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Jackson Almond - No Title
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Jackson Almond - No Title
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Jackson Almond - No Title
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Jackson Almond - No Title
You may not have heard the name Jackson Almond before, but you will have likely heard some of his music. Having released on WotNot back in 2013 under the name Real, with a flurry of EPs, remixes and bootlegs under this name and as part of duo Boean (on BBE, Warner, XVI & Slowfoot among others), Jackson has been delighting ears for a while now, with a particular knack for balancing hooks and earworms with original ideas and creative production.
This EP began life as a series of headphone jams written when Jackson was living outside of the city in self-imposed exile, tuning into the goings on in dance music from an external position. It was then polished into dancefloor gems at the WotNot studio at the Total Refreshment Centre. The music reflects this, with the sonic palette reflecting lo-fi and outsider house, but with a warmth, depth and musicality specific to his own personal situation.
The music embodies the hook of the title track - Open Your Head - a mix of influences and sounds from world, soul, jazz, house and techno sources. In OYH, a child’s voice floats over percussive drum and mbira layers with African flavours, while soulful guitar stabs widen the palette. Ee Ye follows a similar idea with overseas sounds opening to infectious house organ stabs. People, Places, Things In Spaces is an immersive roller with warming Wurlitzer chords providing an almost gospel-like inflection.
The attention to detail throughout the EP is astonishing, the best example being the arrangement of our personal favourite Common, with the irresistible chord progression working its way around instruments, patiently building to hit its peak halfway through the track for the ultimate screwface moment.
Ultimately this rebirth of Jackson Almond sits nicely with a label finding their stride again; with widely-praised releases from Danvers and K15 already this year, WotNot are staking their claim on people’s ears once again.
More
This EP began life as a series of headphone jams written when Jackson was living outside of the city in self-imposed exile, tuning into the goings on in dance music from an external position. It was then polished into dancefloor gems at the WotNot studio at the Total Refreshment Centre. The music reflects this, with the sonic palette reflecting lo-fi and outsider house, but with a warmth, depth and musicality specific to his own personal situation.
The music embodies the hook of the title track - Open Your Head - a mix of influences and sounds from world, soul, jazz, house and techno sources. In OYH, a child’s voice floats over percussive drum and mbira layers with African flavours, while soulful guitar stabs widen the palette. Ee Ye follows a similar idea with overseas sounds opening to infectious house organ stabs. People, Places, Things In Spaces is an immersive roller with warming Wurlitzer chords providing an almost gospel-like inflection.
The attention to detail throughout the EP is astonishing, the best example being the arrangement of our personal favourite Common, with the irresistible chord progression working its way around instruments, patiently building to hit its peak halfway through the track for the ultimate screwface moment.
Ultimately this rebirth of Jackson Almond sits nicely with a label finding their stride again; with widely-praised releases from Danvers and K15 already this year, WotNot are staking their claim on people’s ears once again.
More
More records from Jackson Almond
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jackson almond - No Title
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jackson almond - No Title
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jackson almond - No Title
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jackson almond - No Title
Take The Time EP presents a collection of works by Jackson Almond that have been years in the making. Produced through experimentation with a medley of old analogue gear, the EP is built with a library of sounds completely unique to Jackson. As a result, these tracks are drenched in hazy, warm vibes that you won't hear anywhere else.
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More records from WotNot Music
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Jonny Wildey - Nitely
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Jonny Wildey - Violet
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Jonny Wildey - Lonely
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Jonny Wildey - Red Sofa
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Jonny Wildey - River
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Jonny Wildey - Alone
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Jonny Wildey - Don't Fall Asleep
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Jonny Wildey - Your Dreams
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Jonny Wildey - Love Is Out There
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Jonny Wildey - Roll
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Jonny Wildey - Wonderful
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Jonny Wildey - Too Much
‘Nitely’ is the debut album from Jonny Wildey; written recorded over three years at North London’s creative haven Total Refreshment Centre.
Although ‘Nitely’ will be his first release under his own name, Wildey has been making electronic music under the name Alphabets Heaven for the last decade, releasing a string of acclaimed singles on Nightmares On Wax, Tru Thoughts, Soundway, and King Deluxe.
Recording upstairs at Total Refreshment Centre proved an inspiration in itself for Wildey – he recorded at night, which happily meant that some of the most exciting music around was happening in the same building: “The TRC had gigs on at the time, so I’d go there, start working on something, then would see the Neue Grafik Ensemble, or some amazing jazz band, and go back upstairs and carry on working, which was a lot of fun.” Unsurprisingly, he soon attracted some like-minded collaborators – ‘Nitely’ features Danalogue (The Comet Is Coming, Soccer96), Emma Gatrill (This Is The Kit, Laura Marling), Marcus Hamblett (James Holden, Timber Timbre) and London based beat master Deft (Yip Wong).
