Organic Grooves 156 Items

The Sophomore Album From Canadian Duo Ghost Twin Brings Pop Hooks, Romantic Ballads, Heavy Anthems And Club Stompers.Four Years After Ghost Twin's Debut For Artoffact Records, The Winnipeg, Canada-Based Duo Returns With Love Songs For End Times, An Album That Promises To Bring Some Much Needed Cathartic Release Through A Prism Of Pop Hooks, Romantic Ballads, Heavy Anthems And Club Stompers. Ghost Twin Explores The Darkness Of Nostalgia On The New Album, Due Out On Artoffact On June 4th, An Approach That Signals A Turning Point For The Band. Karen And Jaimz Asmundson, Longtime Artistic Collaborators And Husband-And-Wife, Take Turns Crooning Fatalistic Lyrics As Elements Of 80s Synthpop, Industrial, German Techno, French House, And A Knack For Writing Earworms, Competing For Your Attention.

After the re-issue of Ghia's “Don't Leave Me Alone” we continue the Austrian collaboration with Ghia's only known album release to date. Originally from 1988, this album features 9 tracks that further deepen the aesthetic direction strongly established by the now digger-delight single released the year before. An album that was somewhat mysterious due to little information online, yet coveted amongst diggers that had already been exposed to the magic of “Don't Leave Me Alone”. From slow dance ballad pop smoothness to high paced quasi-house keyboard and guitar infused playfulness, “Here I Am” has a sound that's unique yet refined, characteristic of an ace studio recording environment. Essential in any well seasoned record collection. Severely remastered.

Gary Davis is the polymath behind Chocolate Star Records, the label he started in Camden, New Jersey. He is one of the first people to record rap music, with NYC maverick Peter Brown and on his own. Before that, he made disco. But he's also steeped in the jazz tradition. Gary made 200 copies of this record for Chocolate Star. It is a funky jazz set he recorded live on October 31, 1976 at New Jersey's Glassboro State College (today's Rowan University). Gary's an inspiration, for still believing in music that comes from and finds its way back to the fringes. “I want people who are out there struggling to know: Do not depend on other people having control over your destiny. If you wanna do it, do it!" he says, Gary told the Palm Beach New Times many years ago. "The best part is doing it, so why worry about all this other nonsense? I've always felt that way, but now I have the evidence to back up what I've been telling people all along. It gives me the credibility I deserve.”

It’s not often that a cover version of a stone Soul Classic gets the approval of the cognoscenti. It’s even more unusual when that cover is itself a “lost and found” in-demander. The story starts with Beloyd “Get Into Your Life” released on a single on the 20th Century label. This 1970s Modern Soul masterpiece commands £200 a time, but more importantly is one of those records that sets your pulse racing and your spirits soaring.. Moving on - 7 years ago UK songwriter and record producer Vince Garcia - the creator of those Drizabone anthems “Real Love”, “Pressure” and “Brightest Star” - woke up one day and decided to end his self imposed exile from making music. He was persuaded to add a cover version to the album of self-composed songs he set about making - and “Get Into Your Life” perfectly suited vocalist Vince Durrell. The album was duly completed and despite being acclaimed by the select few lucky enough to hear it as an instant timeless classic somehow never got released. A few of the tracks, including “Get Into Your Life) filtered out to leading UK Souk DJs and created a huge buzz and demand. Now, Soul Intention are delighted to be able to announce the album is finally set for release this summer, it’s no longer “lost”, and has been well and truly “found”. As a taster “Get Into Your Life” has been remastered and following massive pre-release plays on specialist radio is finally released. The biggest Modern Soul collectable release of 2021? You decide...

Limited to 100 copies on violet vinyl,THE Friimen Muzik Company (also known as Friimen) was formed after the Biafran war in 1973-1974 in the town of ABA in the eastern part of Nigeria. Aba was the Number 1 Music Hub in the entire Eastern Region of Nigeria. While bands and artists like ‘Ofege’ and ‘Fela Kuti’ ruled the Lagos scene, bands like ‘Friimen’ and ‘The Apostles’ were ruling the ABA scene.

