturally relaxed leaving plenty of room for all the players to manoeuvre within the dark and hypnotic textures. The sound is raw, intimate and expansive, with warm organic grooves meeting electronic touches and dubby embellishments. This album is solid from start to finish.
ODD OKODDO – Auma
ODD OKODDO is a Kenyan/German duo formed by Olith Ratego and Sven Kacirek. Splitting his time between Kenya and Germany, Kacirek has worked with the likes of Nils Frahm, Shabaka Hutchings and Daniel Mburu Muhuni. Olith Ratego is an expert vocalist of the dodo style, which originates from the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya. He is also a highly skilled luthier, designing and building his string instruments first of all the five-stringed Okodo which lends its name to the project. ‘Auma” is a story told through Olith’s deeply personal songwriting and Kacirek’s genre-bending diverse selection of sounds. To be honest I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing this album is. Press play and let this one unravel slowly into your ears.
