Tru Thoughts HHV Records 29 Items
“Almas Conectadas refers to the interrelation of cosmic energies, the aura and the way they manifest from the abstract; we are more than body and flesh and there are countless elements that connect us as beings that interact in the universe, physical contact does not always exist to be connected.”
‘Almas Conectadas’ explores the nostalgia of impossible love, celebrates eternal bachelors, mourns souls lost at sea, and tells stories of dwellers from Timbiquí (whose location and cultural contrasts provides endless inspiration). Protecting the essence of the region’s rich songbook and treating the cultural traditions of the Pacific coast with the utmost reverence, ‘Almas Conectadas’ is the perfect marriage of musical diversity, collective creation and intercultural dialogue. Nidia Gongora’s magnetic voice and captivating songwriting is matched to the unparalleled musicianship and pioneering production of Quantic, across eleven flawless tracks.
Rife with emotional openness, A side “Crazy That You Love” explores the volatility of romantic relationships. The starkness of the opening chimes vibrate through the strings and low oboes that replace them, shuddering with the rawness of the track. “For me, it's a story about falling for someone who is important to you. It’s crazy that you can just move into that direction.” Vocalist Danielle Kranendonk adds, “it’s about having the strength as a woman in knowing what you want”.
Sitting on the AA side, album opener “The Letter” again looks at the complexities of relationships and emotions and the importance of honesty in both. With a sparce, funky intro, the track’s layers develop and shift up and down, bringing you back around again, as though the listener is caught in the most fraught and personal conversation between a couple. “The power in the song and the strength in the vocals are me wanting to be a powerful woman. Telling it as it is.”, Kranendonk explains.
Balancing irreverent musical and technical improvisation with an uncompromising instinct for vibe and prodigious musicianship, the Ebi ascent has been swift. Their eponymous debut EP, follow-up aptly titled “Bedroom Tapes” and debut LP ‘Ugh’ were originally released on Sola Terra, and won international plaudits, major radio plays and performances at Gilles Peterson’s We Out Here, London’s Jazz Re:Freshed, EFG London Jazz Festival and Latitude. Tru Thoughts were excited to pick up Ebi’s back catalogue, repressing their first two EPs – that had long been out of circulation and garnering high prices on Discogs – on limited edition vinyl.
Despite their steep rise – the Brighton outfit have preserved as much as possible of their unique recording process, originating from their very first sessions. With just a two-track recorder around, the band would lay down whole takes, one instrument at a time, then immediately transform the overdub, digitally reshaping the sound with the same mischievous, adderall energy as the musical performance. This call-and-response between performance and production spurs an instinctive development – with musicality, player and producer egging one another on through naturally developing phases and textures.
‘Honk If You’re Sad’, their sophomore full-length album, stays true to these foundations, while bringing more ambitious experimentation, technical mastery and a stellar lineup of guest players to the studio including Yazz Ahmed, Deji Ijishakin and Dan Gray.
In typical Ebi style, while recalling jazz pioneers in playing style, ‘Honk If You’re Sad’ draws from a vast neural network of influences: the Ebi Brain has been marinating in a digital soup of trap, drill, dub, post-punk and no wave to name but a few. The result is a mercurial record that beams in psychedelia, dissonance, serene ambient passages, tough, neck-snapping beats and lush textures, all underscored by the intersection of jazz, hip hop and electronic music.
Across opening heaters, “Tang of the Zest” and “My Man from College”, Will Heaton’s trombone growls in and out of focus over a tight uptempo breakbeat. Deji Ijishakin’s tenor sax solo shrieks and shudders between lush layers of sound. Driving basslines, liquid keys, murmuring dissonant brass, delay and hazy reverb tumble into progressive cycles of frenetic climax and oceanic calm.
