{"title":"vinylgondwana","description":"PLS ORDER ASAP TITLES ARRIVE NEXT WEEK, SOME ARE LIMITED!","products":[{"product_id":"matthew-halsall-salute-to-the-sun-vinyl-lp","title":"Matthew Halsall - Salute to the Sun [Vinyl LP]","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: Vinyl LP\u003cbr\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP039STD \u003cbr\u003eBarcode: 5050580753310\u003cbr\u003eRelease Date: 26th February 2021\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Jazz (Crossover Jazz)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Harmony with Nature\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02: Joyful Spirits of the Universe\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03: Canopy \u0026amp; Stars\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e04: Mindfulness Meditations\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e05: Tropical Landscapes\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06: Salute to the Sun\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07: The Energy of Life\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatthew Halsall \/ Salute to the Sun\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGONDCD039 \/ GONDLP039 – CD\/\/2LP\/\/DL released 20.11.20\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMatthew Halsall unveils new band and announces 'Salute to the Sun'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ehis new album on Gondwana Records\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eComposer, trumpeter, producer, DJ and founder of Gondwana Records, Matthew Halsall has always worn many hats. But at the heart of everything that he does Halsall is first and foremost an artist and a musician. A trumpeter whose unflashy, soulful playing radiates a thoughtful beauty and a composer and band-leader who has created his own rich sound world. A sound that draws on the heritage of British jazz, the spiritual jazz of Alice Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders, as well as world music and electronica influences, and even modern art and architecture, to create something uniquely his own. A music that is rooted in Northern England but draws on global inspirations.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSalute to the Sun is his first album as a leader since Into Forever (2015) and marks the debut of his new band. A hand-picked ensemble featuring some of Manchester's finest young musicians: Matt Cliffe flute \u0026amp; saxophone, Maddie Herbert harp, Liviu Gheorghe piano, Alan Taylor drums and Jack McCarthy percussion as well as long-time Halsall collaborator, bassist, Gavin Barras who has been at the heart of Halsalls bands for over a decade. For Matthew it was important to have a band based locally and able, pre-Covid, to meet and play each week, and who also performed a sold-out monthly basement session at Yes in Manchester. The album draws energy from these sessions and inspiration from themes and ideas that have inspired Halsall's through the years (on albums such as Oneness, Fletcher Moss Park and When the World Was One) ideas of ecology, the environment and harmony with nature.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I feel Salute to the Sun is a positive earthy album. I wanted to create something playful but also quite primitive, earthy and organic that connected to the sounds in nature. I was listening to lush ambient field recordings of tropical environments such as jungles and rainforests and found myself drawn to percussive atmospheric sounds which replicated what I was hearing (bells \/ shakers \/ chimes \/ rain sticks) and I started to experiment with more wooden percussive instruments such as kalimba and marimba\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSalute to the Sun opens with Harmony in Nature, a lush wholly improvised tune inspired by ambient rainforest and jungle field recordings. The first single, Joyful Spirits of the Universe, is a lush, soulful tune built around a hypnotic kalimba line and with flute and harp textures to the fore alongside Halsall's sublime trumpet playing. The transcendent Canopy \u0026amp; Stars is built around a rhythmical pattern featuring harp and kalimba and has an elevated feel and a beautiful melody plaintively expressed by Halsall's poignant playing and features fine work from Matt Cliffe on tenor. Mindfulness Meditations is a beautiful paean to the pleasures of meditation. Tropical Landscapes is inspired by the paintings of Henri Rousseau, Peter Doig and Paul Gauguin and their depictions of exotic paradises. The title track Salute to the Sun features a beautiful intro and solo from harpist Maddie Herbert and is a nod to Halsall's time studying at the Maharishi School. Every morning before classes they practiced Sun Salutations followed by transcendental meditation and the track references that memory. Pulsing with energy and drive, the album closes on an upbeat note, The Energy of Life foregrounds Halsall's life-affirming trumpet playing over a powerful percussion, bass and piano driven groove that is partly inspired by some of Halsall's favourite early 70s spiritual jazz recordings from the Black Jazz and Strata-East labels.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe album was recorded at the band's weekly sessions, using Halsall's own recording set-up, giving the recordings a relaxed vibe and unforced energy that really lets the music breath. The album is also very much a family affair as Halsall's brother Daniel Halsall, artistic director of Gondwana Records, was an important presence at the sessions and co-produced the album. It is also his memorable artwork that adorns the cover of Salute to the Sun, an album beautifully designed by legendary designer Ian Anderson of The Designers Republic, who also created the covers for the recent archival releases Oneness, Sending My Love and Colour Yes and is one of Halsall's favourite designers. Together Daniel Halsall and Ian Anderson have designed all of Matthew's seven albums to date, so it felt extra-special to bring them together for, Salute to the Sun, an album that Halsall was determined to present in the very best way possible. The album was mixed with another long-time collaborator, George Atkins at 80 Hertz in Manchester, who works tirelessly with Halsall to perfect the sound and was mastered by noted engineer Peter Beckmann who brings an added depth to the sound specially around the bass notes as well as Halsall's trumpet. The magnificent double vinyl was cut as a Half Speed master by Barry Grint at Alchemy Mastering for the best possible analogue experience.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe result is arguably Halsall's most beautiful and complete recording to date, playful, charming and imbued with the warmth of the sun and the energy of life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor further information etc\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ewww.matthewhalsall.com\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ewww.gondwanarecords.com\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":37373942759580,"sku":"GONDLP039STD","price":32.28,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/MatthewHalsall-SalutetotheSun_VinylLP.jpg?v=1609594186"},{"product_id":"gogo-penguin-fanfares-limited-transparent-turquoise-vinyl","title":"GoGo Penguin - Fanfares (Limited Transparent Turquoise Vinyl)","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: Vinyl LP \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP008OP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580752863\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 26th March 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Jazz (Soul Jazz)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Seven Sons of Bjorn\u003cbr\u003e02: Last Words\u003cbr\u003e03: Unconditional\u003cbr\u003e04: Fanfares\u003cbr\u003e05: I Am That\u003cbr\u003e06: Akasthesia\u003cbr\u003e07: HF\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn light of substantial press attention and radio play we are re-presenting this album.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNOMINATED FOR BEST JAZZ ALBUM AT GILLES PETERSON WORLD WIDE AWARDS\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eQUOTES\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A beautiful mixture of cyclical piano sounds and motifs with great grooves and great bass playing\" Jamie Cullum BBC Radio 2\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Adventurous, accessible and melodic, further evidence of a burgeoning northern jazz scene\" The Times\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"On this showing, GoGo Penguin seem destined for great things\" BBC Music\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Brilliant young piano trio\" The Daily Telegraph\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"GoGo Penguin create harmonically ambitious music that's both immediately exciting and cerebrally led.\" Mercury Music Prize\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This would be an impressive fourth or fifth album, let alone a debut release\" All About Jazz\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A band of equals that revel in epic song-like themes and vigorous interaction.\" Jazzwise\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A remarkably interactive trio with each member playing a key role. \"Fanfares\" exhibits enormous promise.\" The Jazz Mann\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The album is a triumph from start to finish\" Jazz Shaped\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRADIO\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBBC Radio 2 Jamie Cullum Jan 1, 2013\u003cbr\u003e**** RECORDING SESSION ***** MARCH 2013\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBBC Radio 3 LIVE BROADCAST FROM RONNIE SCOTTS on opening night of LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL Jazz on 3 Show Nov 9, 2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBBC 6 Music Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Show Dec 8, 2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBBC 6 Music Stuart Maconie's Freakzone Show Dec 30, 2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJazz FM Mike Chadwick's Cutting Edge Show Nov 4 \u0026amp; Dec 23, 2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCosmic Jazz Cosmic Jazz Show heavily featured Oct, Nov \u0026amp; Dec 2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Jazz Meet The Jazz Meet Show Dec 28, 2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eManchester has produced some of the UK's greatest rock bands from Joy Division to the Stone Roses, but it isn't just the indie scene that thrives there, from the likes of Jon Thorne and Stuart McCallum to the Beats \u0026amp; Pieces Big Band and trumpeter Matthew Halsall, Manchester's jazz scene has produced some of the UK's brightest and most original jazz groups. Now with its eighth release Matthew Halsall's Manchester based Gondwana record label shines a light on another of Manchester's well kept musical secrets, the expansive, brilliant piano trio GoGo Penguin. Featuring pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Grant Russell and drummer Rob Turner (all still in their twenties), GoGo Penguin, draw on a heady brew of influences from Aphex Twin to Brian Eno, Debussy to Shostakovich and Massive Attack to EST. GoGo Penguin who have already developed a growing cult following in the North West as well as turning in storming performances at the Gateshead International and Manchester Jazz Festival's first came to Halsall's attention when he heard them at a friends night (Norvun Devolution) at the Roadhouse in Manchester. He was immediately drawn to their sublime collective empathy and the seamless fusion of jazz, classical and electronica influences in their music. 'I was blown away the first time I heard them, for me tracks like Last Words and HF are modern anthems and I knew immediately that I wanted to release their music\". I am very proud to welcome them to the Gondwana label\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGoGo Penguin met whilst studying music at the RNCM in Manchester. After doing frequent gigs together with various other bands and musicians they started jamming together and started creating new music. They had no specific sound in mind, but just wanted to be free to create freely and honestly. The new band quickly became a vehicle to combine all the best bits from the music they where influenced by and loved. Individually Illingworth brings a lyrical and melodic style influenced heavily by classical piano music and electronica. Turner brings a driving modern style of drumming influenced by jazz, electronica, ambient, classical and dance music. Russell brings a gritty energetic double bass style influenced by the likes of Charles Mingus but also more modern electronic producers. The band's modus operandi is to have one of them bring an idea to rehearsal. Then there's a lot of experimentation, they try out as many different ways to play the piece as they can think of, until it begins to sound like something they all like.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFanfares opens with the wistful tribute Seven Sons of Bjorn, written by pianist Illingworth as an act of catharsis shortly after the untimely death of Esbjorn Svenson. The dreamy Last Words was written by drummer Turner and is inspired by Aphex Twin. The melancholic Unconditional is influenced by the harmonic ideas of Kenny wheeler and the Miles Davis cool school and melodic contours of Chopin, originally written by Russell as a piano ballad, Illingworth heard it and asked him to bring it to a trio rehearsal, the resulting arrangement is by all of them. The forceful title track Fanfares comes from an original idea that came to Illingworth while improvising with some ideas from the etudes of Ligeti and Einojuhani Rautavaara. Turner's drumming adds a real bounce and vibrancy to the music that propels this piece forward. I am That was wriiten by Turner and features a lot of unusual prepared drum sounds. Akasthesia started life as a reflective bass groove written by Russell after playing with the harmonics that he was hearing played by Jaco Pastorias, Miroslav Vitous and Anders Jormin. Finally HF opens with a distinctive piano riff written by Turner and developed by Illingworth. The middle section is a free drum and bass style collective improvisation and it is this unique ability to synthesis and develop each others melodic and harmonic ideas while drawing on music from classical to electronica that makes GoGo Penguin's music so enthralling and their debut album such a powerful opening salvo from a powerful new voice in UK music.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":37711638298780,"sku":"GONDLP008OP","price":22.93,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/GoGoPenguin-Fanfares_LimitedTransparentTurquoiseVinyl.jpg?v=1612590422"},{"product_id":"mammal-hands-floa-limited-clear-vinyl","title":"Mammal Hands - Floa (Limited Clear Vinyl)","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: Vinyl LP\u003cbr\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP014OP \/ GONDLP14OP\u003cbr\u003eBarcode: 5050580752832\u003cbr\u003eRelease Date: 26th March 2021\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Jazz (Crossover Jazz)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Quiet Fire\u003cbr\u003e02: Hillum\u003cbr\u003e03: Hourglass\u003cbr\u003e04: Think Anything\u003cbr\u003e05: In the Treetops\u003cbr\u003e06: The Eyes That Saw the Mountain\u003cbr\u003e07: Kudu\u003cbr\u003e08: The Falling Dream\u003cbr\u003e09: Shift\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLimited Edition Clear Vinyl\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMammal Hands are a trio of like-minded musicians: Nick Smart piano, Jesse Barrett drums and tabla, and Jordan Smart saxophones. Floa is their second album for Gondwana Records and in the 18 months since their debut, Animalia, they have carved out a growing following both here and abroad for their hypnotic fusion of jazz, folk and electronica: winning fans from Bonobo and Gilles Peterson to Jamie Cullum. Landmark live performances have included shows at King's Place in London and the RNCM in Manchester, as well as a barn-storming debut at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Drawing on a rich well of influences from Sufi and shamanic African trance music, Irish and Eastern European folk music, to Steve Reich and Philip Glass and more contemporary electronica influences, their music is built around deceptively simple sounding ideas that are lent power through the use of repetition and rhythmic loops. They have been compared to both Portico Quartet and GoGo Penguin for the way in which they navigate the choppy waters between contemporary dance music and jazz.