Before forming the band, most of its members were already working together as freelance session musicians backing up solo artists on several recordings and concerts (or were playing in military bands that gradually became civilian bands because the war had just ended). Friimen members’ credits were numerous and they played, wrote or performed on recordings from well-known acts like The Funkees, The Jets, The Apostles…and countless others.

When they started concentrating on writing their own songs, the group instantly took off and became an overnight hit that resulted in them doing multiple successful nationwide tours. Friimen would go on to record three albums: Free Man (1976), We Can Get It On (1978) and Merry Man (1979). All three albums were released on the Aba based label Anodisc Records (the key label to be on if you wanted your music heard and out there), Anodisc also released hit records by ‘Sweet Unit’ and ‘Voice Of The Cross’ but The Friimen Muzik Company was the label’s signature band.

The Friimen Muzik Company was so solid that every new group or artist wanted the Friimen to back them up in the recording studio. As a result, Anodisc Records received tons of demo cassettes from aspiring artists…the label would then first consult the Friimen members to see if these new acts were worthy of giving a chance to record and release an album for Anodisc. Over the course of the years the band went through several line-up changes…but in 1980 the band finally broke up and their story came to an end.

The album we are presenting you today (Free Man from 1976) was recorded at the famous Decca Studios in Lagos and comes swinging right out of the gate with a set of no less than Eight monster tunes. Expect nothing less than crazy afrobeat and over the top melodic funk influenced by a wide array of artists (both local and international). Mesmerizing solos, captivating grooves, impeccable sequences that turned many heads…everything you need to get a dancehall into a complete uproar. The musicians’ skills are just plain incredible! Free MAN is a quintessential record that every serious collector or fan needs to have in his/her collection.

Originally released in 1976 on Anodisc Records Nigeria, Tidal Waves Music now proudly presents the first official reissue of this seminal Afrobeat/Afrofunk album. This is also the first time the album is being released outside of the African continent. This unique record comes as a deluxe 180g vinyl edition with obi strip and featuring the original artwork. This reissue also comes with an insert featuring pictures of the band and extensive liner notes from band-member Arthur Freds. Limited to 100 copies 180g Violet Color Vinyl Exclusively FOR HHV

With the release of Piero Umiliani’s ‘Discomania (Jolly Mare Lifting)’ Four Flies launched Reloved, a vinyl series where contemporary DJs and producers rework tunes from Italian golden age soundtracks and library music.

The aim of the series is to spark a conversation between past, present and future, joining the dots between Italy’s great film and library-music tradition and a global scene of forward-thinking producers - the names confirmed so far include Dengue Dengue Dengue, Free The Robots, Jolly Mare, Koralle (feat. Illa J), Fratelli Malibu, Mounika, Oké aka Deda, Luke Beats, Ollie Teeba of The Herbaliser and Deca. First in line is the 7” ‘Autumn 2001 / Autumn 2021’, with an original track from Italian jazz pianist and electronic music pioneer Gianni Safred and a rework from musician, DJ and beat maker Free The Robots.

‘Autumn 2001’ comes from the 1978 Italian library LP Futuribile (The Life To Come), a retro-futuristic masterpiece by Gianni Safred, one of the great pioneers of Italian electronic music.

Chris Alfaro, aka Free the Robots, is a musician, beat maker and DJ known for his ability to jump in and out of different sonic worlds, creating a unique signature sound blending electronic, hip hop, jazz and psychedelia.

Promo copy with b/w labels! Cover has a small cut out and a small bent corner!

Promo copy with golden stamp on the back cover and sticker on the front

An up-and-coming R&B singer from Kyoto, FLEUR's first full-length album "forever Forever" is now available on analog LP! In addition to the singles that have been released consistently, such as "Thinking About You (feat.Shin Sakiura)" and "Mornin Dew (feat.VivaOla & Rikuto Nagira)", the album also includes "Pool (feat. NF Zessho & Fkd)", which was released ahead of the album, and "Forever Forever", the title track of the album, produced by A.G.O, who has produced songs for Sirup and Furui Riho, etc. The album contains a total of 11 tracks!!

