Review: Various Artists - Athos: Echoes from the Holy Mountain (FLEE)

I can't pretend I know anyting about the monks of the Athos monastery in the north eastern peninsula of Greece, but time to hear some 'Echoes from the Holy Mountain' from people that do.

First off, you gotta say, that's a very big bell on the cover!  

Apparently there's 2,000 monks in the area and they're been their for centuraries and in immersed in Byzantine chant and prayers; it's the Greek equilavent to Tai Chi Mountain in China.  

Following on from the album 'Ulyap Songs: Beyond circassian Tradition' earlier this year, this album that includes tracks by Holy Tongue, Jay Glass Dubs, Prins Emanuel 7 Inre Kresten Grupp, Jimi Tenor (who is still looking for love in outter space? - see review HERE), Gilb'r, Daniel Paleodimons, Esma & Murat Ertel and Organsa Ray.  There's also a 300 page book and a European tour.

All the tracks have a hynotic dubby vibe (Ed. hardly surprising) in a experimental/spiritual/world trippy environment that includes original field recordings from the 1960s.

Gibr's 'L'île Météore' and Jay Glass Dubs' 'Synapitc Riddles' probably best showcases this album but it's a shame Jah Wobble has spent so much time on South London buses recently as this would been ideal for a contribution from him.

Even so, if you've just had your holidays in the Aegean Sea island or Greek mainland, here's a bit of local culture you didn't come across - like I say, it's hypnotic to say the least.

PS. In the same region, Kolida Babo's 'Spirits Of Mauronoros' is coming out very soon on Veego Records (see review HERE) 

Artist: Various Artists

Title: Athos: Echoes from the Holy Mountain 

Release date: 27th September, 2024

Label: FLEE

Cat. No. :  FLEE006

Format: 2xLP + Book / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Jimi Tenor and Cold Diamond & Mink - Is There Love In Outer Space? (Timmion Records)

Is there a more consistent jazz space cowboy from Finland than Jimi Tenor? We very much doubt it and the new album with label house band,  Cold Diamond & Mink, is packed with 110 year old Sun Ra spaceways.

Sun Ra might be a founding influence but these six track are far more ingrained with 60s soul with the added benefit of Jimi's flautist excellence.

There might only be six tracks but if you were after some space funk 'n' soul, hip-hop roots this is the place to start a modern appreciation.

Long time fan, Gilles Peterson (BBC 6 Music and lots more) recently played 'What Are You Doing' on his Saturday show  and it's a stand-out 'Saturday Night' ESG/post-punk funk party as the title track is deep blue eyed space soul-jazz.

Cold Diamond & Mink are the Finnish version of Daptone, Menahan Street Band or more recently JJ Whitefield & Forced Meditation (and when I say recent, their album, 'The Infinity Of Nothingness' is out today! - see review HERE) and whilst the vocal/instrumental 'Gaia Sunset ' Parts 1&2 is ideal '45' sized retro space funk, the reduced opus is lo-fi-minimal Motown at it's best.

'Orbiting Telesto' and 'Laputa' are more OST/Joe Meek sideways psych tribute at the Gates of Dawn by cosmic Jim and regular readers will know I not a huge fan of "La, la, laars" but that a  minor gripe when you see them "sweaty and hot" with BBC Radiolab synth alarms ('What Are You Doing').

Jimi always looks to me like a jazz-mod that's lost his space-ship (which is a good thing) and whether it's Jimi's work on the Philophon label, (a label run by JJ's brother, Max Whitefield) like the recent 'My Mind' (see review HERE) or this collaboration, he's an absolute star in our eyes and this is a definite 'Must Have' for 2024.

Artist: Jimi Tenor and Cold Diamond & Mink

Title:  Is There Love In Outer Space?

Release date: 31st May, 2024

Label : Timmion Records

Catalog Number : TRLP12014

Format: LP / Digital / Bandcamp 

Review: Jimi Tenor - My Mind (Philophon)

To my mind, absolutely no introduction required for Jimi Tenor as he releases another single on Philophon label called, 'My Mind'.

Recorded at Philophon's Joy Sound Studios in Kumasi, Ghana (happy Ghana Independence day this week) Jimi (not known for his vocal strength) is joined by the 10 man strong Rubato Chorus.

You may recall 'My Mind' on Jimi's break-through album on Warp 'Organism' (1999) but smouldering nu-jazz futurism is replace by manic Highlife jazzdance with Tenor on blistering sax form (extended version recommended with the beautiful harp ending).

Backed with the an Afro-centric cosmic 60s library Ra-ist vibe of 'Love The The Language'; Jimi being fluent in this language.

It's a busy time for Tenor fans as Compost recently released 'Where The Wild Roam as a collab with Tomasz Guiddo (see review HERE and the Ale Castro Remix featuring on this months' Colour & Pitch Sessions mix - see below).

You'll have to be quick to catch the 7" as it's going to sell out fast as fans old and new will want to have this little piece of vinyl history.

Artist: Jimi Tenor 

Title:  My Mind

Release date: 8th March, 2024

Label : Philophon Records

Catalog Number : PH45033

Format: 7" / Digital / Bandcamp 

Colour and Pitch · Colour and Pitch Sessions with Sumsuch - February 2024

Review: Tomasz Guiddo & Jimi Tenor - Where The Wild Roam / Smile (Compost Records)

The word on the streets was that Compost Records have got some really exciting projects lined up for us this year - and it's true! 

It hasn't taken us long to get impatient for Vol. 2 of the 'Future Sounds Of Kraut' compilation by Fred und Luna but here's another project  to get estatic over as globe trotting DJ and veteran of undergroung sounds, Tomasz Guiddo teams up with electronic/jazz/afrobeat/Sun Ra fan, Jimi Tenor: 'Future Sounds of Finland' you might say?

This EP features two tracks, 'Where The Wild Roam' and 'Smile' featuring Louie Austen who probably couldn't help but smile after getting the call to do some post-Rat Pack crooning for Compost.

'Smile' is a Guiddo/Tenor take on Lounge jazz and it's really cool with bits of Indo-Café Del Mar shuffle - a perfect compliment to Eric Hilton's 'Sound Vagabond' (see review HERE and also released today) especially as there's an instrumental version.

'Where The Wild Roam' is one for the Flute Gang (Jimi on top form as usual) along with some 60s space-mod organ and dreamy Mike Sammes Singer's style vocals.  Love the original and there's remixes by Erobique (pretty funky 'Disko' meets boogie), Ale Castro (Argentinian Italo-House stylee) and the approapriately more "less defined out-there" one by Freestyle Man. 

All the instrumentals and radio edits are great so get your orders in for the 12" as they're guaranteed to be 'Sold Out' before you can say, "Sähkö Puu" or "Philophon" - it's #1 on Sun Ra's Chart on Jupiter Radio.

  

 

Artist: Tomasz Guiddo & Jimi Tenor 

Title:  Where The Wild Roam

Release date: 23rd February, 2024

Label : Compost Records

Catalog Number :  CPT 627 12" / Digital / Bandcamp