Welcome to your new Between The Cracks featuring ten releases from across the musical landscape. As always, no lengthy write-ups, as who reads those anyway? We keep it short and to the point because you’re here to listen to the music! If you enjoy the music we have chosen this week, please click on the links below and support the artists.
Albums
Marisa Anderson – Still, Here
This album is perfect for anyone who enjoys well-written, well-played folk music with an Americana, lo-fi feel. On her fourth album for Thrill Jockey, we find Marisa Anderson revealing her practice of understanding and processing the world through music into expressive and compelling pieces. The artwork perfectly represents the music found on the album. So, if the beautiful Dante Korinto photo has piqued your interest, click below and dive into this album’s wondrous musical landscapes.
Roméo Poirier – Living Room
Roméo Poirier returns with a heady new album on Jan Jelinek’s Faitiche label. Living Room utilises a collection of samples assembled by his father. It also continues the aquatic theme found in his past work, using a waterproof loudspeaker and a hydrophone to playback and re-record tracks in the bathtub. This record is fantastic! Even better than I expected.
Jimetta Rose & The Voices of Creation – How Good It Is
Bounce into the weekend as Night Dreamer subsidiary Day Dreamer presents HOW GOOD IS IT, a six-track album by The Voices of Creation, a community-based choir led by Jimetta Rose. From the first note, their beautiful, soulful and heartfelt music greets us with a heartwarming version of ‘Let The Sun Shine In’ by Sons And Daughters Of Lite! From that moment onward, you’re comforted by a wave of gospel-driven music with strains of jazz, soul, and funk together. HOW GOOD IT IS is one of the most uplifting albums of the year, so if healing music is your thing.
The Comet Is Coming – Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam
Shabaka Hutchings, Maxwell Hallett and Dan Leavers return to Impulse! for the latest chapter as The Comet Is Coming. ‘Hyper-Dimensional Expansion Beam’ traverses Afrobeat, jazz, electronica, and psyche rock. The London-based trio recorded improvisations over four days, resulting in a full-on blast of cosmic energy. As always, this is some edge-of-your-seat from the trio.
Sun Ra Arkestra – Living Sky
A new album by Sun Ra Arkestra, led by the evergreen 98-year-old Marshall Allen, is here! Nineteen musicians, including a string section, recorded Living Sky in one day, June 15th, last year at Rittenhouse SoundWorks in Philadelphia. ‘Living Sky’, a vibrant body of work, includes a formal recording of Ra’s interpretation of Chopin’s ‘Prelude In A Major’ and Allen’s response to Ra’s original ‘Night Of The Living Sky’, aptly called ‘Day Of The Living Sky’. Conveying a unique brand of avant-grade and spiritual jazz, Sun Ra Arkestra continues to spread its cosmic offerings across the planet.
Photay feat. Carlos Niño – An Offering
Water is the spiritual centre of the collaboration, the vast and deep An Offering — from the visual on the cover, to the first sound you hear on the opening “Prelude,” to the underlying themes and images espoused by the poet-philosopher Iasos on the closing “Existence.” An infinite flow of sound, from and to every direction.
Reissues
Full Moon Ensemble – Crowded With Loneliness
Reissue of Full Moon Ensemble’s only album courtesy of Comet. Politically-engaged French poetry inspired by US poet Bob Kaufman mixed with avant-garde and spiritual jazz produced by Claude Delcloo. Vibes!
Compilations
V/A – Battle Axe
Initially released by Trojan in 1972, ‘Battle Axe’ is a collection of early productions by Lee “Scratch” Perry. Among its many rarities are recordings by well-known singers such as Junior Byles, Delroy Wilson, and Little Roy. It also features an instrumental version by The Upsetters of Bob Marley & The Wailers, ‘Small Axe’. A must for any discerning fan of reggae music. Get your limited edition individually numbered copy on orange-coloured vinyl below.
Various Artists – John Sinclair Presents Detroit Artists Workshop
The first release of archive recordings from the seminal Detroit Artists Workshop from the 60s and 70s – featuring unheard tracks from Donald Byrd, Yusef Lateef, Lyman Woodard and a host of unsung Detroit legends. Essential.
EP’s
The Vernon Spring – Earth, On A Good Day
‘Earth, On A Good Day’ features vocal and musical responses to previously released and unreleased material by The Vernon Spring. The four-track EP includes contributions from Ghostpoet, electronica outfit Dot Never and new artist aden. With sparkling piano lines, sharp arrangements and stellar production, ‘Earth, On A Good Day’ is an absolute work of art.