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFloa (an old Norse word that means to deluge or to flow) is the sound of a more confident, experienced band: one that has grown together naturally through touring and gigging and through mammoth writing and rehearsal sessions where all three bring rhythmic, improvisational and melodic ideas to the table. Floa was recorded at Gondwana's home from home, 80 Hertz Studios in Manchester, reuniting the band with producer Matthew Halsall and features some of the Gondwana Orchestra strings who played on Halsall's acclaimed album Into Forever. Together they have crafted a wonderful sounding record, the richness of which perfectly illuminates the band's music. Artwork is from Gondwana's in-house design maestro Daniel Halsall whose artwork of symbols created from older symbols perfectly illustrates the creative ideas that drive the band's music.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe release is supported by an extensive UK tour including dates in Norwich, Bristol, Brighton, Manchester and beyond. The band support Matthew Halsall at St John's Hackney on May 26th and have their own head-line show at the Jazz Café, Camden on 31st May.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eConfirmed airplay from Jamie Cullum BBC Radio 2, Gilles Peterson 6 Music, Radio 3 Late Junction, BBC Scotland Jazz House, Jazz FM, John Kennedy X and full servicing to all specialist and online radio stations. Reviews from The Guardian, Mojo, Record Collector, Jazzwise, Nos Magazine, Nowthen and local press. Online support from AllAboutJazz, Quietus, Access All Areas, Bebop Spoken Here and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":37711683354780,"sku":"GONDLP014OP","price":23.75,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/MammalHands-Floa_LimitedClearVinyl.jpg?v=1612591070"},{"product_id":"matthew-halsall-oneness-3lp","title":"Matthew Halsall - Oneness [3LP]","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 3 x Vinyl LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP033\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580708686\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 2nd April 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Jazz (World Fusion)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Life\u003cbr\u003e02: Oneness\u003cbr\u003e03: Stan's Harp\u003cbr\u003e04: Loving Kindness\u003cbr\u003e05: Distant Land\u003cbr\u003e06: Stories from India\u003cbr\u003e07: The Traveller\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatthew Halsall to release Oneness. A triple vinyl set of archive recordings featuring three sessions of deep meditative spiritual-jazz in a deluxe edition, designed by Ian Anderson of The Designer's Republic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe recordings on Oneness date from Jan, March and September 2008 and were born from a period of experimentation as Halsall first began to explore the music that would provide the inspiration for his spiritual jazz recordings Fletcher Moss Park and When the World Was One. They also offer an intriguing snapshot into the birth of Halsall's Gondwana Orchestra and feature many musicians who would go on to become a key part of Halsall's musical journey, such as harpist Rachel Gladwin, bassist Gavin Barras and saxophonist Nat Birchall. The recordings sat in the Gondwana Records vaults for over a decade before Halsall felt it was the right time to share them. Asked about the recordings Halsall says:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I've always treasured these recordings and loved how vulnerable, open and free they are, but I just felt they were too subtle and sensitive to release early on in my career, so I held them back until now. I also feel now is the right time to release these before I begin a fresh journey with a new bunch of musicians.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRemarkably, the beautiful compositions heard here were all built around a simple tanpura drone sound. An instrument Halsall heard on Alice Coltrane's 'Journey In Satchidananda' album and then at a later date in a concert featuring Arun Ghosh on clarinet and John Ellis on piano. \"I loved the way this instrument created a sort of meditative atmospheric pulse for the musicians to work over and it had this beautiful feeling of togetherness, so after the gig I went out and bought a Raagini Shruti box featuring the tanpura drone and began to practice my trumpet over it and wrote lots of loose themes and melodies\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe sessions that make up Oneness capture Halsall in the process of building a new band, reaching out to various musicians he'd discovered and admired on the Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds music scene. \"I really liked this idea of bringing lots of musicians together from different backgrounds and was fascinated with how they would all react to each other and the tanpura drone box seemed to bring everyone together really well, it was kind of like a nice meditative icebreaker exercise for everyone to loosen up, before we got stuck into the more composed tunes I'd created, some of which ended up on the Sending My Love and Colour Yes albums\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe album's title, Oneness, speaks to both Halsall's conviction that the planet should be shared equally with all of its inhabitants. That no human being or other inhabitant deserves to exist more than the other and that we can achieve far more together than against each other. And also importantly to what Halsall was aiming for musically:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I really believe in Oneness and I've always loved the term 'greater than the sum of its parts'. I could make music on my own and live a fairly isolated antisocial life, but there's something far more rewarding about creating things with others. And for me these sessions document the coming together of lots of different musicians in a wonderfully organic soulful way to make egoless music\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's a belief that continues to underpin Matthew's music making and a message that the word sorely needs right now as we feel more divided and separated than ever. This then is Oneness, a decade in the making and well worth the wait. Enjoy!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAIRPLAY from Mart Ann Hobbs, Gilles Peterson, Unclassified radio 3, Late Junction etc\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eREVIEWS from Mojo, Jazzwise, Straight No Chaser and all the blogs !!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39493974327452,"sku":"GONDLP033","price":35.17,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/MatthewHalsall-Oneness.jpg?v=1616606121"},{"product_id":"portico-quartet-terrain-vinyl-lp","title":"Portico Quartet - Terrain [Vinyl LP]","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat: Vinyl LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP042 \/ GONDLP42\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580753792\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 28th May 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Jazz (Crossover Jazz)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e01: Terrain: I\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02: Terrain: II\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03: Terrain: III\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePortico Quartet announce Terrain, a three-part suite drawing on American minimalism and ambient music alongside their own rich heritage as they explore new musical vistas\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWhen Duncan Bellamy and Jack Wyllie – the driving force behind Portico Quartet got together in their East London studio in May 2020 and started work on the music that would become their new album, the world, or most of it, was in the midst of the first lockdown. The unique impact of the events of 2020 became the backdrop to their time composing and recording; causing them to take stock, re-think, and plot a new musical path.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIndian novelist Arundhati Roy expressed the sense of grief and rupture from the pandemic as \"a portal, a gateway between one world and the next\", and as they created the music that would become Terrain they were drawn towards longer, slowly unfolding pieces, which are perhaps the most artistically free and also the most beautiful they have ever made.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThese are compositions more in the lineage of Line and Shed Song (Isla\/2009), Rubidium (Portico Quartet\/2012) and Immediately Visible (Memory Streams\/2019). Wyllie expands: \"We've always had this side of the band in some form. The core of it is having a repeated pattern, around which other parts move in and out, and start to form a narrative. We used to do longer improvisations not dissimilar to this around the time of our second record Isla. On Terrain we've really dug into it and explored that form. I suppose there are obvious influences such as American minimalism, but I was particularly inspired by the work of Japanese composer Midori Takada. Her approach, particularly on 'Through the Looking Glass', where she moves through different worlds incorporating elements of minimalism with non-Western instruments and melodies were at the front of my mind when writing this music\".\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTerrain I, II \u0026amp; III are all subtly different, but a short rhythmic motif that repeats is the starting point in all three movements. There is a sense of a shared journey to all these pieces, they move through different worlds, with a sense of horizontal movement that lends the music real momentum. Terrain I was the first piece they worked on and it started with a hang drum pattern, improvised by Bellamy, who added cymbals and synthesiser. From there on it grew, Wyllie adding saxophone, another synthesiser section, strings. For Bellamy \"It felt more like filmmaking than music making, a bricolage of conflicting, shifting signs, subtle tension and multiple narratives. Andrei Tarkovsky's 'Mirror' and British artist John Akomfrah's incredible 'Handsworth Songs' were pivotal points of reference for me.\" Wyllie expands the point. \"There is a sense of conversation between us both, in that someone presents a musical idea, the other person responds to it with something else, which would then be responded to again... until it feels finished. These responses are often consonant with each other but there is also a dissonance to some of this work. The music slowly evolves through these shared conversations.\"\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIt is this sense of dialogue, both between the composers, and between tranquillity and a subtly unsettling melancholy, that makes Terrain such a powerful statement. One that speaks to both our interior and exterior worlds, to our own personal landscape, to our Terrain.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39613700604060,"sku":"GONDLP042","price":22.93,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/PorticoQuartet-Terrain.jpg?v=1618139025"},{"product_id":"mammal-hands-animalia","title":"Mammal Hands - Animalia","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: Vinyl LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP011 \/ GONDLP11\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5029385843137\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 14th May 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Jazz (Soul Jazz)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Mansions of Millions of Years\u003cbr\u003e02: Snow Bough\u003cbr\u003e03: Kandaiki\u003cbr\u003e04: Spinning the Wheel\u003cbr\u003e05: Bustle\u003cbr\u003e06: Inuit Party\u003cbr\u003e07: Street Sweeper\u003cbr\u003e08: Tiny Crumb\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFolk-minimalists announce vinyl issue for breakthrough album, Animalia.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The semi-classical drums\/sax\/piano trio Mammal Hands mutate into a high-volume rave act\" The Guardian\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCaptivating, ethereal and majestic, Mammal Hands (saxophonist Jordan Smart, pianist Nick Smart and drummer and percussionist Jesse Barrett) has carved out a refreshingly original sound from adisparatearray of influences: drawing on spiritual jazz, north Indian, folk and classical music to create something inimitably their own.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHailing from Norwich, one of Britain's most isolated and most easterly cities, they have forged their own path away from the musical mainstream and their unique sound grew out of long improvised rehearsals. All three members contribute equally to the writing process: one that favours the creation of a powerful group dynamic over individual solos. Their recordsare entrancing and beautiful affairs,while their hypnotic live shows have seen them hailed as one of the most exciting bands in Europe as they push their unique line-up to the outer limits of its possibilities.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOver the course of three albums, Animalia, Floa and Shadow Work they have built a committed following and established themselves as one of the finest live bands in Europe. But while Floa and Shadow Work were both issued on vinyl this is the first time that Animalia has been committed to wax.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProduced by Matthew Halsall and recorded at 80 Hertz Studio, in Manchester, and engineered by George Atkins, Animalia features the band breakthrough hits Mansions of Million Years, a slow building tune that takes it's name from Egyptian mythology and draws the listener into the band's distinctive sound world. And the gorgeous hooky Kandaiki which makes stunning use of looped melodies in different time signatures, creating a wonderful interplay between the parts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOther highlights include Snow Bough a short, melancholic, but moving, ambient composition, the Irish folk music inspired Spinning the Wheel, which also features drum beats inspired by chopped up electronic drum patterns and hip hop instrumentals. The jaunty Bustle and delightful Inuit Party and Street Sweeper. Finally the album closes with Tiny Crumb, which explores melodic ideas inspired by Alice Coltrane and Joe Henderson and builds in intensity from a quiet start to a powerful collective improvisation and heavily features Jesse's Tabla.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMay 6 The Grand Clitheroe, UK\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMay 12 Jazz Sous Les Pommiers Coutances, France\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMay 19 Turner Sims, Southampton, UK\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMay 24 St Georges, Bristol, UK\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMay 26 VerkadeFabriek, Den Bosch, Netherlands\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJune 1 Field Day, London\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJune 2 Elb Jazz, Hamburg, Germany\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOct 20 Roundhouse, London \/ Gondwana 10\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOct 28 St Luke's Church, London\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39615309480092,"sku":"GONDLP011","price":23.75,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/animalia.jpg?v=1618165660"},{"product_id":"matthew-halsall-on-the-go-special-edition-1","title":"Matthew Halsall - On The Go (Special Edition)","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: Vinyl LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP005OP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarcode: 5050580752849 \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: 26th March 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack in stock: 20th May 2021\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenre: Jazz (Soul Jazz)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Music for a Dancing Mind\u003cbr\u003e02: Song for Charlie\u003cbr\u003e03: The End of Dukkha\u003cbr\u003e04: Samatha\u003cbr\u003e05: The Journey Home\u003cbr\u003e06: The Move\u003cbr\u003e07: Only You (Bonus Track)\u003cbr\u003e08: Singing Everyday (Bonus Track)\u003cbr\u003e09: Breathless (Bonus Track)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpecial Edition Double Vinyl LP - Pressed at Optimal\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eManchester based trumpeter, composer, arranger and band-leader Matthew Halsall is one of the rising stars of the UK jazz scene. His unique sound was brilliantly described as \"Rain-streaked spiritual jazz from Manchester\" by the Independent On Sunday and as a label-boss he has nurtured the careers of Mammal Hands and GoGo Penguin via his Gondwana Records imprint, while his own recordings have explored modal and spiritual jazz, string-laden minimalism and hard-bop. ON THE GO was Halsall's 2011 breakthrough disc, drawing inspiration from the late 60s hard-bop sounds of Max Roach and Art Blakey as well as the Strata-East and Black Jazz labels. it's Halsall's punchiest recording and won Jazz Album Of The Year at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards while the tracks Music For A Dancing Mind and Song For Charlie have proved amongst Halsall's most requested compositions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRe-mixed and re-mastered at Gondwana's home from home, 80 Hertz studios in Manchester and reissued here due to popular demand, ON THE GO appears