Iller-Abstract Giraffe aka Olof Melander from Sweden is a producer and illustrator working in the experimental/psychedelic world of jazz and hip hop. He recently was featured on Cosmic Compositions’ Avant Garde Series Vol.2 and dropped a remix of Juggaknots – New Money. Check out these cuts from Iller along with his cassette release from last year on Outlier Records. ///
Via Cosmic Compositions –
We feel there are huge similarity’s between the Avant-Garde/Free Jazz movement of the 50’s & 60’s & the beat movement of Today. As both movements attempted to break down, extend & alter the conventions of their original genres (Jazz & Hip Hop) & were never afraid to experiment & improvise to create something that wasn’t accepted commercially at the time.
This compilation is a dedication to American jazz pianist, organist, harpist and composer Alice Coltrane.
”She was central to the Indocentric/Spiritual jazz of the early ’70s and arguably the first instance of a female instrumentalist assuming a defining role in a jazz subgenre. She spent the majority of her life seeking spiritually in both music and her private life & shared her husband’s [Jazz Legend John Coltrane] instincts in taking great artistic risks to pursue a spiritual quest.” – Jazz Times
Via NPR –
I love watching a band evolve. On its third studio album, Little Dragon does just that. The Swedish quartet, fronted by singer Yukimi Negano, first hooked me years ago with its gorgeous mix of soul, R&B, rock, funk, synth-pop and electronica. But when I heard “Nightlight,” the lead single off Ritual Union, immediately knew something different was on the horizon.
The new record brings out a sharper side of the band. The sounds are more aggressive, the vocals more dynamic, and the mood more consistent as one track flows into the next. However, the band hasn’t lost the dreamy pop sensibility that has always made its songs so addictive.
The dance floor is my first love as a music fan, and Ritual Union has plenty to offer in that department. Uptempo rhythms and electronic beats are everywhere on this album, making for an interesting contrast with Negano’s vocals, which sometimes dip into a quirky and even folky vibe. The tension resolves on the closing cut, “Seconds,” a gentle lullaby with a hint of Kraftwerk that marries the band’s disparate influences perfectly.
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