Surrender Is The Debut Full Length From DJ, Producer, And Songwriter Endgame. Stepping Out For The First Time As A Vocalist, And Lyricist, Surrender Is His Most Ambitious And Vulnerable Work To Date; A Striking Statement Of Intent, With Moments Of Beauty And Brutality. Endgame Has Carved An Iconoclastic Niche In Club Culture. Breaking Into The Scene As Co-Founder Of The Legendary Collective Bala Club, And Resident Of The Radical Club-Night Endless. Whilst Continuing Almost A Decade Hosting His Infamous Nts Radio Show (And Now Label) Precious Metals, He Has Forged A Path Against The Tide Of Formulaic Club Music. A Visionary DJ And Producer, Surrender Sees Endgame Continue This Trajectory, With A Project That Both Amplifies The Ferocious Club Constructions He's Known For, Whilst Making Space To Open Up Wounded Memories And With Sombre Unfeigned Requiems. Having Previously Released Records On Hyperdub, Ptp, Golden Mist And Infinite Machine, Endgame's First Release On His Own Precious Metals Imprint, Is Him At His Most Reflective. Surrender Is A Deeply Personal Record, About Loss And Finding Meaning In Despair. Death Is A Prevailing Theme, With The Passing Of His Father A Totemic Subject. The Recollection Of His Father's Torturous Final Moments Leaves Him To Mournfully Contemplate Temporality. Using This Sense Of Anguish, He Blurs Reality-Creating A World Where Angels And Demons Are Among Us In A Decaying Cityscape; Akin To The Work Of Todd Mcfarlane. The Opener Faithless, Propels Us Into This World, With The Slow Build Of Industrial Precision Amidst The Sombre Build Of Harsh Melodic Synths. We Descend Deeper Into This Vision With Barbed Heart, Featuring A Defining Vocal From Scene Staple And Long Time Collaborator Yayoyanoh, As 808's And Skittering Hi Hats Ricochet Off One Another Beneath His Bass Driven Vocal. No Heroes Continues Our Journey Into The Unknown With A Chaotic Rush Of Acidic Riffs, Pounding Percussion, And A Reference To The Brutalist Anthem From Hardcore Punk Band Converge (Where The Track...

US original. Terre Haute Pressing.
Cover with corner-cut.

Dylan Chambers is a talented soul singer from Arlington, Texas, with a vintage style, who moved to LA at the age of 18 to start his music career, where he updated 60s~70s soul music with a modern formula and a unique pop style. Her name gradually became known as a vocalist.

After a self-imposed retirement, Martin Dosh returns with an expansive, dense and meticulous meditation on the now, rooted in the past, the first release on the new Max/min imprint. Six songs, equally influenced by Ornette Coleman, Brian Eno and the RZA, and featuring Jeff Parker and DAN Bitney (tortoise), Andrew Bird, Tobacco, Mike Lewis (bon Iver, Happy Apple) and THE Nunnery. Tommorow 1972 is a community response to the isolation of the pandemic rendered through the unique and strange prism of Dosh's production style.

Vinyl has scuffs and scratches and plays with crackles and background sounds.
Cover has slight storage wear and a few small tears on the front.

Legendary songwriter, producer and remixer Dee Majek (aka KEJAM) in collaboration with IZIPHO SOUL are proud to present a magical collection of songs!
Packaged in two volumes entitled ‘Creating Majek’. The first offering is a double 45 pack containing the cream of Kejam’s earlier work, whilst ‘Creating Majek 2’ brings us bang up to date with two 2019 U.K Soul Chart hits.

Sleeve with lamination creases and large writing on the front cover.