here in an extended format that adds three new tracks alongside the original album and appears on vinyl for the first time. Halsall explains the decision to reissue On The Go,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I have always loved this album, and when fans kept asking me for a vinyl version I decided to make a special edition release, so I remixed and remastered the whole album with George Atkins at 80 Hertz Studios and in the process decided to include three bonus tracks that were recorded around the same time and took inspiration from one of my favourite jazz records, Miles Davis's Lift To The Scaffold \"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39951021867164,"sku":"GONDLP005OP","price":27.52,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/MatthewHalsall-OnTheGo_SpecialEdition_71c4ab66-f56a-4120-8158-37137a86ec4d.jpg?v=1621535594"},{"product_id":"portico-quartet-monument-2lp-black-vinyl","title":"Portico Quartet - Monument [2LP Black Vinyl]","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat: 2 x Vinyl LP, Standard Edition Double Black Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP043\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580753822\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: Nov 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Crossover Jazz\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e01: Opening\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02: Impressions\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03: Ultraviolet\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e04: Ever Present\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e05: Gateway\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06: Monument\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07: A.O.E\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e08: Warm Data\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e09: Portal\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e10: On the Light\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePortico Quartet announce Monument, the electronic driven follow-up to their acclaimed ambient-minimalist suite Terrain, presenting the band at their most direct\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIt's rare that a band releases two albums within six months of each other, rarer too that while both are so different, they are both as epochal in terms of the band's output as Terrain and Monument are to Portico Quartet. The irony is that Monument, a stripped-back, intentionally direct album, was the album that the band set out to write in May 2020, before the dream like long-form Terrain came into focus. Briefly they were two halves of the same record, but the band ended up developing these two distinct bodies of work concurrently. And although they were written side-by-side and recorded at the same sessions, they are records best understood as distinct from each other, each with opposing ideas and forms.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMonument is one of Portico Quartet's most accessible, direct records to date. If Terrain addressed the darker side of how Duncan Bellamy and Jack Wyllie made sense of the pandemic, then Monument resonates as an ode to better times. If not quite a dance record, it nonetheless pulses with an energy, radiance and a scalpel sharp focus. Jack Wyllie explains: \"It's possibly our most direct album to date. It's melodic, structured and there's an economy to it that is very efficient. There's not much searching or wastage within the music itself, it is all finalised ideas, precisely sculpted and presented as a polished artefact.\"\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBellamy expands \"Monument sits somewhere between our albums Portico Quartet and Art in the Age of Automation. It has perhaps a more overtly electronic edge to its sound – there are more synthesisers and electronic elements than we have used before and the music is often streamlined and rhythmic\".\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAfter the ethereal, stage-setting of Opening, the album kicks into overdrive with Impressions, a short energetic track that pairs a club influenced groove with hang drum and close, delicate saxophone. It's the balance between these elements that push and pull the track through a selection of melodic and rhythmic re-configurations, contrasting human touch with a machine-like focus. Ultraviolet is a kaleidoscopic, krautrock inspired track with a haunting introduction and an insistent pulse. The wistful Ever Present builds from a simple piano refrain; a nostalgic melody line floats over the top as drums and bass groove insistently underneath, before reaching a euphoric peak. The title track Monument builds around a looping vocal sample, drums and an enigmatic melody, the ending giving way to a gauzy, weaving synth line. The power here is in its economy and luminosity. AOE flips back and forth, like a dial that's been switched. Mining the tension between a pastoral inflected cello and saxophone melody, with an abrupt shift to jilted live drums, wailing delayed saxophone and a flickering synth line. Warm Data comes straight from the same Portico Quartet tradition as older tracks like Current History and Laker-Boo. It's a marriage of instrumental minimalism with drum machines and synths. Finally, the album closes with On The Light, a track that transmits a sense of suspense and freedom, driven by the twitching drums of Bellamy and evocative sax of Wyllie. It offers the perfect bitter-sweet and evocative ending to Portico Quartet's latest Monument.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40803729670300,"sku":"GONDLP043","price":29.05,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/3_10f11385-44f8-4ccf-bd53-be6788dd48a9.jpg?v=1630491752"},{"product_id":"matthew-halsall-salute-to-the-sun-live-at-halle-st-peters","title":"Matthew Halsall - Salute to the Sun Live at Hallé St. Peter's","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 2 x LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP047 \/ GONDLP47\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580764187\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 03 Dec 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Crossover Jazz\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Harmony with Nature (Live at Hallé St Peter's)\u003cbr\u003e02: Joyful Spirits of the Universe (Live at Hallé St Peter's)\u003cbr\u003e03: Canopy \u0026amp; Stars (Live at Hallé St Peter's)\u003cbr\u003e04: Mindfulness Meditations (Live at Hallé St Peter's)\u003cbr\u003e05: Tropical Landscapes (Live at Hallé St Peter's)\u003cbr\u003e06: Salute to the Sun (Live at Hallé St Peter's)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMatthew Halsall \/ Salute to the Sun: Live at Hallé St Peter's\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGONDD047 \/ GONDLP047 – 2LP\/DL released 03.12.2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSalute to the Sun: Live at Hallé St Peter's documents a very special concert recorded at the iconic Manchester venue during lockdown.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReleased in November 2020, Matthew's Halsall'sSalute to the Sunwas the trumpeter's first album since 2015'sInto Foreverand marked the debut of his new band. A hand-picked ensemble featuring some of Manchester's finest young musicians. The album drew it's energy from the band's weekly sessions and was inspired by Halsall's love of nature. Lush and spiritual it received universal praise, but Halsall and his band were frustrated that they were unable to share their beautiful new sound live with an audience.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn November 25th 2020, Halsall took his band into the iconic Manchester venue, Hallé St Peter's, for a concert recording in aid of the charity Mind, that was streamed on January 21st 2021 to a global audience in the thousands. The concert was also recorded for posterity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"When we recorded Salute to the Sun, I wanted to create something playful but also quite earthy and organic that connected to the sounds in nature. It seemed to strike a chord with people and I was blown away by the response to the album. Our concert film, recorded at the height of last winter's lockdown was a special moment for us all and I feel that the concert recording captured something beautiful that we wanted to share\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSalute to the Sun: Live at Hallé St Peter's featuresMatthew Halsall– trumpet,Matt Cliffe- flute \u0026amp; saxophone,Maddie Herbert– harp,Gavin Barras– bass,Liviu Gheorghe– piano,Alan Taylor– drums andJack McCarthy- percussion\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe recording has been mixed by Matthew Halsall andGeorge Atkinsat80 Hertzand is mastered byPeter BeckmannatTechnology Works. The vinyl was cut at Calyx in Berlin and the album is pressed at Optimal in Germany. It is presented in the form of a limited edition 2LP set with artwork by legendary designerIan AndersonofThe Designers Republic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSpread over three sides of the vinyl LP for maximum fidelity the fourth side of the LP (side D) features an etching ofDaniel Halsall's now iconic artwork for the album Salute to the Sun and copies are strictly limited with just 3000 available in total. The album will also be available for download and on streaming platforms.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41135095644316,"sku":"GONDLP047","price":27.52,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/2_17cfb36d-99f5-499a-972d-3860fca65187.jpg?v=1635268570"},{"product_id":"matthew-halsall-the-gondwana-orchestra-when-the-world-was-one-1","title":"Matthew Halsall \u0026 The Gondwana Orchestra - When The World Was One","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat:  Vinyl LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP010OP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarcode: 5050580752856\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: 26 March 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack in stock: 09 Feb 2022\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenre: Jazz (World Fusion)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: When The World Was One\u003cbr\u003e02: A Far Away Place\u003cbr\u003e03: Patterns\u003cbr\u003e04: Falling Water\u003cbr\u003e05: Sagano Bamboo Forest\u003cbr\u003e06: Kiyomizu-Dera\u003cbr\u003e07: Tribute To Alice Coltrane\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDouble Vinyl LP - Pressed at Optimal\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMatthew Halsall \u0026amp; The Gondwana Orchestra\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen The World Was One\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGondwana Records GOND011 - CD, 2LP and download - released 16th June 2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e29th May - Bristol St George's - Bristol\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e15th June - Band on the Wall - Manchester (Gondwana Records Festival)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e16th June - House Of St Barnabas Chapel - London\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e5th July - Love Supreme - Glynde Place, Sussex\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Rain-streaked spiritual jazz from Manchester.\" The Independent on Sunday\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"'Kind Of Blue' meets The Cinematic Orchestra ...;With hypnotic grooves, and a meditative slow-build to his solos, Halsall's music is saturated in a life-affirming glow\". Time Out\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOver the course of four albums, Manchester based trumpeter, composer, arranger and band-leader Matthew Halsall has carved out a niche for himself on the UK music scene as one of it's brightest talents. His languid, soulful music has won friends from Jamie Cullum and Gilles Peterson to Jazz FM and Mojo as well as an ever-growing international following. His label Gondwana Records is home to GoGo Penguin and his own albums have found Halsall exploring the modal jazz of John and Alice Coltrane, paying tribute to the hard bop of the late '50s and early '60s or most recently on Fletcher Moss Park drawing on Eastern influences in his most personal statement yet. His latest album When The World Was One is something of a companion piece to Fletcher Moss Park (much of the music was written at the same time) but draws more explicitly on Halsall's love of spiritual jazz and Eastern music as well as his own studies in meditation and travels in Japan. Beautifully recorded at Hasall's favourite studio, 80 Hertz in Manchester, and engineered by Brendan Williams and George Atkins it features the recording debut of Halsall's large ensemble, The Gondwana Orchestra, which utilises the exotic flavours of harp, koto and bansuri flute and Eastern scales to create a global palate for Halsall's life-affirming sounds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Gondwana Orchestra features long time collaborators Nat Birchall, saxophone, Gavin Barras, bass and Rachael Gladwin, harp as well as Taz Modi on piano. Modi who also plays with Halsall in their more electronic trio shares his passion for spiritual jazz and plays the music with real feeling while the role of the harp here is to bring a touch of 'magical reality' a floating dreaminess that is a vital part of Halsall's elegiac and beautiful music. The drummer Luke Flowers is perhaps best known as part of Cinematic Orchestra, and Halsall describes him as 'one of the best drummers in the world' and hails him for 'playing the music exactly as I heard it in my head', Keiko Kitamura is a Japanese Koto player who is becoming an increasingly important part of the Gondwana Orchestra, her role is similar to Gladwin's in that the koto helps free up the music while also bringing a real sound of the East. Finally, flautist Lisa Mallett brings a love of Indian music to the orchestra, much travelled on the continent she brings all of her knowledge and experience to play offering a unique texture to Halsall's dreamy melodies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe album opens with the title track, When The World Was One, an expansive ascending tune that nods to Art Blakey and McCoy Tyner and draws the listener in before giving way to the dreamy, meditative A Far Away Place which features great work from Gladwin on harp and draws on Eastern influences alongside the music of Alice Coltrane and Yusef Lateef. Falling Water which features the beautiful soprano of Nat Birchall nods to classic spiritual jazz as well, but mixes in the more contemporary influences of Nostalgia 77 and Cinematic Orchestra, while the hard-driving Patterns conjures an up-lifting celebratory vibe with fine work from pianist Modi to set the mood. The beautiful Kiyomizu-Dera is inspired by Halsall's travels in Japan and in particular his visit to the Buddhist temple of the same name. Likewise Sagano Bamboo Forest is named for another place that left a deep imprint on Halsall and aims to capture his feelings as he worked through the vast maze of bamboo trees. Finally the album closes with the self-explanatory Tribute To Alice Coltrane a grooving tribute to one of Halsall's key influences. Driven by a powerful bass line and featuring wonderful work from Mallet on bansuri flute and harpist Gladwin, the band all really find their way into Halsall's groove before the leader plays a beautiful wistful solo of his own and it is the oneness of the Gondwana Orchestra that makes it such a powerful vehicle for Halsall's music as the leader takes you on his very own journey through his musical and spiritual world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAirplay from Gilles Peterson, Jamie Cullum, various 6 Music, jazz FM, Patrick Forge, Dom Servini etc etc\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReviews in Mojo, Jazzwise, Guardian, Indy On Sunday, Echoes, Record Collector, AAA, Quietus etc etc\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInterviews, images and info from kerstan@riotsquadpublicity.com - 07775655575\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ewww.gondwanarecords.com\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41434414809244,"sku":"GONDLP010OP","price":27.52,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/MatthewHalsall_TheGondwanaOrchestra-WhenTheWorldWasOne_62a59eb8-a95d-4e7a-9a13-60e501dbf6eb.jpg?v=1644431792"},{"product_id":"matthew-halsall-the-gondwana-orchestra-1","title":"Matthew Halsall \u0026 The Gondwana Orchestra","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: Vinyl LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP013\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarcode: 5029385999858\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: 30 April 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack in stock: 9 Feb 2022\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenre: Jazz (Soul Jazz)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Only a Woman (feat. Josephine Oniyama)\u003cbr\u003e02: As I Walk (feat. Josephine Oniyama)\u003cbr\u003e03: Dawn Horizon\u003cbr\u003e04: Badder Weather (feat. Josephine Oniyama)\u003cbr\u003e05: These Goodbyes\u003cbr\u003e06: The Land Of\u003cbr\u003e07: Longshan Temple\u003cbr\u003e08: Cushendun\u003cbr\u003e09: Into Forever (feat. Josephine Oniyama)\u003cbr\u003e10: Daan Park\u003cbr\u003e11: Jamais Vu (feat. Bryony Jarman-Pinto)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the course of five albums, Manchester based trumpeter, composer, arranger and band-leader Matthew Halsall has carved out a niche for himself on the UK music scene as one of it's brightest talents. His languid, soulful music has won friends from Jamie Cullum and Gilles Peterson to Jazz FM and Mojo as well as an ever-growing international following. His new album Into Forever, puts the spotlight on Halsall the composer, arranger and producer. Halsall draws on a diverse range of influences from Alice Coltrane, Dorothy Ashby, Phil Cohran and Leon Thomas to the more contemporary sounds of The Cinematic Orchestra, Max Richter and Nils Frahm to deliver his most complete recording to date. Into Forever features renowned Manchester based soul poet Josephine Oniyama and rising star vocalist Bryony Jarman-Pinto (Werkha) as well as regular collaborators, flautist Lisa Mallett, harpist Rachael Gladwin, koto player Keiko Kitamura, pianist Taz Modi, bassist Gavin Barras and drummer Luke Flowers (The Cinematic Orchestra) and two percussionists Sam Bell and Chris Cruiks. The result is arguably Halsall's finest record, asublime melding of stripped back soulful funk and deep, minimalist, spiritual jazz, that will take you on a journey deep into forever!