These patterns recur over the record. “Giraffe Bread” and “Listen, King” opens with a tight funk on the bass; short crisp phrases from drummer Sam Schlich-Davies dissipate in cascading dub echoes and the track opens into an instrumental, psychedelic jam, with rippling synth pads and trombone murmurs peeking out from a deep, reverberating soundscape. Ijishakin’s hyperactive sax solo on “Gated Community with a Public Pool” sits on a glitched-out rhythm section: a rocking, window-shaking bassline and sparse stuttering drums.
From influences as diverse as Kokoroko, Can, Lounge Lizards, BadBadNotGood, Ronin Arkestra, and The Fall, ‘Honk if You’re Sad’ focuses a cohesive whole; an explorative, playful and technically brilliant record that coaxes the listener through immersive phases of fun, chaos and harmony.
Alongside the LP’s extensive list of featured artists, the release sees Moonchild experimenting with new synths and sounds. While still rooted in their trademark tones, these textures and sound palettes elevate ‘Starfruit’ to new and impressive Moonchild musical territory. “Max has this arpeggiator synth patch that makes me so happy every time I hear it, Amber incorporated this super cool octave pedal patch on her vocals and I made a keyboard patch I’m obsessed with,” Andris remarks.
“The magnificent Moonchild” – Gilles Peterson |“Love” – Jill Scott | “Delicious” – Laura Mvula | “I love the way their records sound” – Jamie Cullum | “They make really silky warm music… Perfect” – Clara Amfo (bbc Radio 1) | “I’m obsessed with them” – Sian Eleri (bbc Radio 1) | “Moonchild continues to hypnotize” – THE Fader | “Isn't this the most gorgeous piece of music you've heard?” – Phil Taggart (bbc Radio 1) | “This is stunning” – Jamz Supernova (bbc 1xtra) | “Big fan of Moonchild” – Anthony Valadez (kcrw) | “Voyager” – NPR’s 5 R&B Albums You Slept On (2017) | “This heavenly… more than worth the wait.” – Saint Herononchild…
Following on from “Pidgin Synths EP”, a releases that entangled a homage to afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti with synth-heavy original material, sUb_modU has amassed an impressive list of tastemaker support through his unique reinterpations, from the likes of Gilles Peterson (bbc 6Music), Ross Allen (nts) and Virgil Abloh (Off White). Alongside the release of his debut album is a special edition, double A side single, 7” featuring an exclusive 45 Centre Edit of the iconic “Expensive Shit” paired with a sUb_modu original “ram Generation”.
‘To Dust’ marks an important step in the remarkable career of this down-to-earth, diminutive Brit universally acknowledged as one of the best soul voices of our time. Whether performing on a huge stage with a 16 piece band, charming 4000 revelers into staying out dancing in the rain (as at Montreal Jazz Festival) or rocking an intimate club, Alice’s raw talent and charisma command attention and affection. Unfazed by taking the spotlight after Amy Winehouse, singing with The Roots in Philly, or joining Roy Ayers for “Everybody Loves The Sunshine”, it is no wonder she has attracted worldwide media support, and fans as diverse as Gilles Peterson, Jamie Cullum, Dennis Coffey, Massive Attack’s Daddy G and Groove Armada.
Alongside a selection of beautifully recorded as-live sessions of album tracks from the songwriter and vocalist, performed with a full band at London’s legendary Fish Factory Studios. “The sessions were meant to feel live, like a performance.” Bryony explains, “All the musicians have put their ideas into the songs, transporting them to somewhere beyond the album versions and allowing them to take on a new life”.