‘Nitely’ represents a musical shift, with Wildey embracing more traditional songwriting and a drawing upon his wide range of musical tastes – Shuggie Otis, Yes, Arthur Lee’s Love, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, A Tribe Called Quest, John Frusciante, Milton Nascimento, Steve Miller. “I really just wanted to take a lot of influences from the 70s and 80s that I was maybe a bit embarrassed about earlier in life and try and apply that to everything I’ve been doing for the last 10 years. I’m not ashamed to write songs and put my vocals at the front, which is a huge step for me. The big connecting thing is that a lot of the music I like is fun – say, Shuggie Otis has a lot of what I like in dance music, in that it just feels so light – it will just make whatever you do feel a bit better, that’s the kind of music I wanted to make.
Spanning 12 tracks, ‘Nitely’ is a record from the heart; it’s direct, warm and unequivocally honest. The sound palette of the record effortlessly meshes the crunch and warmth of 70’s funk & soul (Lonely, Violet, Your Dreams), the dreamy air of bedroom pop (Don’t Fall Asleep, Love is Out There) and sub heavy frequencies from beats/electronica (Roll, Too Much). The result is a modern day Pop / New Soul classic, an album that from start to finish is an endearing look into the mind of Wildey. It’s familiar-yet-new, nostalgic and straight forward, wearing its emotions very clearly on its sleeves. More
Although ‘Nitely’ will be his first release under his own name, Wildey has been making electronic music under the name Alphabets Heaven for the last decade, releasing a string of acclaimed singles on Nightmares On Wax, Tru Thoughts, Soundway, and King Deluxe.
Recording upstairs at Total Refreshment Centre proved an inspiration in itself for Wildey – he recorded at night, which happily meant that some of the most exciting music around was happening in the same building: “The TRC had gigs on at the time, so I’d go there, start working on something, then would see the Neue Grafik Ensemble, or some amazing jazz band, and go back upstairs and carry on working, which was a lot of fun.” Unsurprisingly, he soon attracted some like-minded collaborators – ‘Nitely’ features Danalogue (The Comet Is Coming, Soccer96), Emma Gatrill (This Is The Kit, Laura Marling), Marcus Hamblett (James Holden, Timber Timbre) and London based beat master Deft (Yip Wong).
‘Nitely’ represents a musical shift, with Wildey embracing more traditional songwriting and a drawing upon his wide range of musical tastes – Shuggie Otis, Yes, Arthur Lee’s Love, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, A Tribe Called Quest, John Frusciante, Milton Nascimento, Steve Miller. “I really just wanted to take a lot of influences from the 70s and 80s that I was maybe a bit embarrassed about earlier in life and try and apply that to everything I’ve been doing for the last 10 years. I’m not ashamed to write songs and put my vocals at the front, which is a huge step for me. The big connecting thing is that a lot of the music I like is fun – say, Shuggie Otis has a lot of what I like in dance music, in that it just feels so light – it will just make whatever you do feel a bit better, that’s the kind of music I wanted to make.
Spanning 12 tracks, ‘Nitely’ is a record from the heart; it’s direct, warm and unequivocally honest. The sound palette of the record effortlessly meshes the crunch and warmth of 70’s funk & soul (Lonely, Violet, Your Dreams), the dreamy air of bedroom pop (Don’t Fall Asleep, Love is Out There) and sub heavy frequencies from beats/electronica (Roll, Too Much). The result is a modern day Pop / New Soul classic, an album that from start to finish is an endearing look into the mind of Wildey. It’s familiar-yet-new, nostalgic and straight forward, wearing its emotions very clearly on its sleeves. More
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glenn astro - "Disco Tempo Cliche" (intro)
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glenn astro - "Love Is Gone"
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glenn astro - "Love Is Gone" (Henry Wu remix)
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glenn astro - "User's Guide To"
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glenn astro - "Gemini" (feat IMYRMIND)
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glenn astro - "Goodbye Song" (Spirit Dance)
2014 was a great year for Glenn Astro, but appearances on DJ Kicks (Brandt Brauer Frick) and Brownswood among other labels, numerous remixes, and a string of beautifully-crafted EPs already look set to be eclipsed in 2015. The Essen-based producer's collaboration EP with Max Graef will launch their new label Money $ex Records in January, while his debut LP is to follow on Tartelet Records in the Spring. In between these comes the Hologram EP, two years after his first release on WotNot. As both artist and label have forayed further into dance styles, they have maintained the spirit of soulful eclecticism. The hip hop/beats roots this is based in are apparent on this release in the warm, jazzy Disco Tempo Cliche Intro and Good Bye Song (Spirit Dance). Love Is Gone pairs Astro's signature bumpy house swing with a distinctive synth hook and a subtle use of vocals. Henry Wu delivers a delightful, jazz-tinged synth-funk flip, offering a tantalising glimpse of what's to come from the 22a artist later this year. User's Guide To is the ultimate tutorial in dusty house, with rolling layers of percussion over smooth synth chords, while regular Astro collaborator IMYRMIND injects his signature swagger and playful edge into Gemini.
All-in-all a great record to kick off a year that will see new records from K15, Kab Driver, Alphabets Heaven, and some new faces on WotNot. More
All-in-all a great record to kick off a year that will see new records from K15, Kab Driver, Alphabets Heaven, and some new faces on WotNot. More