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eConfirmed reviews Mojo, BBC Music Mag, Jazzwise, Record Collector Independent On Sunday, Guardian, Quietus, all main jazzy blogs, Airplay from Jamie Cullum, Gilles Peterson, 6 Music, Jazz Line-up, Patrick Forge, Ross Allen and many more\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e9 date national tour including Liverpool Capstone Theatre Oct 1, Bristol St Georges Oct 15, Manchester St Peter's Church Oct 23, St Mary's Hastings Oct 28 and London Union Chapel Oct 29 plus Uber Jazz Hamburg Oct 31\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41434554531996,"sku":"GONDLP013","price":25.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_0b623070-d8ca-4258-aa35-fd631ae389fc.jpg?v=1644432089"},{"product_id":"matthew-halsall-colour-yes-special-edition-vinyl-lp-1","title":"Matthew Halsall - Colour Yes (Special Edition) [Vinyl LP]","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat:\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e Vinyl LP\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.:\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e GONDLP003SE\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode:\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e 5050580707849\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date:\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e 15 Aug 2021 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBack in stock: 18 Feb 2022\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Jazz (Free Jazz)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e01: Colour Yes\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02: Together\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03: I've Found Joy\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e04: Mudita\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e05: I've Been Here Before\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06: Me and You\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07: It's What We Do (Bonus Track)\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e08: Ai (Bonus Track)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMATTHEW HALSALL\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSENDING MY LOVE \u0026amp; COLOUR YES\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGONDCD001SE \/ GONDLP001SE – GONDCD003SE \/ GONDLP003SE\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBoth albums to be released simultaneously on November 8 – 2LP\/ CD \/ DL\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRemixed and remastered with bonus material and released on vinyl for the first time.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDeluxe 2LP editions with artwork re-imagined by Ian Anderson of The Designers Republic.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"If I could watch any jazz band in the UK, any, I would choose Matthew Halsall's band, just love what he's been doing over the last few years... It's always high level, spiritual jazz music\" Gilles Peterson BBC Radio 1\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMatthew Halsall (born September 11, 1983, in Manchester, England) is a Worldwide Award winning and MOBO nominated trumpeter, composer, producer and DJ. Since 2008, Matthew has released seven critically acclaimed studio recordings and has been a key figure in the rise of a new jazz sound in the UK. In addition to his own releases Halsall has collaborated with many DJs and producers, most notably DJ Shadow and Mr. Scruff, and in 2013 Matthew's music was selected by Bonobo for his Late Night Tales compilation. Halsall is also the founder of Gondwana Records, a genre bending independent record label featuring a wealth defining albums by the likes of Portico Quartet, GoGo Penguin, Hania Rani and Mammal Hands. His own rich music draws on the spiritual-jazz of Alice Coltrane and Phaorah Sanders, contemporary electronica and dance music alongside his travels in Japan, the traditional art and music of which, has left a lasting impression on his compositions.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSending My Love (2008) and Colour Yes (2009) were his first releases and document Halsall's first great bands featuring the likes of flautist Chip Wickham, saxophonist Nat Birchall, harpist Rachael Gladwin, bassist Gavin Barras and drummer Gaz Hughes. Joyful, life-enhancing albums, drawing on UK jazz and spiritual jazz influences but with a decidedly modern bounce, they introduced Halsall's music to the world gathering support from the likes of Gilles Peterson and Jamie Cullum, Mojo, Straight No Chaser and beyond. But Halsall was never completely happy with how the records were presented and as part of Gondwana Records 10th anniversary decided to revisit the recordings, meticulously remixing and remastering them for vinyl and commissioning new artwork from Ian Anderson, one of his favourite designers. These then are the definitive editions of the records. Sending My Love comes complete with the beautiful bonus track This Time, while Colour Yes features the equally striking It's What We Do and Ai.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"I am very proud of these early recordings. They represent the starting point of my musical journey in Manchester and showcase some of the cities finest musicians such as: Nat Birchall, Chip Wickham, Rachael Gladwin, Adam Fairhall, Gavin Barras and Gaz Hughes. They are also the very first recordings my brother and I decided to release on our record label (Gondwana Records). Listening back they sound full of energy and joy and really reflect how I was feeling at that precise moment. But as much as I loved the music, I was never 100 percent happy with the sound of the mixes and mastering. So I decided to go back to the original tapes to remix and remaster them and present them the way I'd always wanted, and along the way we unearthed a couple extra unreleased tracks, which we decided to include as bonus material. Myself and my brother also decided to bring in Ian Anderson of The Designers Republic to re-imagine the artwork and we are super blown away by the results!\" Matthew Halsall, Oct 2019\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41434808811676,"sku":"GONDLP003SE","price":31.35,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/MatthewHalsall-ColourYes_SpecialEdition_a7d32e5b-4aed-4cd6-87ae-146843abad69.jpg?v=1644432569"},{"product_id":"matthew-halsall-fletcher-moss-park-vinyl-lp-1","title":"Matthew Halsall - Fletcher Moss Park [Vinyl LP]","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: Vinyl LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP007OP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarcode: 5050580755734\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: 6th May 2021\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack in stock: 25 Feb 2022\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenre: Jazz (Soul Jazz)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Cherry Blossom\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e02: Fletcher Moss Park\u003cbr\u003e03: Mary Emma Louise\u003cbr\u003e04: Sailing out to Sea\u003cbr\u003e05: Wee Lan (Little Orchid)\u003cbr\u003e06: The Sun in September\u003cbr\u003e07: Finding My Way\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA welcome vinyl issue for Matthew Halsall's 2012 masterpiece, Fletcher Moss Park, specially re-mastered for this limited edition release.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReleased to critical acclaim and arguably Halsall's most complete recording Fletcher Moss Park is inspired by one of Manchester's most beautiful places. A rambling, multi-tiered park of walkways and dreamy gardens that offers the contemplative Halsall a place of peace and respite from the city, a meditative space to think and write in. The stillness and beauty of the surroundings have steeped into his beautiful compositions for this album. Elegant and sincere, Halsall's compositions draw on his love of spiritual jazz, modern dance music and favour an earthy honestly and direct communication over tricksy arrangements and it is this deceptively simple openness that gives his music such a unique flavor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFeaturing saxophonist Nat Birchall, harpist Rachael Gladwin, pianist Adam Fairhall \u0026amp; Taz Modi, bassist Gavin Barras and drummers Gaz Hughes \u0026amp; Luke Flowers plus a string quartet.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41473985347740,"sku":"GONDLP007OP","price":25.65,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/MatthewHalsall-FletcherMossPark_2c803169-1f66-454a-b909-9582a2124686.jpg?v=1645816303"},{"product_id":"matthew-halsall-sending-my-love-special-edition-1","title":"Matthew Halsall - Sending My Love (Special Edition)","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: Vinyl LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP001SE \/ GONDLP1SE\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarcode: 5050580707825\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: 22 Feb 2022 (back in)\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack in stock: 11 May 2022\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenre: Jazz (Free Jazz)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: On the Other Side of the World\u003cbr\u003e02: Reflections\u003cbr\u003e03: Freedom Song\u003cbr\u003e04: Sending My Love\u003cbr\u003e05: Sachi\u003cbr\u003e06: This Time (Bonus Track)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGONDCD001SE \/ GONDLP001SE – GONDCD003SE \/ GONDLP003SE\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBoth albums to be released simultaneously on November 8 – 2LP\/ CD \/ DL\u003cbr\u003eRemixed and remastered with bonus material and released on vinyl for the first time.\u003cbr\u003eDeluxe 2LP editions with artwork re-imagined by Ian Anderson of The Designers Republic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"If I could watch any jazz band in the UK, any, I would choose Matthew Halsall's band, just love what he's been doing over the last few years... It's always high level, spiritual jazz music\" Gilles Peterson BBC Radio 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMatthew Halsall (born September 11, 1983, in Manchester, England) is a Worldwide Award winning and MOBO nominated trumpeter, composer, producer and DJ. Since 2008, Matthew has released seven critically acclaimed studio recordings and has been a key figure in the rise of a new jazz sound in the UK. In addition to his own releases Halsall has collaborated with many DJs and producers, most notably DJ Shadow and Mr. Scruff, and in 2013 Matthew's music was selected by Bonobo for his Late Night Tales compilation. Halsall is also the founder of Gondwana Records, a genre bending independent record label featuring a wealth defining albums by the likes of Portico Quartet, GoGo Penguin, Hania Rani and Mammal Hands. His own rich music draws on the spiritual-jazz of Alice Coltrane and Phaorah Sanders, contemporary electronica and dance music alongside his travels in Japan, the traditional art and music of which, has left a lasting impression on his compositions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSending My Love (2008) and Colour Yes (2009) were his first releases and document Halsall's first great bands featuring the likes of flautist Chip Wickham, saxophonist Nat Birchall, harpist Rachael Gladwin, bassist Gavin Barras and drummer Gaz Hughes. Joyful, life-enhancing albums, drawing on UK jazz and spiritual jazz influences but with a decidedly modern bounce, they introduced Halsall's music to the world gathering support from the likes of Gilles Peterson and Jamie Cullum, Mojo, Straight No Chaser and beyond. But Halsall was never completely happy with how the records were presented and as part of Gondwana Records 10th anniversary decided to revisit the recordings, meticulously remixing and remastering them for vinyl and commissioning new artwork from Ian Anderson, one of his favourite designers. These then are the definitive editions of the records. Sending My Love comes complete with the beautiful bonus track This Time, while Colour Yes features the equally striking It's What We Do and Ai.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I am very proud of these early recordings. They represent the starting point of my musical journey in Manchester and showcase some of the cities finest musicians such as: Nat Birchall, Chip Wickham, Rachael Gladwin, Adam Fairhall, Gavin Barras and Gaz Hughes. They are also the very first recordings my brother and I decided to release on our record label (Gondwana Records). Listening back they sound full of energy and joy and really reflect how I was feeling at that precise moment. But as much as I loved the music, I was never 100 percent happy with the sound of the mixes and mastering. So I decided to go back to the original tapes to remix and remaster them and present them the way I'd always wanted, and along the way we unearthed a couple extra unreleased tracks, which we decided to include as bonus material. Myself and my brother also decided to bring in Ian Anderson of The Designers Republic to re-imagine the artwork and we are super blown away by the results!\" Matthew Halsall, Oct 2019\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41635439509660,"sku":"GONDLP001SE","price":25.18,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/MatthewHalsall-SendingMyLove_SpecialEdition_2d7f0579-9d64-4db8-9279-7d130bf23fd2.jpg?v=1652290056"},{"product_id":"phi-psonics-the-cradle-deluxe-edition","title":"Phi-Psonics - The Cradle (Deluxe Edition)","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 2 x LP, Transparent Violet Limited Edition\u003cbr\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP046VC\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580781108\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 27 May 2022\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Crossover Jazz\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: First Step - Phi-Psonics\u003cbr\u003e02: The Cradle - Phi-Psonics\u003cbr\u003e03: Desert Ride - Phi-Psonics\u003cbr\u003e04: Mama - Phi-Psonics\u003cbr\u003e05: Drum Talk - Phi-Psonics\u003cbr\u003e06: Like Glass - Phi-Psonics\u003cbr\u003e07: Still Dancing - Phi-Psonics\u003cbr\u003e08: The Searcher - Phi-Psonics\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGondwana Records sign LA bassist and composer Seth Ford-Young's Phi-Psonics project and announce a remastered deluxe-edition of The Cradle featuring bonus material\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePhi-Psonics is a meditative, immersive instrumental group from Los Angeles, led by bassist Seth Ford-Young and featuring Sylvain Carton on woodwinds, Mitchell Yoshida on electric piano, and Josh Collazo on drums. Their deeply soulfulmusic draws on jazz and classical influences together with Ford-Young's own musical experiences, relationships, and his introduction to spirituality, yoga and philosophy at a young age, to create something uniquely its own. Phi-Psonics' name and ultimate aim is to find 'Phi' – the golden mean – in art, nature and self. Ford-Young explains:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"It's a bit of a cliché, but music saved my life many times and instilled in me a belief in the great power of healing through art. It is my hope and intention that this music provides healing to someone somewhere.