John McLaughlin
My Goals Beyond

Wewantsounds poursuit son programme de réédition des albums d’Akiko Yano avec la sortie de Iroha Ni Konpeitou (いろはにこんぺいとう), l’un des albums les plus funky de Yano, mettant en avant ses talents de chanteuse et de compositrice. C’est peut-être le disque le plus connu d’Akiko Yano en dehors du Japon, pas seulement à cause de sa pochette insolite – une photo prise par le célèbre photographe Bishin Jumonji mettant en scène Akiko tenant un dauphin gonflable, mais parce que l’album est l’un des plus funky d’Akiko. Mélange fluide de pop japonaise et de funk new-yorkaise, l’album a été enregistré à Tokyo, à l’exception du titre « Iroha Ni Konpeitou », enregistré à New York avec un groupe composé de la fine fleur des studios New Yorkais : Rick Marotta, David Spinozza, Will Lee et Nicky Marrero. Pour le reste de l’album, Akiko est accompagné des meilleurs musiciens de la scène de Tokyo gravitant autour des groupes Happy End et Tin Pan Alley : le légendaire Haruomi Hosono à la basse, Tatsuo Hayashi à la batterie, Shigeru Suzuki à la guitare, pour n’en citer que quelque uns. Il est intéressant de noter que deux compositions de Hosono figurent sur l’album, « Ai Ai Gasa » qu’il a enregistré sur son album emblématique Hosono House en 73, ainsi que « Hourou » à l’origine enregistré par le chanteur Chu Kosaka en 75. L’album comprend aussi un autre musicien clé, Hideki Matsutake qui programme les claviers dont joue Akiko : Moog IIIc, Mini Moog, String Ensemble, en plus du Fender Rhodes, Clavinet et Yamaha CP7C. Matsutake qui deviendra bientôt le programmeur en chef du groupe YMO. Bien que l’album soit très accessible et funky, des éléments électro plus complexes se cachent sous cette apparente accessibilité, comme sur la première brève introduction « KAWAJI », sorte de fantaisie électro futuriste ou comme sur « Ai Ai Gasa » ou « Kinou Wa Mou » sur lesquels Akiko joue elle-même la ligne de basse au Moog, des détails qui en font un album riche et captivant. Les titres de l’album mettent en valeur les superbes compositions d’Akiko Yano et son don pour ciseler des mélodies parfaites. Iroha Ni Konpeitou ravira tous les fans de musique japonaise, de funk et de pop sophistiquée, prouvant encore une fois qu’elle est l’une des artistes les plus importantes de la musique japonaises.

Touching Bass continue to prise open a distinct, exciting lane for themselves as a label home for forward-thinking, soulful music with the progressive second album (and third project) from Danish/Tanzanian trio, Athletic Progression — Jonas Cook (keys), Jonathan J. Ludvigsen (drums) and Justo Gambula (bass).'cloud high in dreams, but heavy in the air' sees the Aarhus-based band dive deeper into their intricately fused world of experimental, groove-based music. Recorded over the course of one week in Copenhagen in 2019, bringing together songs that had been marinating and evolving during their live shows, they finally felt ready to eternalise them in the studio. The rest of the album was written in in the studio, turning iphone memos of ideas from soundchecks into songs and improvising. The album serves as a time machine snapshotting processes and different times of Jonas, Justo and Jonathan's lives both personally and as a group, a current expression of past experiences.The album is mixed by Eric Lau (KOKOROKO, Yussef Dayes, Mansur Brown) and celebrates freedom and spontaneity at its core, beautifully capturing those playful moments where jams become songs. The title (which comes from Brother Portrait’s verse on “Extended Technique”) echoes that playfulness, while also contemplating on the realities of life and its important decisions.Sonic touchpoints include the space-leaning electronics of Brainfeeder’s Flying Lotus and Thundercat, the glowing dexterity of JD Beck & Domi and BadBadNotGood and jazz-fusion’s boundless nature, with rapper/poet Brother Portrait supplying the feels of London.Like all of our favourites they’re a band best experienced live, blessed with an uncanny ability to make three instruments sound fuller than most. As a result, they’re already familiar faces on Danish national television, have sold out multiple shows both at home and in Europe (supporting Moses Boyd and Alfa Mist) as well as receiving two Danish Music Awards and one Critic Award for ‘Best Musician’ between them.Outside of their own music, they’ve also played alongside talented contemporaries including Kaidi Tatham, Charlie Stacey, Erika de Casier and Taylor McFerrin in New York.With this album, a 20+ date European tour and a number of other exciting projects ahead of them, Athletic Progression are on the cusp of growing beyond their native Denmark and onto the global stage.

Early Future Records is proud to present the official reissue of the iconic 1979 spiritual jazz classic Visions Of The Third Eye, newly remastered for limited vinyl release and digital download.- Including a 20 page zine featuring an in-depth testimonial and interview with Brandon Ross, and an essay by Andy Votel, as well as archival photos, scores and reviews.12" Vinyl + Download card

Rewind to 1975, Brazilian supergroup Azymuth hit their richest creative vein with this self-titled full-length. Just as the band remain so themselves, this is still hugely relevant and ridiculously on-point considering it's 40 years on the clock. Proof can be found on every track from the sedative harmonic charms of the opener "Linha Do Horizonte", the raw slap bass funk, velvet keys and soaring synths on "Seems Like This" and the frenetic, almost techy mentality of "Wait For My Turn". An essential addition to any collection, this would have blown minds to pieces back in 1975.

Real Gone is doing a fine job of reissuing some of the most important jazz to have ever been recorded. It was all on the Black Jazz label and the man involved in much of it was Doug Carn. His Revelation album is one of the most iconic of them all, but Infant Eyes reaches similar heights with its spiritual sounds, dense arrangements and the impressively acrobatic and elastic vocal work of his wife Jean Carn. Her soulful sounds range from lung busting to carefully controlled, almost spoken, while plaintive pianos, smoky sax and tumbling drums all provide the fitting framework for this most comprehensive of jazz albums.