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The Slow Music Movement Blog

​Mostly we put our daily recommendations here for the blog readers among you, although occasionally we go longform.
Reading about music is a bit like looking at pictures of food - not nearly half as much fun as getting involved, so we scribble a brief intro to hopefully whet your appetite but you're better off just hitting play. Not very "slow" I know but there's a lot of music to check these days & hopefully you'll find the recommendations a handy filter.
​Trust your ears, not opinions.

30/6/2020 1 Comment

Singles & EPs Round Up - June 30th, 2020

Naima Shalhoub feat. Excentrik - Two (Rivers in the Desert) [Bandcamp]

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This track is as heartfelt & pure as the lyrics & an utter joy. Naima Shalhoub's beautiful Arabic folk vocals radiate positivity & hope in these darkening times & I can't wait for the LP. Make sure you put August 6th in your diary.
"I am doing a new thing. I am making a way in the wildnerness and rivers in the desert"
(Inspired by Isaiah 43:19)

CS + Kreme - Roast Ghost, Ultra Lavender Remix (Bandcamp)

CS + Kreme adopt a dreamier, wistful, Pet Shop boys on valium approach to their atmospheric electronica on this Bandcamp only reissue of this 2017 remix. All funds go to Aboriginal legal services.
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The Harlem Gospel Travelers - Fight On! (Bandcamp)

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Soul music has been at the vanguard of Black America's country old struggle for equality, and this gospel powered 2020 reaction to the recent protests for racial justice is as powerful & uplifting as anything in the last 100 years. All funds go to The Movement For Black Lives.

Shabazz Palaces ft. Stas THEE Boss - Mega Church (Bandcamp)

I don't think I'm ever going to dislike a Shabazz Palaces track and this undercover Bandcamp soundclash with Stas THEE Boss is more futuristic fire that leaves most of the hip hop world burning in it's rocket engine wake.
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Ben McElroy - HOme Diaries 28 (Whitelabrecs)

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The Home Diaries, lockdown special series is an impressive &  important document of musical endeavour in the age of virus, but as with anything so hastily conceived the quality has been variable, so it's great to hear Ben McElroy come through with more of his consumate experimental electronic folk fusion & help keep their averages high.

Yusuf Ahmed & Munir Hossn - Senhora Vida (Bandcamp)

This is the first taste of the new project from Yusuf Ahmed & Munir Hossn & it's a multi-culturally minded, Afro Brazilian, psyche tinged gem. I can only hope there is more to come from this London based outfit.
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Roberto Carlos Lange - Kite Symphony, Four Variations (Bandcamp)

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Helado Negro in disguise, treats us to a Bandcamp only improvisational special as his trio live in the moment by interpreting specially prepared graphic scores into a free flowing, wide in scope, electro acoustic sonic wonderland.

Bliss Point - Max In The World - Drums of the East River (Bandcamp)

Sampling the 1950's drums of Nigeria's Babatunde Olatunji, Bliss Point transports the hits into the new milleniu & morphs them into his personal, sun soaked soundtrack to time he spent on New York rooftops staring out at the East River.
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Kouji Nagahashi - The Dream of Your Smile (Bandcamp)

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More great genre subversion from Kouji Nagahashi, as he lays down a metronomic neo-classical house hybrid on the A-Side and a more traditional, yet still distinctive, percussion driven deep house winner on the flip.

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29/6/2020 0 Comments

Ishmael Cormack - The Sunday Project (Bandcamp)

WHAT THE TAPE LOOKS LIKE:
WHAT ONE OF THE VIDEOS LOOKS LIKE:
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WHAT  WE SAY:

I'm a day late on this, but check this incredible electro-acoustic showcase from Ishmael Cormack & collaborator Thom Quentin Leigh's for their weekly Sunday series of ambient audio visual close ups of nature's beauty & minutia.
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WHAT YOUR EARS SAY:

WHAT THE RELEASE NOTES SAY:

A collaboration between Ishmael Cormack & Thom Quentin Leigh.
Each work is an audio / visual representation of life's simplicity. Giving attention to quiet hidden moments.

Original Videos -
www.youtube.com/channel/UCA3CTdeCiuzM8F5dWbEtqNw

Credits:
Vocals - Thom Quentin Leigh.
Music - Ishmael Cormack.


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28/6/2020 0 Comments

Becca Mancari - The Greatest Part (Captured Tracks)

WHAT THE COVER LOOKS LIKE:
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WHAT WE SAY:

The new Becca Mancari LP for Captured Tracks is a contradictory joy. Despite the success of her debut, she swerves with aplomb from country to Indie-Pop (& sounds more at home), couples depth of songwriting with playful twists & keeps a breezy listenability despite the weighty subject matter.