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginally from Washington DC area, Ford-Young moved to California in the early 90s and fell in love with the deep sounds of the upright bass and the music of Charles Mingus, John and Alice Coltrane, and Duke Ellington along with Bach, Chopin, Pärt, and Satie. He immersed himself deeply in music and keen to learn combinedintense personal study with collaborations, tours, and recordings with artists such as Tom Waits, Beats Antique, and John Vanderslice. In 2010 he moved from the San-Francisco Bay area to the Los Angeles hills and continued his explorations. But great music is rarely just about music and Ford-Young's meditative, soulful music draws on more than just the twin wellsprings of jazz and classical music:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"My mother was a yoga teacher from the early 70's until recently and taught me yoga and meditation at an early age, my stepfather is an Aikido instructor and student of the teachings of Gurdjieff. Those were all early areas of study that I came back to many times throughout my life. Phi-Psonics has been a project that unapologetically synthesizes some of these ideas into our music\".\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt's this mixture of influences, musical and extramusical, that gives the music of Phi-Psonics it's immersive quality and quiet power. Revealingly the music that would becomeThe Cradle, wasn't written specifically for an album, originally Ford-Young was just writing down what was coming through. As time went by and the album began to take shape, the world situation seemed to be getting darker and his compositions aim to offer hope as a response to the negative influences that abound today. Remarkably for such a beautiful sounding record, it was recorded at the composer's home, rather than in a studio, but the relaxed nature of this process gives the music an airy lightness that propels the music to some magical spaces.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginally self-released on vinyl in a limited run just as the world went into lockdown, The Cradle reached Matthew Halsall (founder of Gondwana Records) when he aws looking for music for his Worldwide FM show and he was blown away, hearing a kindred spirit at work. Halsall explains:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Phi-Psonics make beautiful, humble and honest music, it's not showy, but it has a deep vibe that will elevate your mind and soul if you let it. When we heard The Cradle we reached out and are really super delighted to welcome Seth and his band to our label\". Whereas for Ford Young: \"Connecting with Matthew and the Gondwana records family has been a light in the darkness of the last years - to have my music make connections even as we are more isolated.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFord-Young is currently putting the finishing touches to the second Phi-Psonics record, but aware that only a select few had heard The Cradle, let alone had the chance to buy a copy, and entranced by its deceptive simplicity and elevating energy, Halsall suggested that Gondwana present the album as a remastered 'deluxe edition' with an extended running time featuring extra tracks and new artwork from Daniel Halsall.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Cradle starts with First Step, perfectly setting the tone for the whole album, it is a beautiful, soulful slice of musical calm gently propelled by Ford-Young's resonant bass and elevated by sublime flute and Wurlitzer electric piano solos. The seductive title track The Cradle was written way back in 2011 during a time of great personal change that led the composer to a feeling of newness and nurture. The magical, winsome Desert Ride is inspired by many rides through the grandly cinematic Mojave Desert. You can experience how incredibly full of life it's harsh landscape is if you slow down to its tempo. The gentle, sublime Mama is a tribute to mothers of all kinds, beautiful and heroic. Drum Talk was largely improvised, Ford-Young and the band agreed on a topic and recorded their conversation. Choosing their notes based on how Josh's drums were tuned. Like Glass is named for the special properties of Glass. Like some music, glass is delicate, yet has structure. The first of the two bonus tracks Still Dancing was written during the early days of 2020 in response to the challenges we all were facing then. It's a reminder that the figurative dance continues and that real dancing is essential. And the second, The Searcher, also written as a response to 2020, is a gently hypnotic song about the introspection and growth that can spring from a difficult situation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis then is The Cradle, a quiet self-contained masterpiece, life-affirming and elevating in equal measure and the first offering from a wonderful new voice in spiritual jazz and the latest members of the global Gondwana Records family.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41652393214108,"sku":"GONDLP046VC","price":29.05,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_1ac8bde9-f36a-4b3c-9653-cc299a6ed9da.png?v=1653069560"},{"product_id":"portico-quartet-memory-streams-vinyl-lp","title":"Portico Quartet - Memory Streams [Vinyl LP]","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat: Vinyl LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP034 \/ GONDLP34\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580716384\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 6 Aug 22\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Jazz (Crossover Jazz)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e01: With, Beside, Against\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02: Signals in the Dusk0\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03: Gradient\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e04: Ways of Seeing\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e05: Memory Palace\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06: Offset\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07: Dissident Gardens\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e08: Double Helix\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e09: Immediately Visible\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Portico Quartet stake claims to territory occupied by Radiohead, Cinematic Orchestra and Efterklang\". The Guardian *****\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePortico Quartet return with Memory Streams, their fifth studio album and one that continues the journey that first started with 2008's Mercury nominated debut Knee Deep in the North Sea. It's a creative path that has seen the band embrace new technology and explore ambient and electronic influences alongside minimalism, jazz and beyond. It is a process that has encouraged change. Each album has seen the band expand its palate or explore new trajectories. From the gentle charm of their breakthrough's inimitable mix of jazz, world and minimalist influences, to the tight-knit brilliance of Isla, the electronic infused eponymous Portico Quartet to 2016's return Art in the Age of Automation (the band's most electronic statement to date) they have never been a band to look backwards. Each record has been its own world, its own statement and offered its own meaning. It's the mark of a band that has always both stood apart from any scene and been prepared to challenge its self and find new things to say and to push the limits of what they could do.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIt is an approach that has encouraged the band to plough their own furrow. Drummer Duncan Bellamy notes that \"For better or worse I think we have always been quite an isolated band. Perhaps that comes from never feeling like we really belonged to or fit in to a scene when we first started making music\" While for saxophonist Jack Wyllie \" I feel more connected to other musicians these days and those relationships influence the sound we have in some way. But I wouldn't say we feel a part of scene, it still feels quite out on its own, which is cool, because it helps the music feel unique\".\u2028\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe band's new album, Memory Streams is part of the same continuum and yet, as the name hints, there is a sense here of a remembering, shards of past influences, hints of ideas re-forged. For Wyllie, Memory Streams \"feels in some ways about the identity of the band, about the records we've made before, and the memory of them\" whereas for Bellamy it suggests \"a torrent of imagery, accessing and reliving archived memories, perhaps not even your own\".\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSonically, the album embraces the classic Portico Quartet sound pallet of drums, saxophone, bass and Hang-Drums, but nonetheless the sound has modulated, become more modern, whilst still channelling the beauty and mystery which has always marked the very best of Portico Quartet's music. It's the sound of a band at ease with its self who after a dozen years of recording and playing together are able to simultaneously explore and embrace their own identity.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMemory Streams also marks a return to a more predominantly band orientated sound than AITAOA and its partner release, the mini-album Untitled. Bellamy says \"we wanted to create something that had texture, fibre and space to it. Something that felt vivid, real and alive\". During recording the band re-amped a lot of the sounds on the record, a process which lends a sense of depth and spaciousness to the sound. Wyllie adds, \"We tried to reduce the pallet to what really identified the band and also as a way to help us write - it's not easy if you have unlimited possibilities. But it was also was an interesting challenge as it was about writing something new, that felt like a development, whilst also drawing on the past\".\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMemory Streams opens with With, Beside, Against which has an expansive, quietly unfolding quality that makes it the perfect album opener and was also one of the first tracks they wrote for the album. Signals is a creeping, mysterious track that captures the spirit of the record. It's hypnotic, rolling quality builds throughout with shades of a classic Portico Quartet tune but with a 'tougher' edge. The outstanding Gradient is a more produced piece. Mixing lo-fi and beautifully recorded acoustic parts together it grows from a simple, repeated Hang-Drum motif, outwards into a searching hypnotic crescendo. Ways of Seeing is a synthesis of minimalism and more dancefloor-oriented rhythms. A lone pulse from the drum machine cuts through a haze of chiming, swirling Hang-Drums and pads built from shards of looped saxophone. Memory Palace is a distant echo of the motif from Gradient, and is a bare, slow piano piece shrouded in a mist of saxophone noise. The punchy Offset is all about motion and tension and Bellamy's drums pound in response. Dissident Gardens is an intricate, hypnotic track in 3 parts. Almost prog like in rhythm but has a strong minimalist element to it with Farfisa organs as the repetitive top lines. Double Helix begins with string swells, it stops and jolts as if someone is switching TV channels before locking into a deep groove. The beautifully sparse, emotional heft of Immediately Visible sits in a powerful lineage of Portico Quartet tracks such as Line, Rubidium and Beyond Dialogue. It was largely improvised in the studio and offers the perfect ending point for the album with its sense of journey and deep well of feeling. An album that locates their music in an age where we have unfettered access to a vast and ever expanding archive of imagery and ideas, Memory Streams both embraces and builds on Portico Quartet's own unique music and legacy and locates their music firmly in the present.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLive Dates:\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e15 Sept Eilan festival, Terschelling NL\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e23 Oct La Gaite Lyrique, Paris FR\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e24 Oct Le Brice Glasse, Annercy FR\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e01 Nov Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich, UK\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02 Nov Barbican Centre, London UK\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06 Nov Gorilla Manchester, UK\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07 Nov Trinity Centre, Bristol, UK\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e08 Nov Sage 2 Gateshead, UK\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e09 Nov The Art School, Glasgow, UK\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e13 Nov Super Sonic Jazz, Amsterdam NL\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e21 Nov Le Roma, Antwerp, BE\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e27 Nov Heimathafen, Berlin GE\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ewww.porticoquartet.com\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ewww.gondwanarecords.com\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41826270970012,"sku":"GONDLP034","price":25.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/PorticoQuartet-MemoryStreams_7e939da0-5e70-40a4-be14-8da1f212a726.jpg?v=1659787146"},{"product_id":"sunda-arc-tides-crystal-clear-vinyl","title":"Sunda Arc - Tides [Crystal Clear Vinyl]","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: LP, Crystal Clear Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP035LE \/ GONDLP35LE\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580792913\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 04 Nov 2022\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Ambient\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Another Life - Sunda Arc\u003cbr\u003e02: Cluster - Sunda Arc\u003cbr\u003e03: Dawn - Sunda Arc\u003cbr\u003e04: Hymn - Sunda Arc\u003cbr\u003e05: Secret Window - Sunda Arc\u003cbr\u003e06: Everything at Once - Sunda Arc\u003cbr\u003e07: Thessaloniki - Sunda Arc\u003cbr\u003e08: Daemon - Sunda Arc\u003cbr\u003e09: Collapse - Sunda Arc\u003cbr\u003e10: Vespers - Sunda Arc\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSunda Arc are brothers Nick Smart and Jordan Smart. Best known as key members of folk and jazz influenced minimalists Mammal Hands, their Sunda Arc project takes inspiration from the likes of Jon Hopkins, Rival Consoles, Moderat and Nils Frahm as well as their own music world. Their debut EP 'Flicker' was released in December 2018 and now the duo are set to release their debut LP, 'Tides' on 7th February 2020.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNamed for a volcanic arc in the Indian Ocean, created by the process of massive tectonic plates colliding, Sunda Arc strives to mingle electronic and acoustic sounds until they become almost indistinguishable from each other. It's a process where they draw the acoustic properties and quirks out of electronic sounds and find the electronic potential in acoustic sounds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Finding the ghost in the machine or blending the human elements of playing live is something we are always trying to explore in our work. Experimentation is a large part of our process and we tend to combine carefully composed material with chaotic ideas to find the balance between the two\" — Sunda Arc\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Tides', their debut album, takes its name from the idea of unseen forces that can affect our lives in myriad ways, being pushed and pulled and at the whim of powerful forces outside of our control as well as offering a nod to things such as the tides on our planet, tectonic plate movements and weather systems. There are often chaotic elements in these systems that function in a way that produce a type of controlled randomness on a large scale.This is something they try to reflect in their music by adopting some of the ways these systems work into musical sequences, and using ideas such as chaos theory to control musical parameters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Tides is a reference to themes we were thinking a lot about during the making of this album. These include the similarities between macro and micro systems, or the circulatory and nervous systems in the body. Things that produce a type of controlled randomness on a large scale\". — Sunda Arc\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Hymn', the first single from the album, uses Nick's voice sampled and played back through a keyboard to create a human yet electronic feel. It mixes soft vocals with heavier electronic elements to create a danceable yet human sound world. 'Dawn', is best described as uplifting-techno, its use of repeated phrases building in intensity and variations to put you into a hypnotic state whilst also being industrial and danceable. 'Daemon' is one of the tracks that really resonates live. Drawing on the sound of UK dubstep it's intense but fun and the bass clarinet blends with synths at the end to create a sound almost like a vocal. 'Secret Window' brings forward another side of the band, focusing around a lo-fi recording of felted piano and bass clarinet. These are blended with granularised and processed versions of themselves which emerge like ghosts of the instruments throughout the track. 