Hopestreet Recordings are big on new talent so if you're not up to date with what's going on down under, in addition to The Meltdown, and Immy Owusu, here's another new name with her debut album, Hannah Macklin.
'Mu', the Zen Buddist state of 'nothingness' and 'awareness'. Jazz fans will be aware of Don Cherry''s 'Mu' album period (originally released in the late sixties on Actuel) as an early 'free' jazz experiment.
Ms. Macklin's inspiration for this ten track album doesn't go back that far. Her musical inspiration is in a neo-soul, trip hop that merges Potishead and folky/spiritual beats of Mia Doi Todd/Build An Ark.
The huge strings and jazz leanings give this album a cinematic/OST tension like the opener, 'Mono No Aware' (equally, its got a touch on Robert Wyatt's 'Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard' about it) whilst the previous singles 'Otherworld' (featuring Cazeaux O.S.L.O; remember the incredible 'Saints' by PreQuel?) and 'Stars' are just waiting to break out of the underground (or should that be 'Otherworld'?)
That said, this is not singles orientated 'Nitrogen' is angular in comparision to the sublime, 'The Essence' that's pretty close in feel to Minny Ripperton's 'Les Fleurs'; yes, that good! Whilst 'Sunday Best' seems to fall somewhere between the two; is that a distant Radiohead echo in there?
The tenuous link between the aforementioned jazz great Don Cherry and trip hop/Bristol scene is, of course, Neneh Cherry and Hopestreet Recordings seems to in a similar musical hot spot at the moment that's not to be overlooked.
And great artwork too!
Artist: Hannah Macklin
Title: MU
Release date: 2nd June, 2023
Label: Hopestreet Recordings
Cat. No: -
Format: Bandcamp / Digital
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