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WHAT YOUR EARS SAY:

WHAT THE RELEASE NOTES SAY:

Expanding beyond the homespun rootsiness of her critically acclaimed debut to incorporate a grittier, more experimental palette, Becca Mancari’s captivating new collection, ‘The Greatest Part,’ lives in a liminal space between grief and joy, pain and forgiveness, sorrow and liberation. The record, produced by Paramore drummer Zac Farro, marks a significant sonic and emotional evolution, balancing unflinching self-examination with intoxicating grooves and infectious instrumental hooks fueled by explosive percussion and fuzzed out guitars. The lyrics are raw and gutsy to match, peeling back old scars to explore the emotional and psychological turmoil Mancari weathered growing up gay in a fundamentalist Christian home, while at the same time examining the ties that continue to bind her to the family she loves. Though personal reflection is nothing new for the Nashville-based songwriter, ‘The Greatest Part’ finds Mancari digging deeper than ever before, excavating new layers of her psyche in an effort to make sense of where she’s been, where she’s headed, and most importantly, who she’s become.

“This record was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to write,” she explains. “At the same time, it was also the most freeing.”

Born on Staten Island to an Italian/Puerto Rican family with strict religious beliefs, Mancari spent much of her childhood wrestling with issues of identity and belonging. After college, she set out on her own, following the wind from Appalachia to Arizona, from south Florida to India, drifting in search of purpose and community. Mancari eventually found both in East Nashville, where she garnered widespread acclaim for her strikingly honest songwriting and emotionally riveting performances. ‘Good Woman,’ her 2017 debut, was a critical smash, praised by NPR for its “exquisite self-awareness” and hailed as one of the year’s best by Rolling Stone, who lauded its “confident vocals [and] spacious, hazy production.” Songs from the record racked up millions of streams on Spotify and helped land Mancari dates with the likes of Margo Price, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Shovels & Rope, Natalie Prass, and Julien Baker among others. On top of her solo work, Mancari also teamed up with Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard and fellow songwriter Jesse Lafser to form the supergroup Bermuda Triangle, which earned similarly glowing reviews as they performed sold-out headline shows across the country and landed festival slots from Newport Folk to XPoNential. 


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27/6/2020 1 Comment

Soft Focus - Flowers (San-Kofa Rhythm)

WHAT THE COVER LOOKS LIKE:
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WHAT WE SAY:

Soft Focus lays down freaky folk, jazz jams, New Age noodles, pastoral percussion, perky presets, tape wobble, steez keys, bass bounce & DIY samples in this whimsical & wondrous cosmic collage for San-Kofa Rhythm Records.
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WHAT YOUR EARS SAY:

WHAT THE RELEASE NOTES SAY:

Soft Focus delivers a genuine blend of digital and acoustic
compositions. Flowers is a collection of tracks that are shaped over the years and started from improvisation with different loops.

While listening to this album you get carried away by the amount of musical knowledge which gives you a true understanding of what Soft Focus means. His unique approach to music shows another side of himself. Soft focus is a project without any boundaries, stress-related situation or technical difficulties where improvisation is key.

Each track of this magnificent album is a unique piece of work that triggers different emotions in a particularly peculiar way. Throughout these 14 tracks, Soft Focus grants you access to current feelings, intimate emotions and thoughts behind this talented musician. The album consists of different distinguishable elements ranging from Lo-Fi tape sound, high
pitched bass sounds, harp loops and warm gratifying jazz chords layered with rhythmic drum percussions.
Credits:
Mastered By – Stijn Cools
Mixed By, Written By, Producer – Toon Janssens
Distributed By – Crevette Distribution
Pressed by Deepgrooves Vinyl Pressing
Copyright (c) – San-kofa Rhythm Records
Artwork by Beeple
Obi Strip by Suzanne van der Aa


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26/6/2020 0 Comments

Balm - Mauve (Bandcamp)

WHAT THE COVER LOOKS LIKE:
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WHAT WE SAY:

Thanks to a tip from A Closer Listen, this EP from new, Amsterdam based producers, Balm has been on repeat the last two days. Hit play and let its sunny, soothing yet simple guitar, synth & percussion patterns soak your feet, massage your temples & give you a cuddle. All money to a good cause as well.
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WHAT YOUR EARS SAY:

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25/6/2020 0 Comments

Dub Prophets - Zero Gravity (hazukashi)

WHAT THE COVER LOOKS LIKE:
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WHAT WE SAY:

Great to see the global minded jazz preachers at Hazukashi Records turning their attention to the classic sounds of Jamaica with this almighty, horn blessed selection of deep, positively vibrating dubs.
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WHAT YOUR EARS SAY:

WHAT THE RELEASE NOTES SAY:

Dedicated to world peace
Hazukashi Studios Kyoto, Japan proudly introduces a new project from the members of the Peacemaker Global Quartet- Dub Citizen!
-patience, understanding, diversity and mutual celebration of cultures.
In this difficult period of our history, music can bring us together - calm our hearts and improve our health - Dub!