'Cluster' is another key track. It utilises a small group of notes looped in an unusual way to create a sense of cascading patterns over a solid danceable drum groove. It emphasises soprano sax blended into the sound world half-way through to lift into the final section.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42123177033884,"sku":"GONDLP035LE","price":29.05,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_be520b55-630c-4e17-a2c4-371b0f88092f.png?v=1667149077"},{"product_id":"portico-quartet-ensemble-terrain-extended-live-in-studio-one-an-abbey-road-90th-session-2lp","title":"Portico Quartet Ensemble - Terrain (Extended) - Live in Studio One: An Abbey Road 90th Session [2LP]","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat: 2 x LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP053 \/ GONDLP53\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580778788\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 02 Dec 2022\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Crossover Jazz \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e01: Terrain I (Extended) - Live in Studio One: An Abbey Road 90th Session [Live] - Portico Quartet Ensemble\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02: Terrain II (Extended) - Live in Studio One: An Abbey Road 90th Session [Live] - Portico Quartet Ensemble\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03: Terrain III (Extended) - Live in Studio One: An Abbey Road 90th Session [Live] - Portico Quartet Ensemble\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGondwana Records and Portico Quartet announce a strictly limited edition collectors-item\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFeaturing an expanded version of their long-form composition Terrain and re-arranged for the Portico Quartet Ensemble and recorded live in Studio One\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTerrain (Extended) features an expanded version of the composition re-arranged for the Portico Quartet Ensemble – a subtle re-configuration of the band that features a string quartet - and which allowed for the composition's deeper textures and resonances to be fully explored, along the way expanding the dialogue between tranquillity and a subtly unsettling melancholy, that makes Terrain such a beautiful, powerful piece.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e9th November 2021 was a very special session. The band (who had first recorded at Abbey Road for their second album Isla back in 2009), brought long-term collaborator, recording and mix engineer, Greg Freeman over from Berlin to work with Abbey Road's Chris Bolster and the resulting concert film Terrain (Extended) - Live in Studio One An Abbey Road 90th Session received it's world premiere broadcast on the Gondwana Youtube channel on Thursday 20th October. Now Gondwana Records is super proud to announce the ultimate collector's edition of this special recording. Limited to just 1500 individually numbered and stamped LPs and 1000 CDs.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRecorded live at Abbey Road Studio One. Mixed in Berlin by the band's longterm collaborator Greg Freeman. Audio mastered by John Davis at Metropolis Studios. Vinyl cut by John Davis at Metropolis Studios\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAvailable only on beautiful transparent clear two disc vinyl pressed at Optimal in Germany or on limited edition CD or digital download\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLP and CD are presented in an uncoated gatefold sleeve printed in Pantone Cool Gray 4 with release details sticker.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn addition, the LP features a 12 page booklet with a half front page and translucent paper overlay, glued into a gatefold and the CD features 12-page booklet, glued into a gatefold.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDesigned by veil projects.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEach LP and CD are hand stamped and the LP comes packed in reusable 'Japanese style' polyprop sleeves - with sealable flap - for protection\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRecording Credits:\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDuncan Bellamy - drum set, MPC1000 sampler\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJack Wyllie - saxophone, prepared piano\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTaz Modi - Prophet 08, Juno 60, bass guitar\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eKeir Vine - hang drums, piano\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSimmy Singh - violin\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eJoy Becker - violin\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLaura Senior - violin\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRachel Shakespeare - cello\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMixed by Greg Freeman and Portico Quartet\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEngineer – Chris Bolster\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAssistant Engineers – Marta Di Nozzi \/ Daniel Hayden\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAudio Mastered and vinyl cut by John Davis at Metropolis Studios\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDesigned as collectors items these editions will not be re-pressed.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eStrictly-limited to 1500 LPs \u0026amp; 1000 CDs, stamped with a unique number.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe LP includes a download code offering a digital version in 24bit \/ 96\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRecorded live at Abbey Road Studio One. Mixed in Berlin by the band's long-term collaborator Greg Freeman. Audio mastered by and vinyl cut by John Davis at Metropolis Studios.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLimited to 1500 copies*\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eVinyl cut by John Davis at Metropolis Studios\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOn beautiful transparent clear two disc vinyl pressed at Optimal in Germany\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eUncoated gatefold sleeve printed in Pantone Cool Gray 4 with release details sticker\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe LP features a 12-page booklet with a half front page and translucent paper overlay, glued into the gatefold.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePacked in reusable ' Japanese style' polyprop sleeves - with sealable flap - for protection\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHand-packed and individually numbered Includes download code.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDesigned by veil projects.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e*please note that we produced 1600 copies for quality control purposes and so while we are only releasing 1500 in total – numbers may go up to 1600.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCD\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eStrictly limited to 1000\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe CD features a 12-page booklet, glued into the gatefold\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHand-packed and individually numbered\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDesigned by veil projects\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42198270050460,"sku":"GONDLP053","price":41.78,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_9b296908-791b-4dba-b8c7-77b74f7c668d.jpg?v=1669650160"},{"product_id":"hanakiv-goodbyes-clear-vinyl","title":"Hanakiv - Goodbyes [Clear Vinyl]","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat: Clear Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP058LE\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580790841\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 10 Mar 2023\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Crossover Jazz\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e01: Goodbye - Hanakiv\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02: Meditation III - Hanakiv\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03: And it felt so nice - Hanakiv\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e04: Lies - Hanakiv\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e05: No Words Left - Hanakiv\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06: Meditation II - Hanakiv\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07: Home II - Hanakiv\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e08: Home I - Hanakiv\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGondwana Records announces 'Goodbyes' the debut album from Estonian pianist and composer, Hanakiv, a deeply beautiful, meditative piano album featuring special guest Alabaster dePlume\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"This is an album about healing. It is about saying your goodbyes to everything that doesn't serve you anymore. Each of these songs has a little goodbye in it. So, these are very beautiful and necessary goodbyes\".\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHanakiv is a young composer and musician from Estonia (now based in London) who creates meditative piano-based ambient music with elements from classical and electronic music. 'Goodbyes' is her debut recording and draws on influences as diverse as Tim Hecker, Björk \"Vespertine\", Kara-Lis Coverdale, Arvo Pärt, Erkki-Sven Tüür and Aphex Twin as well as her own cultural heritage. Music has an important part in Estonian culture, especially choir music and its traditions, but Hanakiv also draws on her love of nature – the beautiful Estonian seaside and forests - and on her time in Iceland. However, it was moving to London that gave her the freedom to make her own music: \"London gave me the freedom and courage to really be who I am (as a person and musically)\" and her heritage and her new home both offer inspiration to Goodbyes, as Hanakiv moves between these two opposite places, a bustling metropolis and a small country full of nature, drawing inspiration from both as she sculpts her own voice.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHanakiv had an unconventional music education – she started studying music at a school for handbells when she was nine and was part of a handbell ensemble for eight years. Starting on piano at the same time she went on to study composition at high school, and later at the Estonian Academy of Music. Eventually switching to electroacoustic composition, she studied in Reykjavik, and did internships in Malmö, and again Reykjavik before moving to London. She grew up in a musical family and her grandmother was a piano teacher and choir conductor.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"I would always ask her to take me to her choir rehearsals. I remember sitting under the grand piano, listening to the choir and just being mesmerised by the sounds. She also teaches in a local music school in the south of Estonia with about ten pianos, and I'd spend a lot of time there as well. I believe this was the starting point for me to get to where I am now. The last two pieces on the album (Home II and Home I) are composed in this same music school, so it feels like a full circle.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAn early influence was Regina Spektor \"the first artist who made me really want to play piano\" alongside dream pop and Sigur Rós' as well as Estonian contemporary composers such as Erkki-Sven Tüür and Arvo Pärt. Later her studies took her to Reykjavík: \"There is this amazing record shop called 12 Tónar in Reykjavik where you can drink espressos and listen to all their vinyls. I spent quite a lot of time there. There is something about Icelandic music that really excited me (the mixture of contemporary electronic sounds with melancholy, emotionality). This is when I started getting more into electronic music, and experimenting outside of classical music\". Following a year long break from studying and inspired by making an electroacoustic soundtrack for a friend's abstract video, she was inspired to complete a masters in electroacoustic composition, diving fully into the worlds of sound recording and mixing and focusing on surround sound and how to position and move sounds in space, eventually doing an internship with composer Kent Olofson in Malmö, who works with multi-speaker systems for theatre productions. \"I learnt a lot from him and he introduced me to some of my favourite plugins I've used a lot on this album as well.\"\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHanakiv moved to London just as the pandemic hit and found herself trapped, in a big new city, without any network or family and so just concentrated on making music. \"I stayed in my room with my basic equipment - keyboard, Korg minilogue, SM 58 and Rode nt1-a microphones, laptop and speakers. I was reading about mixing, and trying out different things and listening to a lot of music to get the sense of the mixes and production and finishing a commission piece for 5.1 multi speaker system at that time so I set up four speakers for quadrophonic surround sound in my room!\". She also found her way back to piano - my instrument – and started practicing again, playing the pieces she used to play, but also just improvising, and this was the beginning of what would become her debut album, 'Goodbyes'.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"I started appreciating everything about music again (even melody!), and everything just came together naturally, and I arrived to a point where I finally found my voice, and I had something that I wanted to say and share. I composed \"Meditation I\" first and started with \"Goodbye\", and all the other pieces are derived from that. Without \"Meditation I\" there wouldn't be this album. If you listen closely, \"Meditation I\" starts where \"Goodbye\" ends; \"Meditation II\" is born from \"Meditation I\".\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBut it was meeting Fi Roberts, a sound engineer based at the legendary Strongrom Studios in Shoreditch, London in December 2020 that really brought the album into focus. The pair bonded over an interest in prepared piano and a similar approach to production ideas (a balance of not overdoing it, and letting the songs speak for themselves, but being open to explore) and Fi became a friend but also a confidant and eventually co-producer\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"Fi has a big impact on this record but I don't know how to really explain that properly. Of course, this album is sonically stunning thanks to her amazing mixes and recording skills, but she also believed in this music so much and it created something very special - that's difficult to measure with words. She just works with heart, and I really appreciate that\"\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis then is 'Goodbyes', the first offering from a major new voice, who offers us a meditative work full of space and tranquillity but also life and friendship and meaning. And we are very proud to welcome her to the Gondwana family.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42283354128540,"sku":"GONDLP058LE","price":29.05,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_0930f0d4-cfe6-413e-b519-43d411a0326c.jpg?v=1673793599"},{"product_id":"vega-trails-tremors-in-the-static-lp","title":"Vega Trails - Tremors in the Static [LP]","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat: LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP049 \/ GONDLP49\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580769724\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 24 Jan 23 [back in]\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Crossover Jazz\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e01: Love your Grace\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02: Train to Kyoto\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03: Spiral Slow\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e04: Thoughts Shifting\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e05: Closer\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06: New Planet\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07: Red Moon Rising\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e08: Epic Dream\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e09: Tremors in the Static\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eVega Trails is a new project from double-bassist and composer Milo Fitzpatrick, a founder member of Portico Quartet, who has also performed with the likes of Nick Mulvey and Jono McCleary and features saxophonist Jordan Smart (Mammal Hands, Sunda Arc) in a richly powerful duo bringing together two powerfully charismatic musicians. The project which takes its name from Carl Sagan's science fiction novel 'Contact' (a book about signals of new life detected from the Vega system) andwas born out of a desire to bring the elements of bass and melody to the foreground in their rawest form and Fitzpatrick explains that he deliberatelychose the stripped back approach.