Jimi Tenor - Aulos (Philophon)

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WHAT WE SAY:

Always leftfield leaning & getting more eccentric with age, Jimi Tenor drops his new LP for Philophon & it's a stunning Afrojazz threaded musical theatre full of A-list retrofuturism, crooning soul & AfroKraut adventures. The rock opera can't be far off and I can't wait.

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"Aulos“ is a woodwind instrument from ancient Greece - like the tenor sax is a woodwind instrument of modern times. In its mythological meaning the Aulos symbolises ecstasy and this-worldliness. It was played by the Satyrs, who surrounded Dionysos, the god of earthly bliss. Will Jimi Tenor turn into Jimi Aulos on this joyful album? Find out yourself!

"Aulos“ is Jimi Tenor's second album on Philophon. Basically, the core crew is the same as on his Philophon debut „Order of Nothingness“: beside our Finnish singer and multi-instrumentalist we have again the two drummers Ekow Alabi Savage from Ghana and Max Weissenfeldt from Germany, the latter of whom is as well the producer of „Aulos“.

As the basic recordings were cut at Max’ former „Tonstudio Blütenring“ in Berlin-Kreuzberg, the finishing touch however happened at Philophon’s newly established „Joy Sound Studios“ in Kumasi, Ghana. Therefore the album presents some local guests from Ghana. First and foremost, the two Frafra-Gospel queens Florence Adooni and Lizzy Amaliyenga, who are featured on lead vocals on „Vocalize My Luv“ and the Frafra-Gospel classic „Ki’igba“, which Jimi re-arranged in his own musical language. Furthermore, you will hear a young shooting star of the vibrant music scene in Kumasi: Kofi Emma on the Kpanlogo, a Ghanaian drum which historically is the forefather of the well known Conga. Last but not least, we hear Pat Thomas’ guitar player Sergio Manuel on the krautrockish piece „128 Cosmic Rock“. The instrumental „Afroeuropean“ reflects in its title the bridge this album has built between the two continents.

This bridging also runs through the cover artwork: here the Ghanaian artist Babs provides his very personal interpretation of the epic painting Väinämöisen soitto by the Finnish painter Robert Wilhelm Ekman, who worked in the 19th century, which Jimi puts into a scenario surrounded by characters from Finnish mythology.

Jimi says: „Like the name of the album "Aulos" suggests I wanted to feature flute quite heavily on it. I love complicated melodies and structures, so there are a couple of songs where went just for it. Of course the core of the album is groove based music with African-style bass lines“.

„Aulos“ is another landmark in Jimi’s fruitful career, which started back in the 80’s in the dark corners of Industrial Music and which evolved consistently into his very own kind of a bright and playful Nature Music. 

Credits
SUGAR AND SPICE
Jimi Tenor - Vocals, Piano, Synthesizer, Key-Bass, Tenor Sax, Flute
Johannes Böhmer - Trumpet
Johannes Schleiermacher - Baritone Sax, Flute
Ekow Alabi Savage - Drums
Kofi Emma - Kpanlogo Drums, Percussion
Max Weissenfeldt - Percussion

SMALL THINGS
Jimi Tenor - Vocals, Piano, Synthesizer, Key-Bass, Tenor Sax
Johannes Böhmer - Trumpet
Johannes Schleiermacher - Baritone Sax
Ekow Alabi Savage - Drums
Max Weissenfeldt - Percussion

AULOS I
Jimi Tenor - Flute, Harp
Ekow Alabi Savage - Percussion
Kofi Emma - Percussion
Max Weissenfeldt - Percussion

TEN DIMENSIONS
Jimi Tenor - Vocals, Piano, Synthesizer, Key-Bass, Tenor Sax Flute
Johannes Böhmer - Trumpet
Johannes Schleiermacher - Baritone Sax
Max Weissenfeldt - Drums

AFROEUROPEAN
Jimi Tenor - Piano, Synthesizer, Key-Bass, Tenor Sax, Flute
Johannes Böhmer - Trumpet
Jason Liebert - Trombone
Johannes Schleiermacher - Baritone Sax
Ekow Alabi Savage - Drums
Kofi Emma - Kpanlogo Drums
Lizzy Amaliyenga - Percussion
Max Weissenfeldt - Vibraphone, Percussion

AULOS II
Jimi Tenor - Flute
Kofi Emma - Kpanlogo Drums

VOCALIZE MY LUV
Jimi Tenor - Synthesizer, Synth-Bass, Tenor Sax, Flute
Florence Adooni - Vocals
Lizzy Amaliyenga - Vocals, Percussion
Johannes Böhmer - Trumpet
Jason Liebert - Trombone
Johannes Schleiermacher - Baritone Sax
Ekow Alabi Savage - Drums
Max Weissenfeldt - Percussion

LOVER’S BRIDGE
Jimi Tenor - Organ, Piano, Tenor Sax, Flute
Ekow Alabi Savage - Vocals, Drums, Percussion
Johannes Böhmer - Trumpet
Johannes Schleiermacher - Baritone Sax, Flute
Max Weissenfeldt - Xylophone, Tuned Drum Ensemble, Percussion

128 COSMIC ROCK
Jimi Tenor - Vocals, Synthesizer, Key-Bass, Tenor Sax
Johannes Böhmer - Trumpet
Johannes Schleiermacher - Baritone Sax
Sergio Manuel - Guitar
Max Weissenfeldt - Drums

MY BABY
Jimi Tenor - Vocals, Piano, String Machine, Key-Bass, Tenor Sax, Flute
Florence Adooni - Vocals
Max Weissenfeldt - Drums, Percussion

KI’IGBA
Jimi Tenor - Organ, Glockenspiel, Key-Bass, Tenor Sax, Flute
Florence Adooni - Vocals
Lizzy Amaliyenga - Vocals, Percussion
Johannes Böhmer - trumpet
Jason Liebert - Trombone
Johannes Schleiermacher - Baritone Sax
Ekow Alabi Savage - Kpanlogo Drums, Percussion
Max Weissenfeldt - Drums, Percussion

AULOS III
Jimi Tenor - Flute
Ekow Alabi Savage - Bongo Drums
Kofi Emma - Percussion
Max Weissenfeldt - Perussion


Produced and mixed by Max Weissenfeldt

Recorded by Benjamin Spitzmüller (A1, A2, A4, B2, B3, B4) and Manou Bouillon (A5, B1, B5) at Tonstudio Blütenring, Berlin with additional recordings by Jimi Tenor at Studio Capito de Nieve de Kontula, Helsinki and Max Weissenfeldt at Joy Sound Studios, Kumasi

Mastered and cut by Mike Grinser at Manmade Mastering, Berlin
Cover painting by Babs Arts, Kumasi
Photo by Toimi Tytti
Graphics by Jana Weiz and Florence Adooni

All songs composed and arranged by Jimi Tenor, except Lover’s Bridge is composed by Jimi Tenor and Ekow Alabi Savage and Ki’igba is composed by Alogte Oho, Jimi Tenor and Max Weissenfeldt

Executive producer: Max Weissenfeldt