Myele Manzanza Announces ‘Crisis & Opportunity, Vol.3 - Unfold’

Having established himself as one of the most energetic and exciting Jazz musicians within the already thriving worldwide scene, New Zealand born, London based Drummer & Producer Myele Manzanza has made a major impact upon the global music landscape.

A founding member of Electric Wire Hustle, Myele has released five solo albums, and racked up tours and collaborations with Jordan Rakei, Theo Parrish, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Recloose and Amp Fiddler amongst others . Myele has developed a strong live presence in his new London base; his quartet has shared stages with the likes of Hiatus Kaiyote, The Bad Plus, Alfa Mist, and drawing packed houses to top venues such as The Jazz Café and Ronnie Scott’s. Last year, the first two instalments of his 'Crisis & Opportunity’ record series saw him garner praise from Mary Anne Hobbs, Cerys Matthews, Jamie Cullum, Huey Morgan, The Guardian, Complex, Jazz FM, Lefto, Worldwide FM, Jazzwise and more.

Following the release of his last offering, a chance conversation between Myele and a young Barista at a local coffee shop occured - their topic (centred around the trials and tribulations of following your musical passions) sent Myele down a spiralling path of internal reflection, spawning a new lease of creative energy and examination of new ways to approach his craft. The third addition to the heralded series, ‘Crisis & Opportunity Vol.3 - Unfold’ sees Myele change his approach from drummer / improviser, altering his sonic output to an electronic focussed sound, sharing production duties with Lewis Moody (Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange). His initial instinct was to create music that could be played in a club, but also incorporate elements music of the Jazz and technical musicianship he’s renown for.

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Articulating his thoughts on the record’s genesis, Myele explains: ‘‘As the process developed, I was also drawing a lot of inspiration from vocal driven soul, RnB and songwriter-driven music, to a point where I had lit a new creative fire. Reconsidering the direction of the album, I was left with the creative question “What broader ranges of emotion might my music be able to access, and what kinds of art could be made possible if I were to open up my music to hold space for singers and for stories?”

First single ‘Silencing The Sun’ features the vocal talents of fast-rising  fellow Kiwi artist Wallace, whose spectral tones glide gracefully over the pulsating rhythm section and twinkling keys. On second single ’Therapy’ UK Soul royalty Omar weaves his trademark magic over a solid 4/4 beat, soulful key stabs and lush synths, bottling lightning into dancefloor alchemy. Final single ‘Unfold’ sees Rachel Fraser deliver a delicate and introspective vocal performance over stripped back instrumentation as cold, angular electronics juxtapose the warmth of piano keys and sweeping strings. With a wealth of additional incredible talent (such as China Moses and Rosie Frater Taylor)  enlisted to further compliment the record’s grainy synth textures, emotive chord changes, driving low end sonics and expressive percussion, the scene is set for a beautiful, shifting and engaging listening experience.

Myele explains: “I guess that’s why the impromptu conversation with that neighbourhood barista at the beginning of this essay resonated with me so much. Music is such a profound  way to connect with other people and it can be an infinite and evergreen source of inspiration. I’m not a religious person but I can understand the spiritual impulse that comes from having something bigger than yourself that you can dedicate your life toward, and I suppose in many ways music serves that purpose for me . I’ve had phases in my life where I’ve had to put music to the side and in many ways those were the times when I was most lost and internally divided. I’m deeply grateful that my life is at a place now where I can devote myself to this weird ephemeral thing called music, make a life around it and release these offerings to the world.”

Stella Talpo Returns with New EP, 'FINE'

Born in a small town outside Milan, and raised in Singapore, Stella Talpo has wanderlust woven into her bones. Influenced by a wide range of artists from Billie Holiday to Nirvana, she gracefully traverses genres, with her poignant lyrics addressing themes from addiction and human behaviour to politics.

The new project sees Stella Talpo step into a new energy, a reclaimed self and with it, a reinvented sound, capturing a power and self-belief; sure to be a turning point in her winding and unusual story.

Speaking on the influences behind 'FINE', Stella said: "My best friends’ started a punk band [Shelf Lives] and I found myself listening to artists like Luna Aura, Audrey Nuna, Rina Sawayama, beabadoobee, Olivia Rodrigo and revisiting old grunge records I loved so much by Hole, Pearl Jam and Nirvana (such a 90’s baby)."

Oozing with vibrancy and soul, lead singles "Water" and "Where Did I Go" dissect subjects such as the allure of self-destructive behaviour, and personal validation and acceptance, sonically blending her rock roots with a distinguished, soulful sound.

