Soft Machine
Fourth

Birthed from informal sessions in South London around 2013; the Ferg Ireland Trio combines three of the UK’s most exciting musicians. The trio is a vehicle for Ireland to consolidate his influences and explore the Sax/Bass/Drums format with an alchemical blend of intense spiritual jazz, broken beat flavours, angular swing and playful conversations.This, their debut recording, was captured over the course of a summer’s day in 2017 and the result, stripped of artifice and any studio trickery, represents the pure expression of three great instrumentalists, as well as three great friends. Ireland (Kansas Smittys, Soweto Kinch, Ashley Henry, 22a), Nathaniel Facey (Empirical) and James Maddren (Kit Downes, Jacob Collier, Gwilym Simcock) have been playing together for over a decade, and this is reflected in the telepathy of their musical conversation. The twists and turns of their dialogue delve deep into the dark heart of modern jazz.

Comet Records presents from Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen, N.E.P.A Reissue LP Vinyl remastered and coming in an heavy Deluxe Tip-On Jacket.In 1979, Tony Allen decided to leave Fela Kuti & Africa 70 and moved to London in 1982. Originally Released in 1984 on Earthworks Records, this reissue holds an extra track previously unreleased on vinyl called “Olokun”. N.E.P.A (Never Expect Power Always) is a searing critique of the Nigerian Electric Power Authority, an organisation that governed the use of electricity in Nigeria.It starts out with the title track, with a definite Afro-beat punch. Electro-claps stand as part of the percussion line, adding to a more modern look at what Afro-beat was becoming.This is followed by an even further modernized piece of Afro-beat, as the title track is given a dub mix. “When One Road Close” has a similar pace, and is similarly followed by a dub remix, complete with the necessary space-effects reverb.And to make this reissue extra special the track “Olokun” was never released on vinyl before.Blending the nascent rise of electronica into Afrobeat production, it’s tighter than any Fela album and became a definitive project in shaping Allen’s future sound. Whether it’s the electro beats or the punchier, multilayered arrangement, it instantly stands out in Allen’s vast and expansive discography.

It's been a long time since the UK jazz scene was as thriving and fertile as it is right now, and one of the most fascinating artists currently doing it is Emma-Jean Thackray. UM Yang is her long-envisaged project "dedicated to the Taoist philosophy of duality and harmony" and it has been record straight to vinyl, lending the sounds a real, visceral feel. The DJ, beat maker, trumpeter, singer and composer draws on all her skills to collide worlds here as she leads a septet into the unknown. Free jazz, wailing trumpets, deconstructed marching bands and so much more make for a dense tapestry of sound that leaves you spellbound.