It’s a cover of the classic song Congo Square – written by Sonny Landreth and brought to fame by The Neville Brothers – and it brings forth a timeless appreciation for jazz, funk, soul and the sheer joy of live music.
Instrumental
An echoing arena of rising notes and descending bass, something of a mirror-chamber of reflecting ideas and melodies that build and envelope the listener. There’s a certain lightness and humble euphoria to this track, a meeting between the meditative and the energising.
Impressively engaging for a new starter in production and sound-design, Don’t Do This features a timeless groove and a riff and effect-line just quirky enough to really blend the melodic and emotional tones with a clear sense of character and rising anticipation. We’re in a sort of early Fatboy Slim arena, a playful instrumental realm of sweeping synths and more clean-cut riffs alike, all separated by the opposing sections of this ongoing rhythm.
Coming in at over six minutes of exploration, Time Irrelevant sees its listeners plunged into a web of multiple layers of distorted guitars and classic eighties rhythms. At the same time, subtle waves of synth and electronic instrumentation meet with organic, acoustic ones, to craft something that’s both a looping realm of comfort, and a consistently evolving delivery of rising anticipation.
Built around fast yet evocative piano playing from musician Haley Myles, with full orchestral support as things evolve, Concerto for Renaud unites emotional intensity with a distinct and recognisable melodic thread – a haunting but deeply moving progression that’s quickly unmistakable.
Introducing one of those rare occasions when the artwork perfectly encapsulates the essence and style of a release. Maxim’s Whispers of the Eternal is a uniquely vast and rather epic exploration of cinematic depth, built around an idea and dramatic vocal opening, layered with soaring guitar solos and distorted chords united in this progressive and fiercely soulful instrumental.
Swedish producer Mattias Pettersson – Known to the scene as Magmar Internationaell C – the creative unconfined by style but impassioned by all things electronic escapism – released an impressive set of three brand new mixes this past month, and proceeds to raise the bar in every case.
Timeless summer grooves inspired by the historical rhythms of the seventies – and the unmistakable, organic glow of the marimba – Giorgia Baglivo guides with power and possibility, for the perfectly titled Good Vibes.
Marco Palmieri manages to be all at once creatively eccentric and defiantly aware of what audiences appreciate. Here we can get lost in the music with ease – the experience is about us, the listener, rather than purely about the performer. That’s a rare quality in modern jazz, and as such, this music feels original at the same time as really letting and even nudging your imagination to wander freely.
This music is all encompassing, but also brilliantly compelling and impressive. It gifts you the escapism, at the same time as reminding you of the talent and thoughtfulness of the composer behind it.
Creative film composer Will Bates incites a multitude of emotional reactions, with the infectiously melodic, quirky yet enthralling tones and ventures of The Pirate Album.
Music to lift you out of your lull – to soothe the soul and raise the mood, to entertain and impress; everything we hope for when we press play or enter a venue. Mark Vickness Interconnected captures the very essence of all of this, and does so from the very moment the music hits the airwaves.