Stella has a graceful way with words; probing her own artistic journey and personal development over the course of the EP, the 6 track release succinctly displays her talent as a lyricist and vocalist, delivering smart, introspective prose through her smoky, alluring vocal.

Speaking more on the lyrical themes at play on the upcoming 'FINE' EP, Stella said: "FINE is the eye-roll that follows the realisation that growth is never easy but always necessary. It is the reluctant willingness to grow up; the inconvenienced ‘ugh’ you moan in knowing that living a fulfilling life means abandoning your comfort zone. A nuisance that the curious welcome, the lament that precedes the ‘Fine then, bring it on'."

The Offline's Debut EP 'En-Clair Obscur' Is Here

Inspired by the moody soundtracks of 1960s and 1970s film composers such as Francois de Roubaix, Brian Bennet and David Axelrod, The Offline releases atmospheric, soulfully visual tunes with dramatic Library-music-esque cinematic arrangements.

In these times of endless sonic possibilities streaming out your computer 24/7 comes the idea of putting away the screen and going back to the beginning, with an analogue feel reminiscent of old funk and jazz albums you’d often found sampled in hip-hop, The Offline delivers songs that capture the feeling of a cool summer soundtrack.

The Offline came to life, when composer and photographer Felix Müller travelled the Atlantic coastline in the south of France with his analogue camera, capturing the beach life on film. After coming back to Hamburg, he started writing songs to match the sonic counterpart to the analogue visuals and soon recognized that he needed to build a group of musicians. With Carl-Michael “Grabi” Grabinger on drums, Sebastian Schütze on bass and the brass section with Hans-Christian Stephan and Kimo Eiserbeck, he found highly skilled instrumentalists to help the tracks come to life.

Clair-Obscur, or better known as Chiaroscuro, is the use of light and dark areas in a painting or in an image. The use of light and dark, positive, and negative can also be found in music, whether in harmony progressions, arrangements or soundscapes to create a certain mood. With each track named by a famous surf spot, ‘En Clair-Obscur’ is a journey along the shores of the French Atlantic, paying homage to great French composers.

Quinn Oulton 'Alexithymia' has arrived

South London based multi-instrumentalist, vocalist & producer Quinn Oulton delivers his debut album, ‘Alexithymia’.

Following on from his recent singles, 'Far Away', 'Clashing Colours ft Moses Boyd', 'Better', 'Royalty' and 'Sober', lead single 'Next Time' forms an arresting body of work, with its subtle delicate touches and Quinn's soulful, heartfelt delivery. He continues to carve out a unique musical style, one that refuses to be pigeonholed or categorised.

Quinn Says: "I think Next Time was the only time I’ve written a complete song in one sitting. I wrote it in about 15 minutes, sitting on the Northern Line. I heard the chords and the production in my head, and typed it all out on my phone. It was an immediate reaction to what was going on in that moment, and it seemed to just spill out in a very natural way. I decided not to change any of the words, to keep it as true as possible to how I was processing my feelings at the time."

He goes on to add: 'My album ‘Alexithymia’ dissects events from different relationships, whether family, friends, or romantic, presented as a single story from start to finish. Obsession, frustration, passion, false hope, grief, self-pity, helplessness, and acceptance are all part of this story. I wrote it in this way because I was trying to work out why I connect so much with sad or melancholic music, and I realised that maybe listening to that music was filling a hole that I didn’t know I had. It was comforting to hear somebody process their own troubles outwardly when I didn't feel I had a way, or even a reason, to do so myself. Writing the album has been an extremely therapeutic process as I've been able to seek out difficult parts of my life that I'd buried because I couldn't process them at the time."

Quinn Oulton exhibits a raw sound, melding soaring vocals and tangled acoustic textures with complex electronics. The sound is deeply unique, which is understandable when you consider the journey that he has taken to reach this point in his career.

He adds: "I think a lot of people, particularly men, struggle to recognise and process their own emotions. It makes it very hard to share them with others, and it’s something that needs addressing to allow for healthier relationships with other people and yourself."

Quinn picked up the saxophone at a very young age. His thirst for music was nurtured by mentors Julian Joseph and Soweto Kinch - two heavyweights of the UK jazz scene. Although jazz was his focus, he was also surrounded by blues, folk and rock music at home thanks to his dad’s diverse record collection.

