Review: Nikos Ziarkas - Wounds Of Color / Run Run Stop No (Deep Mountain Records)

Super double A-side digital single from London based Nikos Ziarkas with 'Wounds Of Color' / 'Run Run Stop No' out on Deep Mountain Records.

If you recall Valia Calda's album 'Homeland' (see review HERE) that there were strong Fripp & ENO connections but when Nikos gets his own release, there's more Ezra Collective, Colosseum, King Crimson jazz-rock connections; especially on the fusion heavy 'Run Run Stop No'.

Not surprising, as Valia Calda's co-founder, has also collaborated with Theon Cross, Moses Boyd and Ron Trent.   Chicago house legent Ron Trent? Wonder what he could do on the remix of 'Wounds Of Color' that show Nikos' more ambient/experimental side; for a hint of what Ron Trent could do, check Trinidadian Deep's 'Moments Of Sounds EP (see 

HERE). What it does feature is the trumpet of Andreas Polysopoulos that really adds to the atmosphere.

What with Ezra Collective selling out Wembley receently and the next wave of London jazzers following this years' London Jazz Festival (like LEJD, see review HERE or even SHOLTO, see review HERE), it's a good time to follow Nikos Ziarkas, Polysopoulous and Chelsea Carmichael (UK saxophonist) in a nu-jazz-rock fusion on Deep Mountain Records.

Artist: Nikos Ziarkas 

Title: Wounds Of Color / Run Run Stop No

Release date: 29th November, 2024

Label : Deep Mountain Records

Catalog Number : -

Format:  Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Valia Calda - Homeland (Deep Mountain Records)

Valia Calda have had a couple of singles out to promote the new album 'Homeland' but even then. it doesn't prepare you for the jazz-mix power house that they are.

You may recall Valia Calda's last single ‘The Stalker’ was (and still is) "heavy" on the psych-jazz out-there charts; the track is inspired by Andrei Tarkovshy's classic film).

And then there was a bit of a surprise of an instrumental trumpet led ballad, 'But In The End We'll Be Together'; this time inspired by the poetry of Odysseas Elytis (Ed. Who?) 

And from there, to the horn vs. psych guitar ENO/Fripp-ery jazz-dub of 'Crossing The Warm Valley' [my current favourite].

We're told the that the Greek influences are reflections on "timeless struggles of physical and ideological displacement" with "inspiration from the themes of migration and exile. Perhaps none more so than on 'Nostaglgia And Isolaton' and the title track, 'Homeland' (that's got a touch of Mulatu about it - which kinda sums up the displacement/migration concept musically - especially when it rocks out).

Valia Calda are led by London based guitarist Nikos Ziarkas (Theon Cross, Chelsea Carmichael, Moses Boyd) and double bassist Thodoris Ziarkas (Yazz Ahmed, Savina Yannatou, Electric Litany) and it's been picked up by the usual DJs from Jazz FM to BBC 6 Music (including Gilles Peterson) and many more.

It's a bit of a Jazz Chronicle's party this weekend and we'd have definitely played this out when we were DJing Acoustic Ladyland, The Comet Is Coming, Vula Viel, Suns Of Kemet and the like (and Sun Ra of course); yep, it's that good!

Artist: Valia Calda

Title: Homeland

Release date: 26th May, 2023

Label : Deep Mountain Records

Catalog Number : LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp