Bob James
Lucky Seven

ATALAYA is new work by bassist Dezron Douglas, and it is alive. Alive in all the ways that jazz is at its best - as a pure and personal expression of Black Music filtered through time-honored traditions by a group of musicians who practice sonic coherence through musical unity. Followers of contemporary jazz might recognize Dezron for his bass work behind Pharaoh Sanders, Louis Hayes, or Ravi Coltrane. Steady International Anthem listeners might remember him from the New York side of Makaya McCraven"s Universal Beings. More recently we presented Force Majeure, his sublime duo record with harpist Brandee Younger which compiled the best of livestream performances from their Harlem apartment during the original covid lockdown. That album reflected the speed and feeling of the moment while somehow simultaneously distracting from the harsh reality of it. It also captured a very vulnerable, intimate, and real impression of Dezron on double bass, sharing his power and truth without abandon.

A wonderful, rare record wrapped in a mysterious yet playful ambiance. Or maybe it’s just the impression that the Japanese language often gives me. ‘Suiren’ is an odd jazz-fusion-wave tune that sounds like its boiling, waiting to burst but somehow manages to stay in control. Like the nervous tick of a leg fidgeting under the table of a restaurant on a first date.Yasuaki Shimizu is a Japanese composer, producer and saxophone player. He worked with Ryuchi Sakamoto on certain arrangements, with the South Korean artist Nam June Paik on art+sound installation piece and even DJ Towa Tei (of Deee-Lite fame). “Suiren” was released in 1982 and is the opening title on the sought-after “Kakashi” album and is my personal favorite on this overall brilliant record. It weaves behind new wave, jazz, fusion, ambient and experimental music.Repetitive and hypnotizing, punctuated by exclamation marks on most first mesures, the muted triangle percussion hits me straight in the heart. About 90 seconds into the song, the saxophone makes its appearance and the song goes from “this is cute” to “oh, this is some serious shit!”. Shimizu’s saxophone frees the song from the rest of the elements which are more calculated and repetitive.A joyful, mysterious slow-moving train ride led by the artist’s mellow voice that rocks us with this calming but funky lullaby. Every phrase is punctuated by the xylophone there to energize the piece, albeit very subtely.Reissued for the first time outside of Japan, with new liner notes from French author Patrice Bollon, translated original liner notes and ‘studio banter’ from Yasuaki Shimizu. Remastered at Dubplates & Mastering. credits

'II' is the second album by drum experimentalists Simon Popp and Florian König aka '9ms'. Following up on their debut 'Pleats', the Munich-based musicians further expanded their toolbox of synthesizers, effects and tonal percussion to create a dark and dense fusion of Trip Hop, Krautrock and Dub. [info sheet from distr.