His first leap into the world as a solo artist was a self-produced EP in 2017, when he began exploring his own voice and how to manipulate his skills as an instrumentalist to tell a story. These releases earned him a place on the 2018 Red Bull Music Academy. The two-week course entirely changed his scope and ambitions, as his eyes were opened to the world of electronic music culture - working alongside legends such as Just Blaze and father of techno Mike Banks (Underground Resistance).

Natty Reeves drops surprise new single 'White Lies'

Natty Reeves returns with new single ‘White Lies’, which sees the Brighton-based multi-instrumentalist and producer reintroduce vocals to his music for the first time since his 2019 debut album 'Condition'.

Coated in Natty's signature guitar-laden production, 'White Lies' on the surface depicts a struggle with honesty and transparency within a relationship, but is in fact more about trying to get some good sleep; something Natty struggled with around the time of writing the track.

Matt Wilde calls up Natty Reeves for new single 'Inner Peace'

Manchester-based keyboardist and producer Matt Wilde continues his strong start to 2022 with his second single of the year ‘Inner Peace’ which sees him teaming up with multi-instrumentalist and producer, Natty Reeves.

Throughout the track Natty’s Spanish guitar and Matt’s piano effortlessly interweave to create the harmonic richness of the track, bringing a new outlook to jazz collaboration. As the track develops, the direction of the music changes through raw improvisations from Natty, and then Matt, with synth textures interplaying to create a foundation for the rest of the track to shine.

Speaking on the track, Matt said: “This track is about finding peace within yourself and spreading it to others, celebrating our human connections and care for each other. Teaming up with Natty Reeves has been a pleasure as always, his musicianship and ability to capture unique improvised moments on the guitar is truly inspiring.”

Myele Manzanza's x Soho Radio, Direct to Vinyl Session

Myele Manzanza joined Soho Radio and The Vinyl Factory at the 180 Studios for the new series of Vinyl Sessions; live performances cut direct to vinyl.

A one-shot series where artists record direct to dubplate. One disc – one take – one shot.

Performing Back In The Days and Two Chords & The Truth , Myele enlisted the help of Lewis Moody (keys & synths) and Seth Tackaberry – watch now below.

Matt Wilde and Kissamil​é join forces on 'Better Worlds'

Following a blossoming first year releasing his own music in 2021, which saw his music supported by Jamie Cullum (BBCR2), Jazz FM, BBC Introducing and more, Matt Wilde returns with his first release of 2022, joining forces with French duo Kissamilé, as they explore the fusion between jazz & hip-hop on ‘Better Worlds’. A percussive and melodic cascading piano solo is at the heart of the track, alongside a stunning jazz-inspired guitar solo that rounds off the track.

"This track is born from the idea of wishing for a better world with collaboration, creativity and sustainability at the centre. Collaborating remotely is always exciting because you never know what the other artist will send. Opening up the files is like unwrapping a gift! Kissamile’s vocals, guitar and drums really brought this track to life and I hope this is just the beginning of our work together.”

Natty Reeves & Jackson Mathod deliver stunning 3-track live EP 'Live at 43'

Following the release of his album ‘Our Time’, Natty Reeves teams up with trumpeter Jackson Mathod for 'Live at 43’.

During the recording of ‘United Untied’, the pair quickly formed a bond and found themselves writing some breath-taking music, which effortlessly developed into a 3-track live EP - ‘Live at 43’.

‘Live at 43’ illustrates Natty’s ability to cohesively link his usually more up-produced and hip-hop-drum-laden tracks into a live and stripped-back setting, moving himself further into the UK jazz scene, displaying his intricate guitar play throughout, whilst showcasing an undeniable relationship with Jackson Mathod. Across the project, we also hear Jackson grow further into each track, with his bright arrangements and dazzling tones on the trumpet, as the two harmoniously grow from start to end.

Multi-instrumentalist, producer and beatmaker Paul Grant drops new album ‘Reflections

Following the release of his highly commended 2020 album ‘Waves’, Californian multi-instrumentalist, producer and beatmaker Paul Grant is back with his album ‘Reflections’.

Paul has been steadily making his mark as a go-to producer within the jazz-hip-hop scene, through collaborations with the likes of Kiefer, Braxton Cook, Emmavie and more, whilst also releasing four solo albums and a collaborative album with long-time collaborator, Adrienne Indigo.

Across ‘Reflections’ we see Paul join forces with Adrienne Indigo again, as well as frequent collaborators Amy Ahn and Morgan Burrs, and also see the introduction of Benjamin Totten for the album’s first single ‘California to London’.