Reveiw: Conic Rose - Gleisdreieck (Conic Rose)

It's always great to hear great music from new bands/groups/co-operatives but it's even better when it comes from an unexpected location.

When it comes to jazz, outside of the US, you'd probably think of the 'hot spots' post covid are London, Helsinki (WeJazz) and Melbourne.  Aiming to put Berlin back on the list is Conic Rose as they launch a 3-track single ahead of next years' album,  'Heller Tag'.

If you check out the band's collective palmarès of who they have played with, it's a proper collection of who's who like Michael Wollny, NDR Bigband, Nils Landgren (you'll find these on the national institution that is the ACT label) and at the other extreme is Udo Lindenberg, Samy Deluxe and the Stegreif.Orchester.

And together they are like a mix (or should that be a match) between The Cinematic Orchestra (Ninja Tune) and Matthew Herbert (BBC electronics, Accidental, !K7 Records) that should be signed up to Compost or Matthew Halsall's Gondwana Records; some have even mentioned Radiohead - but that'd be the good bits when Thom isn't singing.

'Gleisdreieck' is a glichy bruk dreamscape that mixes the trumpet and flugelhorn with electric guitars and electronics in an expanded Portico Quartet.  

Two more singles are to follow, 'Chopin Rosé' follows in similar vein and it clearly re-imagined and a bit more OST and the set is finished off by the best of the lot, the romantic 'Honeylake' with Döben doing his best Miles.

The debut LP which will be released on vinyl, CD, cassette and digital formats in February 2023.

Line-up: Konstantin Döben (tr, fgh) • Johannes Arzberger (p, electronics) • Franziska Aller (b) • Bertram Burkert (git) • Silvan Strauß (dr) 

Artist: Conic Rose 

Title: Gleisdreieck / Chopin Rosé / Honeylake

Release date: 12 December, 2022

Label: Conic Rose

Cat. No: ConicRoseS03

Format: Digital

Review: Maxine Scott x Alf.E - SXC (Ramrock Blue Records)

Ramrock Records are back with a new release on their Blue imprint as Maxine Scott x Alf.E follow up thier fantastic 'Ya Energy'.

You can guess why her first release was called 'Erykah U Bad' as there's obvious comparissons with her Badu-ness (but that's not at all, it's got to be better than good).

With a vocal and a beats version you might be thinking, "where's my fix of North Street West's usual trio of superb vocal/dub/instrumental remixes"?  But please don't as, in truth, you don't need them as this is so hypnotically groovey. 

It ain't X-rated or blue but definitely deep and SXC is already feeling it's going to be new 'golden era' in a blink of an eye.

Artist: Maxine Scott x Alf.E

Title: SXC

Release date: 14th November, 2022

Label: Ramrock Blue Records

Cat. No: RRB015

Format: Digital