It’s the best time of the month on New Sounds – it’s the new releases show. John Schaefer has sorted through the overwhelming amount of digital submissions, CDs, and vinyl (with digital download codes), which have come across his desk through the space-time continuum, and into his inbox over the past month to present some of the finest new releases. He'll skim off the cream. He'll pick the lentils from the ashes.
Listen to Santeria / Yoruban spiritual music by Okonkolo, a group that is the life’s work of New York-born percussionist and Yoruba Chango priest Abraham “Aby” Rodriguez. In Santeria ritual musical accompaniment, drums are at the center of all offerings – namely, the Bata and Coro. Bata drums and voices soar on this soulful prayer, 'Wolenche Por Chango" - (Chango is the god of the drum.) Next, hear music by London-based band Uniting Of Opposites where Indian classical music and jazz forms collide.
There’s also music by Resina, aka Karolina Rec, which combines wordless vocals, looped and layered sounds/ rhythms coaxed from cello, along with contributions from drummer/percussionist Mateusz Rychlicki. Also, listen to music by Masayoshi Fujita, who trained as a drummer, but began experimenting with the vibraphone, preparing its bars with kitchen foil or beads, playing it with the cello bow, or using the other end of the mallets to create a more ambient texture of sound. Listen to his vibraphone-based composition, “It’s Magical.”
Sample drifting, spacious music made by solo pedal steel guitar combined with synths, effects, field recordings by Post Moves, aka Sam Wenc. Plus, listen to electronic music by British composer Anna Meredith for the film Eighth Grade. There is also a strong suspicion that there will be music with echoes of minimalism by Dustin O’Halloran – from his piano-based score to Puzzle. And more. -by Caryn Havlik
Program #4136 New Releases, July 2018 (First aired 7/31/2018)
ARTIST: Resina
WORK: In In [1:00]
RECORDING: Traces
SOURCE: FatCat Records
INFO: resina.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Uniting of Opposites
WORK: Car Number 27/Mr. Alpo [8:17]
RECORDING: Ancient Lights
SOURCE: Tru Thoughts
INFO: unitingofopposites.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Samba Toure
WORK: Hawah [4;59]
RECORDING: Wande
SOURCE: Glitterbeat Records
INFO: samba-toure.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Okonkolo
WORK: Wolenche Por Chango [4:29]
RECORDING: Cantos
SOURCE: Big Crown Records BC033
INFO: bigcrownrecords.com/store/cantos
ARTIST: Dustin O'Halloran
WORK: Train in New York [2:49]
RECORDING: Puzzle OST
SOURCE: Sony Masterworks
INFO: Available at Amazon.com and Spotify
ARTIST: Masayoshi Fujita
WORK: It's Magical [4:25]
RECORDING: Book of Life
SOURCE: Erased Tapes ERATP111
INFO: erasedtapes.com
ARTIST: Donna McKevitt
WORK: Nude (text: Jan Noble) [4:38]
RECORDING: Nude
SOURCE/INFO: mayfairartweekend.com
ARTIST: Resina
WORK: In In [6:48]
RECORDING: Traces
SOURCE: FatCat Records
INFO: resina.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Post Moves
WORK: Chigagou [7:35]
RECORDING: Unison of Motion
SOURCE/INFO: postmoves.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Anna Meredith
WORK: How to Be Confident [1:49]
RECORDING: Eighth Grade
SOURCE: Columbia Records
INFO: http://smarturl.it/EighthGradeOST