Shinrin-yoku
Release and parties!
Hey cats!
I hope everyone is feeling groovy.
I’m very happy to announce that my new EP, Shinrin-yoku, will be released on the 29th of May - this Friday!
There are only 500 copies of the vinyl available, which are all numbered and include a very cool obi strip and insert. (All designed by my little sis!) Artwork is by the wonderful Sophie Bass.
We will also be having two listening parties, one is today at the Shai Space (Studio 4, 7-17 Latona Road, London, SE15 6RX) which has a beautiful sound system and sure to be a very special listening experience. Tonight will be an opportunity for you to allow your body to absorb the healing power of music and welcome a moment of peace in these troubled times.
I will also be chatting about the music as well as spinning some tracks that have inspired the music from the EP.
If you didn’t already know, recently I collaborated with an independent ethical tea company, based in Bath, called Nuditea, who wonderfully captured the essence of my track, Dawn Patrol, creating a multi-sensory experience whilst listening to the music. I will be bringing some boxes of this delicious blend, which you can also drink tonight.
We’d really love to see you!
Get your tickets here.
You can buy and listen to the music here.
If you’re interested in the stories behind the music, here’s my track-by-track ~
Dawn Patrol
This track was commissioned by Adult Swim who sent me a mood board for inspiration. Meditating on these images I found myself thinking about the sea, waves, diving, and surfing, which later inspired the title Dawn Patrol. Surfers use this phrase to mean an early morning trip to go surfing at dawn, as the sea is awakening, yawning.
When listening to my composition, I like to imagine riding the waves at dawn, then swimming underwater (represented in the middle section of the piece), then rising to the surface, noticing that the sun is out, and getting back on my board to surf some more. I’ve never actually been surfing, so maybe this is my calling!
Forest Bathing
Forest Bathing is a meditative piece, an improvisation reflecting on my reconnection with nature and named after the Japanese tradition of shinrin-yoku. Spending time in the forests close to where I live, I have been able to calm my mind, take a long deep breath, pause, and drink in the beauty that nature gifts to us. I hope that this music will transport you to a place of relaxation and inner peace.
A Moment to Be Free
This composition, commissioned by the Festival of New Trumpet Music NY, features field recordings of bird songs from my garden. At that time, with the absence of the sound of traffic, of planes soaring overhead and high speed trains in the distance, nature made its presence heard. I created grooves by manipulating the recorded birdsong in my studio and also took inspiration from their natural melodies to compose motifs for my quarter-tone flugelhorn. The title, A Moment To Be Free, alludes to a line in the song, Blackbird, by Paul McCartney.
Questions No Answers
In Spring 2020 Jazz FM created an online music festival to which I was invited to contribute. It was an unsettling and confusing time, where our whole world was turned upside down overnight. But out of the chaos and uncertainty I began to appreciate the newfound quiet and stillness. This melancholy duet, which includes live sampling, is a wholly improvised conversation or meditation. I now offer it as a prayer of hope, longing for more peaceful times ahead in our troubled world.
If you cannot attend, I will be hosting a Bandcamp listening party tomorrow (28th of May), which is always a lot of fun. Here is the link. It kind of reminds me of the old style chat rooms I used to join in the IT club at school….!
Next week I’ll be setting up a competition regarding a very special performance, so stay tuned for that….
Really hope to see you tonight or online tomorrow.
Peace and love,
Yazz
