Review: Mark de Clive-Lowe - past present (tone poems across time) (IMPRESS!VE Collective / BBE Music)

Mark de Clive-Lowe has always impressed so when it comes to an album with the Impressive Collective, it's going to be.... impressive! 

Over twenty years ago, as one of the first names outside of the UK that found broken beat, future jazz, hip hop and house combinations that constantly made records, particularly 12s with Lady Alma and Abdul Shyllon, the New Zealand wonder kid Mark de Clive-Lowe was the name eveyone wanted to drop.

At that time we'd have been unware of his Japanese connections and that he'd released solo albums in New Zealand before the move to London and then onto USA to study at Berklee College and then live in LA before moving to Japan.  His undertakings are relentless and even includes spell running night clubs.  So it may be a surprise that 'past present (tone poems across time)' as 11 tracks is more of an electronic ambient ENO style homage to Japan's spiritual reflectiveness; like water gardens on 'gratitiude' or 'reflection'; note: the cover is a photograph taken in 1953 of his dad, Robin de Clive-Lowe at Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima, Japan.

It's probably worth pointing out this wasn't that long after the end of WW2 and whilst MDCL recorded the album in LA with a cast of a 1000 keyboards and synths it also includes his own filed recordings from various locations iin Japan.  

There's nothing to dance to here as the tracks have a certain brooding about them even with titles like 'acceptance', 'forgiveness', 'compassion' and 'peace' I was hoping the title track would prove to be a revelation (a title of a track also) but it adds to the cinematic OST theme.  Don't get me wrong, this is a highly enjoyable album and its very Ryuichi Sakamoto but still a long way from the first album on the IMPRESS!VE Collective, Jessica Lauren's 'Film' (see review HERE).

There's extension liner notes by Mark himself and I did notice that he says the album was due in large part to the encouragment given to him by his friend Carlos Niño (he of 'Everyone's Children', AmmonContact, Build An Ark, Hu Vibrational, The Life Force Trio; you get the idea).  And having met Carlos some years ago and spoken to him for a mere half an hour, I can tell you he'd be the most positive and encourging friend that Mark could have hoped for (along with label boss Greg Boraman).

Not everyone's cup of tea (drinking ceremony) but it is music for zen and now in a tone poem time capsule.

Artist: Mark de Clive-Lowe

Title: past present (tone poems across time) 

Release date: 18th April, 2025

Label :  IMPRESS!VE Collective (an imprint of BBE Music)

Catalog Number:BBE803

Format: Vinyl LP / Digital / Bandcamp  

Review: Omar - Can We Go Out (Lyric Video) (IMPRESS!VE Collective - an imprint of BBE Music)

DIgital/Video singles are not our usual thing but when it comes to UK legend, Omar, we are prepared to make that exception as his voice is just a brilliant way to start the week.

'Can We Go(Come) Out Again' may sound like a post-pandemic throw-a-way or a LGBTQ+ call to arms; either way, it's a great start to the week. 

Not only that, it's the first full single from Omar's forthcoming 9th studio album called 'Bright The Days'.

You may recall that last year, we started off with the single 'Lovey Dovey' so if you were wondering what to do for the forthcoming Valentines Day.

NO DIGITAL : BANDCAMP LINK Lovey Dovey / This Thing Called Life (Instrumental) | Omar 

Artist: Omar

Title: Can We Go Out (Lyric Video)

Release date: 7th February, 2024

Label :  IMPRESS!VE Collective (an imprint of BBE Music)

Catalog Number:BBE801SDG1

Format: Bandcamp  

Review: Omar - Lovey Dovey / This Thing Called Life (Instrumental) (IMPRESS!VE Collective)

We've been impressed by all releases so far on the Impressive Collective so, stating the obvious, Omar 'The Man' is going to be impressive on this new single, ' Lovey Dovey' / 'This Thing Called Life' due out on 10th January.

You can't help love Omar's vocals even if the title is a bit soft and then, 'This Thing Called Life' is a big string orchestrated instrumental that sounds 70s OST, but update!

Fits in nicely with Jessica Lauren's 'Film (see review HERE) and whilst it sounds heretical to say that an instrumental track by Omar is the must have of 2025; there, I've said it!

NO DIGITAL : BANDCAMP LINK Lovey Dovey / This Thing Called Life (Instrumental) | Omar 

Artist: Omar

Title: Lovey Dovey / This Thing Called Life (Instrumental)

Release date: 10th January, 2024

Label :  IMPRESS!VE Collective (an imprint of BBE Music)

Catalog Number:BBE801SLP

Format: Vinyl 7"  / Bandcamp  

Review: Jessica Lauren - Film (IMPRESS!VE Collective)

You know the saying, "great minds think alike" and this certainly applies to Jessica Lauren's album 'Film" and IMPRESS!VE Collective's Greg Boraman as here's the very impressive new release on his label.

You can't get much different from thier last release (the equally brilliant,  Ginger Johnson And His African Messenger's 'African Party' - see review HERE) and like the previous re-release of that album (albiet on mp3 for me), I've loved the original CD release of 'Film' since it was originally released.

Not only because I met her some years ago and suggested it should be re-issued (Ed. great minds eh!) but it's quite ageless jazz groove.  In fact, the reason I got the original CD was that Jessica had made a name for herself in the jazzdance scene with soul-jazz/jazz funk/Chris Bowden produced album 'Siren Song' and the first track from 'Film' is a futuristic jazz-funk OST 'Uptown'.

And the rest of the album follows this lead of modal jazz, library, electronica, Latin with Ms. Lauren's keyboard skills to the fore, like the beautiful 'Stone Garden', the Christmas Box 'A Pearl For Iona', spacey 'Live Your Life' and 'Ajua' plus a touch of neo-classical 'Coming Home'.

Lots of Schifrin /Hancock 70s funky keys/synth/harpsichord experimentation OST biz going on with tracks like 'Shibuya' and 'I Love You My Brother' (like an updated 'Get Carter' if you like).

Jessica's been a big supporter of Emanative (she was on his/their last album 'Abstact Intuition' - see review HERE) and his love of spirtual jazz is evident on this release of 24 years ago; was Nick Woodmansey even born then?  And whilst on the subject, you may recall the pair of them were on the Emanative remix of the Yellowtail 'Seasons In My Mind' featuring Mark Murphy no less (see review HERE).

'Uptown' and 'Treasure Island' were picked for single release at the time of original release and both tracks stand up today as quality so, as you can imagine, your usual DJ suspect are on this already now it's finally out on a 2024 vinyl release, like Gilles, Patrick Forge and DJ Colin Parnell (Stomp Radio) who featuring a track on his show a couple of weeks ago.   

Thankfully, the artwork is a 1000% improvement on the original and fitting for this great album.

Artist: Jessica Lauren

Title: Film

Release date: 1st November, 2024

Label :  IMPRESS!VE Collective (an imprint of BBE Music)

Catalog Number:BBE643

Format: Vinyl LP / Digital / Bandcamp