Released last summer, the much-anticipated ‘Cage and Aviary’ was written over the course of three years and created with long-time friend, collaborator and Tru Thoughts label-mate Tom Leah AKA Werkha. Tying together personal reflection to wider social issues, the album gives an intimate insight into what it means to come of age in today’s world. Sophisticated song writing layered with jazz, soul and elements of folk charmed many major tastemakers including Gilles Peterson, Jamie Cullum, Lauren Laverne, Tony Minvielle, Toshio Matsuura, Laurent Garnier, Clash, The Telegraph, Bandcamp and Earmilk
The battle to overcome this heaviness, felt as a result of political and social issues and through Lalin’s own experiences with combating depression, fuels ‘CYAN’. “I was at the edge of myself,” she confesses. “This album is about pulling back the layers of who I am in order to push through sadness and grab onto what’s underneath”. From the opening lines of the LP on “Take It All Away”, these ideas are displayed - “I think it’s been too long that I’ve been your puppet / Cut these strings, I don’t want any of it”, she sings. Led by exposed yet bold musical endeavours from bassist/producer Akiyoshi Ehara, the album sees The Seshen delve into uncharted eclectic realms; “I think that there’s a lot more rawness on this record” Aki muses.
Anchored by Lalin’s sly, silvery vocals (which draw frequent comparisons to Erykah Badu) and cerebral yet playful rhythms from producer- bassist Aki, The Seshen’s music pulls from a deep well of electronic influences, R&B, and indie rock. Drummer Chris Thalmann, keyboard/synth player Mahesh Rao, percussionist Mirza Kopelman and sequencer Kumar Butler make the music three-dimensional, blending live and digital instrumentation for a mercurial, transportive sound. Since 2012, the Seshen’s live show has earned them critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase on multiple continents, as they’ve shared stages with the likes of Hiatus Kaiyote, Petite Noir, tUnE-yArDs, and Thundercat.
The battle to overcome this heaviness, felt as a result of political and social issues and through Lalin’s own experiences with combating depression, fuels ‘CYAN’. “I was at the edge of myself,” she confesses. “This album is about pulling back the layers of who I am in order to push through sadness and grab onto what’s underneath”. From the opening lines of the LP on “Take It All Away”, these ideas are displayed - “I think it’s been too long that I’ve been your puppet / Cut these strings, I don’t want any of it”, she sings. Led by exposed yet bold musical endeavours from bassist/producer Akiyoshi Ehara, the album sees The Seshen delve into uncharted eclectic realms; “I think that there’s a lot more rawness on this record” Aki muses.
Anchored by Lalin’s sly, silvery vocals (which draw frequent comparisons to Erykah Badu) and cerebral yet playful rhythms from producer- bassist Aki, The Seshen’s music pulls from a deep well of electronic influences, R&B, and indie rock. Drummer Chris Thalmann, keyboard/synth player Mahesh Rao, percussionist Mirza Kopelman and sequencer Kumar Butler make the music three-dimensional, blending live and digital instrumentation for a mercurial, transportive sound. Since 2012, the Seshen’s live show has earned them critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase on multiple continents, as they’ve shared stages with the likes of Hiatus Kaiyote, Petite Noir, tUnE-yArDs, and Thundercat.
godfather of British hip-hop, Rodney P aka The Riddim Killa, with his first
solo release in over a decade. Out on Tru Thoughts, the white promo 7”
represents the Rodney P of today. The two killer tracks embody and personify
the evolving music and culture of his heritage while paying homage
to his contribution to the UK hip-hop canon.
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Tru Thoughts HHV Records
“I genuinely don’t want Tru Thoughts to be an elitist record label” – Rob Luis (A’n’R and co-founder Tru Thoughts Records) Tru Thoughts is run by Robert Luis and Paul Jonas. The Brighton based label has been around since 1999 (although it was run from under Rob’s stairs!) and attempts to release as much quality new music as they can. In 2005 Tru Thoughts was named Label of The Year at Gilles Peterson’s renowned Worldwide Awards. After 11 years of releasing classic material by the likes of Quantic (and his various projects/monikers), Alice Russell, Nostalgia 77, Belleruche, The Bamboos, The Hot 8 Brass Band, Zed Bias aka Maddslinky and many more, Tru Thoughts are still all about originality, soul, creativity, trying to push music forward… and good hooks! In 2011, watch out for fresh new releases by e.g. Lanu, Nostalgia 77, Wildcookie (Freddie Cruger & Anthony Mills), Benji Boko and Zed Bias.