The Sorcerers - I Too Am A Stranger

ATA Records

£24.30

Format: LP
Catalogue No.: ATA033
Barcode: 5050580818279
Release Date: 08 Mar 2024
Genre: World Fusion

01: He Who Kills with One Leap - The Sorcerers
02: Moth - The Sorcerers
03: Yasuke in Roppongi - The Sorcerers
04: Bebaynetu - The Sorcerers
05: The Warrior Code - The Sorcerers
06: Kid Mahout - The Sorcerers
07: The Road Forward - The Sorcerers
08: Oromo Moon - The Sorcerers
09: She Who Perceives the Sounds of the World - The Sorcerers

ATA Records are proud to announce the new album I Too Am A Stranger from The Sorcerers, following previous album successes The Sorcerers and In Search of The Lost City of The Monkey God, which garnered high praise from Mulatu Astatke Who's this? The Sorcerers? It's cool! This is great. Give me the CD man!" and recent Radio 6-listed 7" single Exit Athens, of which Giles Peterson said, "Great Stuff as always".

Recorded wholly at ATA Studios and produced by label head, Neil Innes, I Too Am A Stranger features the Sorcerers trio, (lead by Neil Innes) of Joost Hendrickx/Neil Innes/Richard Ormrod, with assistance from regular percussion collaborator Danny Templeman and up-and-coming Leeds trumpeter Olivia Cuthill. Joost and Neil's drum and bass bond is tighter than ever, and Richard is given free rein on baritone and alto saxophones, flutes, bass clarinet, vibes, and the wonderland that is the ATA vintage keyboard collection.

I Too Am A Stranger is a resolutely maximal endeavour, a layered recording both sonically and via many interwoven influences: as ever, the Ethiopique sound is front and centre [Bebaynetu, Kid Mahout, She Who Perceives The Sounds Of The World], but there are also references to the declamatory baritone sax-heavy chanbara soundtracks of Fumio Hayasaka [Yasuke In Roppongi, Oromo Moon], the fuzzed-out vibes sound of Vibrafinger-era Gary Burton [side openers The Warrior Code and He Who Kills With One Leap], and Moondog's popping woodblocks [Moth, The Dao Of The Sorcerers].

In truth, there is so much on this album to appeal to so many different listeners: tight – and new! – beats, exotic melody, far-out horns, references from within and without the worlds of Jazz, Library, Ethio, etc etc, as well as the wholly analogue ATA sound that satisfies DJs and audiophiles alike.

“Who's this? The Sorcerers? It's cool! This is great. Give me the cd man!”
Mulatu Astatke —

“Awesome afro-jazz that is the Ethiopiques of the modern age.”
Jazzman Gerald — Jazzman Records

“This sounds great! Love the way it's recorded! The dynamics are spot on and the playing is superb. Proud to say its from Leeds!”
Nightmares on wax — Ninja Tune

“****”
Mojo Magazine —