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"There is so much in just one musician's sound; the emotional, the intellectual, the vulnerability and power of their character. But often these delicate nuances can be submerged in the quest for a group sound. In Vega Trails I wanted to grant the musicians space to breathe and be heard and for the listener to witness the intimacy and depth of a conversation between two voices, bass and melody. I was also interested in how the limitations would guide both the composition and performance and to push us both to places close to the limits of what we could play, and it is in this place where I believe the character of a musician blossoms and comes forward\".\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTremors in the Static was composed during Lockdown as Fitzpatrick immersed himself in music that had space and sparseness such as Swedish fiddle music and Indian Classical music. Jan Johansson's legendary 'Jazz på Svenska' (jazz versions of Swedish folk songs) was another influence, as was a collection of ancient lullabies by Spanish soprano singer Montserrat Figueras. Through exploring the harmonic and textural possibilities on the bass, Fitzpatrick would cycle riffs and motifs whilst singing melodies, and he began to create the music debuted here. However, it was only after listening to Charlie Haden's album of duets, 'Closeness', that the project would come into focus as a duo, and Fitzpatrick immediately knew that the second musician had to be Jordan Smart.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"I saw Jordan play at two Gondwana Records events – in Berlin and Tokyo. Both times I was mesmerised by the intensity and conviction of his playing. His commitment to the cause of transcending himself and the listener made a lasting impression on me. When I began writing this record, I knew I needed a strong player who had equal conviction in their playing as me, but also someone who understood the importance of melody\"\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIt was an inspired idea as Smart brought an openness and positivity which allowed the music to be both experimental and bold. Smart's ability to play tenor and soprano saxophone with equal command, as well as bass clarinet and Ney flute, allowed them to open up the pallet of sound and pull the melodies into varying emotional landscapes.The final piece of the puzzle was the performance space. Fitzpatrick knew that he wanted the two players to react off of a third element. The music was written for an ambient space which interacted with the notes: decaying and disintegrating them into silence. They found the perfect space in a church in Fitzpatrick's local neighbourhood of Stamford Hill.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"The recording space is the canvas on which the sound interacts and flows, it is the frame in which notes can live, breathe and die and is as important as the other elements. A resonant recording space, like a church, allows this stripped back sound to resonate, echo and linger, enough to create images and landscapes in which stories can play out\".\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThis then is Vega Trails, a project that brings together two open-mined and communicative musicians for the first time, to tell beautiful winding stories together and to create something soulful and new.Something bigger than both of them and something that leaves us all richer for hearing it. Enjoy!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42302200840348,"sku":"GONDLP049","price":29.45,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/unnamed_1_fe76c569-c629-4683-a317-f2c4da823826.jpg?v=1674591559"},{"product_id":"hania-rani-esja-vinyl-lp","title":"Hania Rani - Esja [Vinyl LP]","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat:  Vinyl LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP030\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580702165\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 27 Jan 23 [back in]\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Electronica\/Dance (Ambient)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e01: Eden\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02: Sun\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03: Hawaii Oslo\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e04: Pour Trois\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e05: Biesy\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06: Luka\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07: Glass\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e08: Today It Came\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e09: Esja\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e10: Now, Run\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLP comes with heavy weight reverse board sleeve including a double sided printed insert plus digital download code.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"I think I am the same as an artist and as a person. Music is my way of communication and I see the art, the music as a whole thing, with no borders, divisions, or even genres.\"\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eHania Rani is a pianist, composer and musician who splits her life between Warsaw, where she makes her home, and Berlin where she studied and often works. She has written for strings, piano, voice and electronics and has collaborated with the likes of Christian Löffler, Dobrawa Czocher and Hior Chronik, and released an album with her Polish group tęskno last year. She has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in Europe - from the National Philharmony in Warsaw, to Funkhaus in Berlin, to The Roundhouse in London (where she made her debut at the Gondwana 10thanniversary festival last October) and at festivals such as Open'er, Scope Festival and Eurosonic. Her compositions for solo piano were born out of a fascination with the piano as an instrument, and her desire to interpret its sound and harmonic possibilities in their entirety and in her own way.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eEsja is her debut solo album and for Rani it is her first, real, personal statement as an artist. \"No hiding behind the \"collaborations\" or \"projects\" anymore. For the very first time, finally - just me, as I am\".\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRecorded at Rani's apartment in Warsaw (the piano room has a beautiful reverb and the space has become part art studio and part sound laboratory for Rani) and at her friend Bergur Þórisson'sstudio in Reykjavik, Esja is a series of beautiful melodic vignettes. Sensual, sensitive, rhythmic, atmospheric, free but harmonious, beguiling and hypnotic, collectively they project a sense of unlimited space and time.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eExpect support from accross the media spectrum from Mojo to Uncut and Gilles Peterson and Mary Ann Hobbs on 6 Music to Radio 3 and beyond. Full servicing to the Gondwana Records datebase.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConfirmed tour dates\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e25.04. Poznan\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e27.04. Brussels\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03.05. Newcastle\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e11.05. Berlin\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eTo be confirmed soon:\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLondon, Dublin, Manchester, Amsterdam\/ Utrecht, Hamburg, Paris and Milan for May.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42302201954460,"sku":"GONDLP030","price":29.45,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/esja_412802bb-fa66-497d-8001-7910428462b4.jpg?v=1674591671"},{"product_id":"chip-wickham-cloud-10-black-vinyl","title":"Chip Wickham - Cloud 10 [Black Vinyl]","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat: LP, Black Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP051 \/ GONDLP51\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580777675\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 10 Feb 23 [back in]\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Crossover Jazz\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e01. Cloud 10\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02. Stratospheric\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03. Lower East Side\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e04. Winter\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e05. Tubby Chaser\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06. Dark Eyes\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07. The Hit\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e08. Before I Go\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSaxophonist, flautist Chip Wickham takes us to Cloud 10 with his most soulful and lyrical album to date\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eChip Wickham is a jazz musician and producer who divides his time between Spain, UK and the Middle-East and who has made a name for himself with a series of beautifully crafted solo albums that draw equally on the hard swinging spiritual jazz of Roland Kirk, Yusef Lateef and Sahih Shihab, alongside the music of British jazz legends such as Tubby Hayes and Harold McNair and the more contemporary sounds of Jazzanova, Kyoto Jazz Massive and Robert Glasper.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eOriginally from Brighton, Chip studied in Manchester and became involved in the 00's UK jazz, soul. trip-hop and funk scenes, working with the likes of The Pharcyde, The New Mastersounds and Nightmares On Wax as well as playing with Matthew Halsall's Gondwana Orchestra. And his relationship with Gondwana Records goes right back to the very beginning as he played on Halsall's 2008 debut Sending My Love.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCloud 10 is his debut album for Gondwana Records (following a 12\" of Lonnie Liston Smith covers in May) and it is a wonderful, timeless, lyrical, slice of hard-hitting, soulful, spiritual jazz and modal hard-bop with a distinctly UK flavour - driven by Chip's deftly funky flute work and hard-hitting tenor. Underpinned by Chip's restless energy and driven by his desire to connect with the listener on a deeper level.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"My albums are my legacy. Each one is a statement to the world of music and my contribution to its growth, its energy and ultimately its history.\"\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCloud 10 features pianist Phil Wilkinson, vibes player Ton Risco, bassist Sneaky and drummer Jon Scott (all veterans of previous albums) together with harpist Amanda Whiting and percussionist Jack McCarthy whom Chip met touring in the Gondwana Orchestra, and rising star Irish trumpeter Eoin Grace who also doubles on flugel horn. The album was recorded at the legendary all analogue Estudios Brazil in Madrid, with the band spending a week at Chip's house in the mountains just outside the city, eating and drinking together, listening to music till the small hours and recording all day. It was a magical time and the positivity seeped into the recording.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"It was a beautiful week of pure music and joy, I think you can hear it in the recording and that's the inspiration for the title: Cloud 10 is a place of a great happiness, way out beyond Cloud 9!\"\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAnd it is that purity, energy and joy, that makes Cloud 10 such a life-affirming recording and makes Chip the perfect addition to the Gondwana Records family. Lean in, you'll be on Cloud 10 too!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42318175535260,"sku":"GONDLP051","price":25.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_dbec0655-311f-4950-9f34-0d863f6a89d0.png?v=1675361551"},{"product_id":"mammal-hands-gift-from-the-trees-2lp","title":"Mammal Hands - Gift from the Trees [2LP]","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat: 2 x LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP061 \/ GONDLP61\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580795938\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 31 Mar\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e2023\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Crossover Jazz\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e01: The Spinner - Mammal Hands\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02: Riser - Mammal Hands\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03: Nightingale - Mammal Hands\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e04: Kernel - Mammal Hands\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e05: (Intro) Dimu - Mammal Hands\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06: Dimu - Mammal Hands\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07: Deep within Mountains - Mammal Hands\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e08: Labyrinth - Mammal Hands\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e09: Kai - Mammal Hands\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e10: Sleeping Bear - Mammal Hands\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMammal Hands announce spell-binding new album 'Gift from the Trees', their fifth studio album, pointing to subtle shifts and exciting new departures for the unique trio\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\"We're at a point now where playing and writing together can sometimes feel almost telepathic, that as individuals we can tune in to a collective resonance...\"\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMammal Hands fifth album 'Gift from the Trees' offers a fresh perspective on the unique trio's singular music. The first to be recorded in a residential studio, the band enjoyed the opportunity to go late into the night searching for a deeper, more organic experience, closer to both their writing process but also their trance-like live performances. While some of the music was pre-composed and had even been performed live, the band also enjoyed the opportunity to improvise ideas in the studio. Drummer Jesse Barrett explains:\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWe wanted to have a more immersive experience that felt closer to our writing process. One thing that was really important to us was feeling free to jam out ideas as they came to us. We're at a point now where playing and writing together can sometimes feel almost telepathic, that as individuals we can tune in to a collective resonance and just follow that thread where it wants to go. Sometimes it's something as simple as a rhythmic, textural flow, like in Sleeping Bear.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThere was also a conscious decision to move away from the sound and ambiance of the recording studio, with the band opting to engineer the record with their go-to live engineer Benjamin Capp before mixing the sessions with Greg Freeman in Berlin. The idea was to try and capture more of the energy of the band's captivating shows, saxophonist Jordan Smart explains:\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eConsidering the group of tracks we had, it made sense to try and capture this process as organically and honestly as possible, and so a change in studio environment felt like the right move to us. Some of the tracks have a raw joy and energy that came with being able to play together again after a long period of time of having been apart, and capture that feeling of just being happy to be in a room with our instruments altogether again.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eWhereas for pianist Nick Smart there was also the chance to really go deep into the band's music:\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe new studio environment really opened us up to different ways of working and thinking because we could record at any hour of the day or night. I think this allowed us much more freedom to try unusual ideas and push elements of the music to extremes because we had the time to really focus in on the detail and work on things without time pressure. With some tracks, we were trying to find the boundaries of our playing ability and push beyond that point. With others, it was just getting into the right mindset and putting as much energy and emotion into the take as possible.'\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe Welsh environment outside the studio doors seeped into the music presented on Gift from the Trees, with two recording sessions (one in winter and one in the spring) bringing different moods: one bleak and wintery, the other more hopeful and bright – an energy that permeates through tracks such as Kernel and Dimu.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGift from the Trees opens with wonderfully elevating The Spinner which grew from one of Nick's piano parts and was developed and arranged into a complete tune without losing the feeling of constant flow and motion. It is almost like a dance, with the interaction of different melody parts and the doubling of certain parts melding together and fitting into the overall energetic flow, while Jesse's drums are both floating and deeply melodic. Riser aims to capture the band's raw energy and intriguingly is influenced by both breaks and modern drum production but also minimalist classical composition. Nightingale features the band at their most delicate and lyrical – a band favourite it draws heavily on modern folk with a beautifully realised melody that came unforced to pianist Nick Smart before being jammed out together. It was recorded early one morning, bringing an extra light and brightness to this beautiful performance.