DUB CITIZEN
GARRY LINDON: BASS,ORGAN, KEYBOARDS, GUITAR, DJ DUB FX,
COMPOSITION/COMPOSITION/MIX/MASTERING. OSAKA,JAPAN
ERIC WIEGMANN: ALL DRUMS 6 PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS, COMPOSITION/CONCEPT. DRUM MIX, ALL ART, PUBLICATION, MANAGEMENT. KYOTO, JAPAN
MARK ELSHOUT: TRUMPET, TROMBONE, SAXOPHONE, COMPOSITION (“STRAIGHT RAZOR, ZERO GRAVITY, KUNG FU, LIONS DEN, PANDA”)-BEJING, CHINA
ALEXANDRE FERREIRA: SAXOPHONE, COMPOSITION (“BERRY RED BERRY BLUE”) PORTO ALEGRE, BRAZIL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED HAZUKASHI STUDIOS, KYOTO, JAPAN 2020


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24/6/2020 0 Comments

Singles & EPs Round Up - June 24th, 2020

Long body - Dream Running (G.C.R.)

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If you want to know how Ibizian sunset bars and space station spas will sound like in 2065 then I suggest getting ahead of the game, dusting off the deckchair and hitting play on these sedentary, summer & spacey sounds from Long Body.

CHRIS COCO & LUCA AVERNA - MARE (BANDCAMP)

Talking of Ibiza, if you want a lovely summery listen, steeped in the classic chillout sounds of the island, then you can usually rely on Chris Coco, someone who has spent an unfair amount of time on the island and knows what it's all about.

ZAZIM SOUNDSYSTEM - Ayé (xxiii)

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I love it when music comes along that doesn't obviously remind me of anything else, and this futuristic blend of Afro-Latin sounds, rhythms and percussion fused with heavyweight bass pressure is as fresh as they come.

Essa - Justice (Bandcamp)

This Bandcamp Juneteenth release from Essa, a black lawyer who also happens to be a rapper, is one of the most comprehensive, articulate musical summations of the current sad state of race relations and racial injustice in the UK.
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Miles Singleton - BLMTAPE (BOYOOM)

This was another Bandcamp, Black Lives Matter release to raise money for The Bail Project and is a consummate exercise in less is more, atmospheric, instrumental beat making.

THE STANCE BROTHERS - RESOLUTION BLUE (WE JAZZ)

The Stance Brothers are always worth checking for a Finnish drum driven twist on the funk. This time the brothers adopt a playful, perky approach on their latest 7" for the prolific and always worth watching out for, We Jazz records.

Jimi tenor - Sugar And Spice (Philophon)

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Jimi Tenor's ongoing relationship with the Berlin based Philophon label is a joy to behold, may they have many offspring. With this latest 7", Jimi brings yet more cosmic Afro jazz vibes to the table, with a deep, heavy B side cut and some vaguely camp, soul crooning on the slightly lighter A side.

Petros Skoutaris - Tropika (Into The Light)

Into the Light are doing a great job in discovering little known gems from Greece's musical history and these four tracks of Balearic jazz funkiness, rescued from a forgotten CDR recorded start of the millenium by the sadly departed Petros Skoutaris, is another delight.
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Central AYR Productions - Dirt Music (PPU)

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I'm loving these two filthy cuts of Moodymannesque late 80's electro funkiness and proto houseiness. Watch out for an LP of more Florida funk nastiness coming later in the summer apparently.
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23/6/2020 0 Comments

Etienne De La Salle - Kobugi (Muju)

WHAT THE COVER LOOKS LIKE:
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WHAT WE SAY:

It is safe to call Etienne de la Sayette a man of the world, as his various jazz rooted, global music projects attest. Here he fuses together a pan-African selection of sounds & rhythms, giving them an a vitality boosting Asiatic, psychedelic & jazz funk infusion to wonderful, mysterious & exotic effect. Big up Monolith Cocktail for the tip.
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WHAT YOUR EARS SAY:

WHAT THE RELEASE NOTES SAY:

Production / Recording / Compositions / all instruments: Etienne de la Sayette (except 6 composed by Tegenu Balkew)
Mixing: Fabien Girard
Mastering: Raphael Jonin
Artwork : Ben Hito

Guests :
Racecar : voice (1, 9)
Erik Aliana : voice (4)
Lansiné Diabaté : balafon: (1)
Stefano Lucchini : drums (3, 5, 7, 9)

(c) Muju Records 2020


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22/6/2020 0 Comments

Sault - Untitled, (Black Is) [Forever Living Originals]

WHAT THE COVER LOOKS LIKE:
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WHAT WE SAY:

There's been some notable, mainly single & EP, responses to the recent racial equality awakening, but the new LP from SAULT for Forever Living Originals is a stunner. Gospel rooted protest songs, stripped down production, laidback but driving punk funk, sweet soul, sample science & an Afro beat injection make this is as good a snapshot of black music history & 2020 thought as you could wish for.
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21/6/2020 0 Comments

Skinshape - Umoja (Lewis Recordings)

WHAT THE COVER LOOKS LIKE:
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WHAT WE SAY:

With a host of fine international players and an array of vocal talent, the new Skinshape LP for Lewis Recordings, takes a tour around the grooves of Africa's yesteryears in a purple hued Afro-exotica bus. Grab a ticket quick and hop on.
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