The Uproar in Bursts of Sound and Silence is a sort of emergent collage that came together over four years of composition, improvisation and production. The foundations for this album were initially recorded in 2018 by producer/engineer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney, Skinyard) at Soundhouse in Seattle, WA with myself (Evan Strauss, electric bass and upright bass), 5-Track (Guitar) and Sheridan Riley (Drums). The initial foundations of this music consisted of my long-form graphically notated conceptual compositions based on the calls of the Veery songbird (Catharus fuscescens), the astrological transits at the precise time of the recording session and some thematic elements from Ursula K. Le Guin’s novel The Dispossessed. In 2019 the album was given the working title Bird Songs for the Stars and I commissioned the cover art, Night Fisher, from Jeane Cohen. Also around this time, Daniel Carter had emphatically told me, “I’m going to become a rapper by the time I turn 90.” So, a few weeks later Daniel and I were hanging out, recording music and eating stir fry in my Ditmas Park apartment and I convinced him to make some progress on his goals by recording his voice into a microphone. Daniel began by recording an excerpt from Virginia Woolf’s The Waves and continued by recording some of his own poetry. The recordings of Daniel from that afternoon would eventually make their way onto this album alongside my own experimentations in production inspired by Lee Scratch Perry, J Dilla and Ingram Marshall. I have since come to believe that this music was waiting for Daniel’s voice and music. Over the next couple of years I experimented with production techniques, renamed the album The Uproar in Bursts of Sound and Silence after an excerpt from The Waves (“wind blows the uproar in bursts of sound and silence across the court / now again they are smashing the china / that is the convention”), moved to the pacific northwest, corresponded with the estate of Virginia Woolf, mastered the entire project onto a cassette tape and convinced 577 records to release it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have! -Evan Strauss, February 2022

When Cicadas appear in the area they cause a huge uproar. It’s hard to escape the distinctive noise these critters make, reaching up to 120 decibels. The hypnotic, trance-inducing sound disappears with the insects. A few months after Cykada's explosive debut, the world was hit by turbulence and from Cykada there was silence - fortunately only seemingly, because the next cycle began underground, in the privacy of the studio. It was there that the cicadas matured, waiting for a metamorphosis.

The year 2019 was very successful for Cykada, with a brilliantly received debut album, concerts at numerous festivals in the UK and Europe such as Glastonbury, Wilderness, London Jazz Festival, BAM Festival, La Defense Jazz Festival or Love Supreme Festival, along with constantly composing and preparing material for the second album. As the musicians entered the studio, the coronavirus pandemic was already in full swing across the globe. It was clear then that the world would never be the same. With increasing restrictions Cykada went underground, waiting for changes to surface again. Unfortunately the expected change that was happening seemed only for the worse - Brexit and its socio-economic consequences, worldwide disinformation, accelerating climate catastrophe and Russian invasion of Ukraine. The collapse of the old world order is the perfect moment for metamorphosis and with this message Cykada steps out again into broad daylight, matured and carrying a message with their long-awaited second album “Metamorphosis”.

The meaning behind the title is multifaceted. It refers both to changes taking place in our society and changes to our world as nature defends itself from human stupidity and greed. It is also a reference to the personal and musical development of the band members in that difficult period. It all became a foundation to bravely attempt to make new beginnings.

The metamorphosis is also clear in the musical aspect of Cykada. Their debut album was already difficult to shoehorn into specific genres with their sound that balanced jazz, electronics and elements of global music styles. With the second album their eclectic style has evolved into something distinct and innovative, combining folk/jazz song form and improvisation with heavier sounds inspired by sound system culture and rock. The band grew into a septet thanks to multi-instrumentalist Rob Milne, expanding the horn section to 3 instruments and galvanising its sound. But the biggest change that happened compared to the first album is the singing of Cykada leader Jamie Benzies in singles “So Divided” and “The Crack in the Bricks”. Both songs carry an important message, showing us that the changes in the world are already happening and that only we can make it head in the right direction. This unique sonic mix along with the message unleashes a powerful energy that the musicians want to send to and infect every listener.

Six Nine Records Ltd. UK proudly presents Confection’s first release on the label with the amazing track “Delectable U”. The track is taken from the Australian duo’s CD only album “Private Conversations”, which was released in 2012. This is a real masterpiece by Joshua Beagley and Juanita Tippins and a vinyl release was long overdue in our humble opinion. As a really nice bonus, exclusively for this release, Yuki "TGroove" Takahashi has worked his magic and gives us a remix on the flip which definitely takes the track to another level. Enjoy! Definitely not to be missed as it is a limited UK press with full colour printed picture cover!

Limited to 2500 copies.