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAnother album highlight is Dimu which utilises one of drummer Jesse Barret's favourite rhythmic devices from the Tabla repertoire and draws inspiration from Indian, Greek and Arabic music as well as modern folk arrangements. Dimu starts with saxophone over a bed of drones and percussion and moves through many different sections that frame and present the melodies in unique ways. The beguiling, intimate Deep within Mountains aims to place you in the room with the band as they play; it was recorded late at night to capture a dreamlike, liminal ambiance. The piano solo really reflects this mood and energy while the tenor is some of the softest and closest on the recording. Elsewhere, the remarkable Labyrinth started with what Nick describes as \"some weird recording on my phone from a soundcheck, where Jordan was playing some crazy sounding bass clarinet part and I quickly recorded him\", giving birth to a captivating, complex slice of propulsive 'almost' contemporary classical that like so much of the music on Gift from the Trees really couldn't be any other band than Mammal Hands.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFinally, the album draws to a close with the glorious Sleeping Bear, a tune that was wholly improvised in the studio. Nick and Jesse entered a simple but 'weird' locked groove and Jordan improvises melodies over the top. The track came about without any planning or thought; it was one of those special things that came by surprise and the band felt offered the perfect ending to their latest gift to us all: a deeply enthralling album that captures so much of what makes Mammal Hands a special band while mapping out new routes and paths for their beautiful, beguiling music.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ewww.mammalhands.com\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42328004100252,"sku":"GONDLP061","price":32.28,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_862bba4a-71d4-4e0d-9460-2857a39d08a5.png?v=1675695635"},{"product_id":"sunda-arc-night-lands-2lp","title":"Sunda Arc - Night Lands [2LP]","description":"\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFormat: 2 x LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP056 \/ GONDLP56\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580784635\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 18 Nov 2022\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Ambient\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e01. Distant Siren\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e02. Phantom's Gift\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e03. Beacons\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e04. Endless Fields\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e05. Night Lands\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e06. Static Waves\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e07. Neon Forest\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e08. Forgotten Dream\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e09. Mirai\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e10. Ritual\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e11. Endless Skies\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSunda Arc are brothers Nick Smart and Jordan Smart, best known as two-thirds of jazz-influenced minimalists Mammal Hands, and on the 18thNovember, they are set to release their sophomore album 'Night Lands' via Gondwana Records, home to such artists as GoGo Penguin, Portico Quartet, Hania Rani and Forgiveness.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eReleasing their debut EP 'Flicker' in 2018, Sunda Arc have performed live at AB Brussels, Blue Dot Festival, The Roundhouse, Jazz Café, Reworks Festival, the Royal Albert Hall and Albert Hall, Manchester with GoGo Penguin. Their debut album 'Tides', released in 2020, received high praise from numerous tastemaker media including DJ magazine who described their music as \"sounding like John Hopkins' long-lost sibling\".\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSunda Arc channels Nick and Jordan's love of electronic and dance music, without losing any of their deep musicality. Drawing on techno, electronica, neo-classical and post-rock influences, Sunda Arc compose and perform using both electronic and acoustic instruments, including analogue synthesisers, home-made software patches, piano, saxophones and bass clarinet – all finessed and channelled through their own unique creative strategies. Integrating electronic elements and experimentation with the expressiveness and energy of acoustic instruments and live performance, Sunda Arc's music is expansive and compelling. \"We wanted 'Night Lands' to be an exciting listen, deliberately keeping some elements under control and having other elements of the tracks feeling like they were on the edge of tipping over into being pretty chaotic. There was also the idea of generally keeping the drums and bass pretty heavy sounding when they kick in, imaging how they would sound over a big system and then holding back and focusing on melody and texture when they weren't needed.\"\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eFrom the warm, melodic textures of 'Distant Siren' and 'Beacons' to the ethereal rumblings of 'Endless Fields' and 'Night Lands', Sunda Arc immerse and engulf the listener, expanding simple melodies into bold rhythmic patterns, allowing the acoustic sounds to submerge with the electronic for maximum emotional and dramatic effect. A common theme for 'Night Lands', the duo's enthusiasm to incorporate digital and analogue sounds seamlessly and blur the line between the two, results in a sound world that has both the warmth of analogue sounds and the cold, crispness of digital. \"We wanted to manipulate acoustic instruments to make them sound more like samples or older recordings at points, like with the Turkish Ney flute on 'Neon Forest' that we pitch shifted and saturated to sound more like we'd sampled an old 70s recording.\"\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eElsewhere, 'Static Waves' and 'Forgotten Dream' use familiar and foreign sounds with an emphasis on tone and atmosphere to create a soundscape that feels like home and alien at the same time. \"\"We were trying to make sure the ambient moments felt really alive on this record, like a living, breathing sound world, trying to avoid things sounding too placid. We wanted them to feel just as engaging as the tracks with heavy beats so were always looking at ways to inject as much life and character into them as we could, often recording things to tape and using real tape delays to add a bit of character and fuzzy warmth to things and combining that with more cold, clinical elements.\"\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAt times, Sunda Arc create a harsh, brutal world allowing the sound to manipulate the listener's emotional response to each track. \"We were talking about dystopian themes a fair bit when we were writing the tunes and I think being in London during the lockdown definitely had an impact on our mindset at the time. The two radio samples on 'Neon Forest' and 'Static Waves' are both just random stations we found on fm radio and recorded some short sections but I both were talking about Covid related stuff. We definitely didn't feel like making a celebratory or joyful record at that point, it was much more of an introspective and moody set of tracks we were focusing on and I guess the feeling of missing being able to go out or see friends and family played a part in this.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42333452730524,"sku":"GONDLP056","price":35.17,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/products\/1_1110d045-2408-41ac-b99e-620bddd526ec.jpg?v=1675883731"},{"product_id":"stuff-old-dreams-new-planets","title":"STUFF. - OLD DREAMS NEW PLANETS ","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP24\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580690189\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 06 Sep 2018\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Experimental\/Electronic\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA1 Slug\u003cbr\u003eA2 Strata\u003cbr\u003eA3 Colibri\u003cbr\u003eA4 Delta\u003cbr\u003eB1 Fulina\u003cbr\u003eB2 Galapagos\u003cbr\u003eB3 Spinning Leaf\u003cbr\u003eB4 Axlotl\u003cbr\u003eB5 Vault\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GONDWANA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42525269524636,"sku":"GONDLP24","price":25.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/1_b1f9b87e-97c6-4557-8f17-36c21d1f8c41.jpg?v=1686916717"},{"product_id":"the-gondwana-orchestra-feat-dwight-trible-colors","title":"THE GONDWANA ORCHESTRA (FEAT. DWIGHT TRIBLE) - COLORS","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 12\" Vinyl\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eCatalogue No.: GOND12002\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBarcode: 5050580692961\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRelease Date: 23 Aug 2018\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eGenre: Broken Beat\/Nu Jazz\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTracklist\u003cbr\u003eSide 1\u003cbr\u003e1. \"Colors\" (2:44)\u003cbr\u003e2. \"The Creator Has A Master Plan\" (5:21)\u003cbr\u003eSide 2\u003cbr\u003e1. \"Love Is Everywhere\" (4:26)\u003cbr\u003e2. \"You've Got To Have Freedom\" (6:25)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GONDWANA","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42525270114460,"sku":"GOND12002","price":15.28,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/1_00b1f842-3ce4-40c8-8e82-5e8e0104b443.jpg?v=1686916733"},{"product_id":"gogo-penguin-v2-0-deluxe-edition-on-black-vinyl-1","title":"GoGo Penguin - v2.0 (Deluxe Edition on Black Vinyl)","description":"\u003cp\u003eFormat: 2 x Vinyl LP\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCatalogue No.: GONDLP009SEBLK \/ GONDLP9SEBLK\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarcode: 5050580684102\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelease Date: 21st May 2021 \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBack in stock: 24 Jan 23\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGenre: Jazz (Crossover Jazz)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e01: Murmuration\u003cbr\u003e02: Garden Dog Barbecue\u003cbr\u003e03: Kamaloka\u003cbr\u003e04: Fort\u003cbr\u003e05: One Percent\u003cbr\u003e06: Home\u003cbr\u003e07: The Letter\u003cbr\u003e08: To Drown in You\u003cbr\u003e09: Shock and Awe\u003cbr\u003e10: Hopopono\u003cbr\u003e11: Break\u003cbr\u003e12: In Amber\u003cbr\u003e13: Wash\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMercury Music Prize album of the year 2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDeluxe remastered gate-fold double-LP with three bonus tracks (black vinyl version).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNoted for their hypnotic melodies, visceral bass-lines and tidal rhythm, Manchester-based leftfield piano trio GoGo Penguin are pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick Blacka and drummer Rob Turner. Their music has been described as acoustic-electronica but they draw equally on rock, jazz\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand minimalism, game soundtracks and glitchy-electronica to create their unique music. They are now one of the most successful bands in contemporary music, topping the jazz charts globally and playingsold out shows around the world and have just announced their biggest tour yet including the Royal Albert Hall in London (Nov 12).\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOriginally released in March 2014, v2.0, was their breakthrough album and the first to feature the rebooted line-up with new bassist Nick Blacka, pianist Chris Illingworth and drummer Rob Turner. It was named a Mercury Prize album of the year 2014 alongside albums from Damon Albarn, Young Fathers and Jungle.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe extended version was first released on 2xLP for RSD 18 on clear vinyl. This version features the same extended tracklist on black vinyl.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNewly remastered for vinyl (by the original engineer)\u003cbr\u003e2xLP deluxe gatefold edition.\u003cbr\u003ev2.0 includes the hit singles, Hopopono, Garden Dog Barbecue and Kamaloka as well as the remarkable One Percent and live favourite To Drown in You. Included here for the first time is theincessant 'Break' featuring a killer groove that offers a notdto the one and only Squarepusher, 'Wash', a haunting slice of the band at their most ambient and the wonderful 'In Amber', the first track that the new line-up wrote completely together.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUK press praise for GoGo Penguin v2.0\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Jazz, techno, hip-hop and dubstep are glimpsed here, but for all the looping motifs and dance floor\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003evibes, this is the work of three sure-footed improvisers with deep jazz roots\". The Guardian\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I think they're special...;and the response has been amazing\" Gilles Peterson 6 Music\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"It's obvious why the Manchester clubs are jumping to this band.\" The Guardian\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Jazz, techno, hip-hop and dubstep are glimpsed here, but for all the looping motifs and dance floor\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003evibes, this is the work of three sure-footed improvisers with deep jazz roots\". The Guardian\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"[v2.0] showcases a group marking out their own musical world\" The Times\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A really brilliantly modern piano trio that takes in the whole history of music. I think they're really\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003especial.\" - Jamie Cullum \/ BBC Radio 2\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I think they're special...;and the response has been amazing\" Gilles Peterson 6 Music\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A stirring re-evaluation of what a piano trio should sound like in the 21st century\"'¨ - Barclaycard\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMercury Prize\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"GoGo Penguin have barged their way to the front of this crowded playing field with a sharp-elbowed\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003esound that's as intelligently accessible as it is belligerently danceable\"'¨ - Jazzwise\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"GoGo Penguin will win an audience way beyond the jazz dives\" - MOJO\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"v2.0 has the potential to be one of those rare albums that genuinely resonates with an audience\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eoutside jazz\" - JazzUK\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Anthemic riffs and skittering grooves..pushes the acoustic piano trio into the future\" Jazzwise\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"v2.0 is an energetic album... it takes classical and jazz rhythms and pushes them into the world of\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eelectronica\". Echoes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"GoGo Penguin continue to stretch the piano-trio formula into the future\" - The Quietus\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"v2.0 is the sound of a band moving forward...; further establishing GoGo Penguin as one of the most\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eexciting young bands on the contemporary scene\" All About Jazz\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Sometimes an album stops you in your tracks. The brilliant jazz-meets- electronica release from this\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eremarkable Mancunian trio, is one of them\". Spotify\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This music has all the hallmarks of 21st century Britain, an island afloat on an ever shifting sea of\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eunderground beats and rhythms\". Ancient to Future\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gondwana Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43120688791708,"sku":"GONDLP009SEBLK","price":32.28,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0130\/8714\/6043\/files\/GoGoPenguin-v2.0_DeluxeEditiononBlackVinyl_b4cea590-2e9a-4989-ac0a-efe6761e462e.jpg?v=1708709141"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.horizonsmusic.co.uk\/collections\/vinylgondwana.oembed?page=2","provider":"Horizons Music","version":"1.0","type":"link"}