25th anniversary reissue of Commander Venus’ second album, featuring Conor Oberst and Tim Kasher. First vinyl reissue and featuring bonus track “Congratulations!” Pressed on translucent vinyl.

Soundway presents Circus Underwater’s 1984 self-titled masterpiece. Remastered and extended to a double LP, this deluxe version includes six unreleased tracks unearthed from the original ¼” tapes, and presented with an insert, including never-before-seen photos and the fascinating story behind the music. Featuring artwork from Grateful Dead collaborator, David Lundquist, the album encapsulates a unique moment in time. Echoing the story of a generation that grew up in the 50s and 60s where music was everything, two friends embark on a journey of experimentation which begins in the beatnik suburbs of Washington DC and travels to the heart of hippie San Francisco. The result is an opus that fearlessly blurs the boundaries of genres and embraces diverse influences. Elements of prog, rock, ambient and wave music culminate in an odyssey that seamlessly bridges the gap between the spaced-out creativity of the 70s and electronic music of today.

Copy closer to VG+

Swiss-born pianist Camille-Alban Spreng, who has resided in Brussels for over a decade, has been active since 2010 in a diverse range of bands and projects within jazz, improvised (electronic) music, art performance and theater. He can be seen on stages all over Europe and trained at various conservatories with renowned players such as Emil Spanyi (hemu, Lausanne), Eric Legnini and Kris Defoort (crb, KCB, Brussels). Together with his regular band Odil, he has already released two records: 'Something' (qftf Records - 2016) and 'reson' (qftq Records - 2019), with the collaboration of Leïla Martial, and Valentin Ceccaldi on the latter album. Odil operates from Brussels but, with in its ranks a pivotal figure with Swiss roots, a French drummer and an Irish saxophonist, is a band with international allure. Nina Kortekaas' unique voice is also an absolute asset.

His third album, titled "Unheimlich," will be released on W.E.R.F. records, one of Belgium's finest jazz not jazz labels. The new album sprung from Camille-Alban's fondness for Allen Ginsberg and the beatnik movement. Poems by Ginsberg are provided with music, notably "Pull My Daisy" (co-written by Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady at the time) and "White Shroud," with the approval of the rights holders/heirs.

The lyrics that Camille-Alban himself wrote for the album exude the same beatnik vibe. In that sense, the new work is also an homage to Allen Ginsberg. "I love his way of writing: it's funny, twisted, quirky ánd spiritual," Camille-Alban said. "I couldn't think of a better title for the new album. 'Unheimlich' doesn't translate. The black cat in the lobby of a creepy hotel in 'The Matrix,' I think of that image, that atmosphere." Odil's music has a narrative character and in terms of form, the compositions are not ordinary. Impro plays a role and the music is unmistakably characterized by a contemporary jazz aesthetic but at their core the compositions are also songs, a unique feature. 'Unheimlich' is a jazz album that can be listened to just as well as a pop rock album.

The concept behind ‘Cowboys & Africans’ is that all humans originate from Africa (at one point in history) so as laymen, we are all ‘Africans’. The ‘Cowboys’ reference is to the people in positions of power, who take advantage of the everyday person (or those they have power over). The songs challenge how we see ourselves in today’s society. The message is quite simple – be proud of who you are, your friends, family and fellow humans. Stand up for what you believe in and have the con dence not to be bullied by peer pressure or general opinion

Limited edition of 200 copies on golden vinyl.

Reissued for the first time in over 40 years, Show the World is an unrated and relatively unknown soul / reggae album from the Caribbean. Having recently been sampled by Benny The Butcher, collectors and producers are starting to pay attention to what has been an overlooked gem until now. With the album ranging from sweet soul that sounds like it could have been released on Motown in its prime, to funky numbers that could be played in clubs, to reggae that could stand alongside some of the Studio 1 releases, this is sure to please many. No filler.

Bobby's 2019 tour ended in New York City and he had two days off before flying home to Finland. Leon invited him to the Diamond Mine to record some music. Bobby had been talking about wanting to stretch out lyrically and write about more esoteric subject matter, Leon was game. They recorded "Reasons" in one session which put the chemistry between the two on the world stage and sparked the idea of doing a full length album together. More than halfway through the recording process, they have decided to treat us to another two-sider of the new material. On the A side, "Whatcha Know" Bobby explores death and the human experience, putting his philosophical ponderings into his music. Michels' production and overall ethos is the perfect compliment to Bobby's desire to stretch out his sound. EMA provides a gorgeous backing track that compliments Bobby's style and simultaneously broadens its scope. The B side "Losing It" is a dramatic and moving number that Bobby sings in Spanish and English. A gorgeous guitar riff is countered with eerie sound effects that crescendo when the drums come in. Bobby professes he's "Losing It" over a love too strong and El Michels Affair's production turns the whole affair into a saga that thunders through speakers.

Vinyl with a couple of light scuffs. Cover with cut corner.

Ship to Shore is proud to announce the release of Symphony by Blue Peppers, on vinyl for the first time!

Originally released in Japan in 2021 as CD only, and not distributed outside of its home country, Symphony is a love-letter to soft rock, using City Pop and Shibuya as a strong foundation and then building from there a solid, immersive experience of rock, soul and pop that will carry you away to lands undreamed of. Imagine Piper fused with Toto in Tokyo on the doorway to Keio University!

The album, mastered masterfully by Richard Dodd (mastering engineer for such artists as The Black Keys, Iron & Wine, Neil Young and Sturgill Simpson), was never pressed onto wax when originally released… until now! Available on “Marine City” blue vinyl, fans of unique Japanese City Pop / Rock Fusion will not want to miss out on this!

Working on their project Talking Book, Bill Gould and Jared Blum have always preoccupied themselves with textures of sounds rather than just melodies. Uniting exploratory sound-work, dramatism and their innate curiosity, the members of Talking Book have approached every release of theirs with this intention. Sonically different from Bill’s most-widely known project, Faith No More, Gould’s work composing the soundtrack for ‘The Eclipse’ brought him to the whole different mental space. “I had known Nataša Urban for over a decade already, and was already familiar with her previous work.” – explains Bill Gould: “During this time, I had also sent her our two Talking Book releases, which paired well with her visual aesthetic. On top of that, Faith No More was a big soundtrack to her teen years, and as the film is quite personal about her coming to terms growing up in Serbia, it seemed to make sense for us to collaborate together on this film”. The duo's artistic journey requires a profound exploration of sound textures, a departure from the familiar tunes of Bill's renowned venture. 'The Eclipse' is a poignant cinematic ode to the scars of Yugoslavia's tumultuous history. The process of synchronizing their music with the film's essence became an exercise in shedding conventional creative approaches, embracing instead the art of building new sonic pathways. “The film itself was made on several film stocks including handmade ones so for us employing timbres that are both grand and decaying at the same time accompanied the visuals very well.” – explains Jared Blum. While fragmentary nature of the shooting helped represent the presence of different people in the picture, it was also learning experience for the duo in terms of of contiguity. “So much of it is about letting go of familiar methods of working; rather than finding a way to express an idea I already have.” – says Bill Gould describing the process: “It is about having the patience to go into something without a specific idea and just employ a process of discovery.” Gould continues: “Our music always has a certain amount of drama of some sort, so we didn't literally have to write according to the story line. But it meant that we had to look at was happening in the flim intuitively, and make creative decisions based on that. We could have totally missed the mark, but as it turns out, it really resonated with Nataša.” Bill and Jared's creative synergy is manifested in their ability to conjure a cascade of imagery passing through a rich spectrum of emotions, in tune with nuances of Yugoslavia's fractured history. From the delicate subtlety of background whispers to the vast expanses of sonic palettes, the duo has orchestrated a symphony that transcends the boundaries of conventional melodies as natural and emotive as a total eclipse.

For months now, Time Is The Enemy has been on the trail of enigmatic artist Barton Think. Apparently he has been around the music business for decades, but oddly enough, he has left only a few traces of his presence. Like a skilled alchemist, Barton Think combines soulful beats and jazzy downtempo into a unique sound that takes those genres into bold new territories.

The Badge Époque Ensemble return to Telephone Explosion Records with a new LP, Clouds of Joy. Featuring three vocal-led compositions, three instrumentals and three choral arrangements, this new album presents the Ensemble’s most ambitious, mature and engaging material to date. Clouds represents a shift from the group’s previous sonic excursions into the worlds of vintage soundtrack grooves and early electric jazz towards a more era-ambiguous, complex and all-encompassing approach to arrangement & production.

Undergoing a major shift of consciousness upon learning that he was expecting twins, BÉE leader Maximilian ‘Twig’ Turnbull found the spark to initiate the album within his reflections upon the nature of human joy. This shift in mindset also helped shape the record from an operational standpoint: Turnbull stepped away from his fixture on keys, leaving all of the musical performance on this record to his cast of collaborators. With Max assuming a more “directorial” approach to production and arrangement à la Barry White, David Axelrod, or Fagen & Becker, this album finds the Badge Époque Ensemble in its most collaborative mode to date. Vocalists Dorothea Paas, James Bailey and guitarist Chris Bezant all have co-writing credits here with Bezant contributing significantly to three compositions, including the album’s title track. The album was mixed collaboratively as well, as another joint effort between Turnbull, Steve Chahley and Tony Price, a trio who have teamed up behind the mixing desk for all previous BÉE albums, as well as U.S. Girls’ Heavy Light LP.

For the most part, the Ensemble on this record is made up of names familiar to anyone following the Badge cosmology: drummer Jay Anderson, bassist Gio Rosati, flautist Alia O’Brien, saxophonist Karen Ng, percussionist Ed Squires and guitarist Chris Bezant, with the new addition of young jazz pianist Edwin De Goeij, a perfect surrogate for Turnbull’s ideas on keys. (This in-demand collection of musicians represent a scattering of key cogs from a clutch of other premium Canadian exports; The Weather Station, Andy Shauf, U.S. Girls & Marker Starling). Clouds’ emphasis on the sound of the human voice finds its perfect outlet in vocal arrangements by labelmate Dorothea Paas and a return from lead vocalist James Baley. Their contributions find compliment by a choir composed of session vocalists, (including singers from Bernice and Bonjay) who come together to provide a series of show-stopping harmonic acrobatics.

Familiar Badge motifs are present through this album’s nine tracks: extended sections of dusty drum & conga breaks, swirling saxophone and flute flourishes, fleet-fingered guitar excursions, hazy Rhodes chords and lashing Clavinet stabs, but where Clouds excels is in its ability to weave tremendous vocal performances and choral arrangements into its dense tapestry of sound. The lilting melodies and multidimensional harmonies on tracks “Conspiring With Nature” and “All Same 2 Each, Each Same 2 All” bear the hallmarks of late sixties baroque AM-radio pop, while James Baley’s ecstatic, Stevie-esque lead vocal performance on “Zodiac” could light up the midnight sky, turning a nearly eight minute jazz-funk instrumental odyssey into a sure-shot dancefloor hit. Lyrically, Turnbull’s interest in an aphoristic spiritual mysticism condenses reflections on the complexity of human emotion into bold, succinct phrases, a quality most clearly communicated on the album’s three choral pieces, “The Greatest Joy”, “Let Breath Be The Sum”, and “Joy Flows” (upon first hearing these works Turnbull’s partner Meg Remy remarked that they sounded like “radio hits on the planet Dune”).

Clouds of Joy comes serendipitously as catalog number Ter0100 - the hundredth release for Telephone Explosion, the rapidly burgeoning Toronto label. It is the group’s third proper full length of five total releases for the imprint in only 4 years. It represents the Ensemble’s most fully realized presentation of a founding vision to create music as human, organic and alive as it is synthesized, produced and designed; music that transcends the notion of linear time, pulling in influences and ideas from the past and taking them far into the future.

Cover has a cut-out.

Cover with cut corner, close to VG+

140g cardinal red vinyl (exclusive)

- Gatefold sleeve
- Printed inner sleeve
- Black printed jute bag
- Arlo Park's friendship bracelet
- A2 poster
- A5 print (exclusively signed)