Pinky Perzelle Eda Eren
No Games

Mulatu was written by Mulatu, as he says, for himself. This arrangement features Mulatu on his signature instrument the vibraphone and flugelhornist Ian Dixon. Inspired lyrics from Elf Transporter pay respect to the traditional owners of Black Jesus Experience’s hometown.Ambassa Lemdi is an arrangement combining an original song taught to Enushu by her Grandmother with a traditional Ethiopian song. It tells of a mother singing for her daughter’s wedding, welcoming the groom and the joy of uniting their families.Kulun Mankwaleshi is our arrangement of a traditional Ethiopian wedding song in the uniquely Ethiopian anchi-hoye scale. Both polyrhythmic and polymetric sophistication provide the hypnotic foundation for this beautiful melody. Friends and family join the party on backing vocals climaxing with Peter Harper’s mesmeric saxophone solo.Living On Stolen Land is dedicated to the First Nations people of Australia and acknowledges the pain and injustice of their not being recognized as the traditional owners of Australia. This track features guitarist Zac Lister and very special guest Vida Sunshyne. Its moody 6/8 vamp in D is a gateway to channeling the spirits of the land.To Know Without Knowing is a suite in two contrasting movements, both using the same Ethiopian tezita minor scale over an unrelated pedal tone in the bass. It is conceived from, and is a vehicle to, a place beyond thought.Lijay originated from a simple reggae inspired jam. Lij means child in Amharic. Enushu sings of her child being the realization of her dream, and her future. Monk replies with a child’s ode to his mother.Blue Light was written for our dear friend Jeannie, for her journey from this life to the next. Originally written in traditional ballad form, this arrangement morphs to speak of the past, present and future.Mascaram Setaba is an Ethio classic that showcases Mulatu’s study of the familial links between Ethiopian and Latin music. Mascaram Setaba means ‘when September comes’. September being the New Year in Ethiopia this is a celebration of rebirth and new growth. This new arrangement puts the spotlight on legendary jazz pianist Bob Sedergreen.A Chance To Give is a 16 bar blues inspired by the joy of giving, originally conceived while street performing. It features Mulatu on vibes, Peter Harper on sax, MC Elf Transporter, and Robbie Belchamber on guitar.

Leng Records has long had close ties with the underground music scene in San Francisco, with low-slung dub disco and psychedelic disco outfit 40 Thieves releasing their acclaimed album The Sky Is Yours on the imprint way back in 2014. Now Leng has turned to another stalwart of the Bay Area scene, Cole Odin, on a single that’s every bit as trippy and engrossing as you’d expect from one of San Francisco’s most frequently overlooked talents.Cole made his Leng debut earlier in the year, contributing the electro-influenced track ‘Numbers Game’ to the label’s 10th anniversary compilation. On ‘Little Boxes’, he’s joined by good friend Eddie C, a much-loved disco and house producer from Canada best known for his releases on Endless Flight and Red Motorbike. The pair recorded the track while Eddie was staying with Cole in San Francisco last year.In keeping with the low-slung, hallucinatory sound that has always been a big feature of the San Franciscan scene, ‘Little Boxes’ is a trippy, mind-altering affair in which waves of sitar sounds, cosmic synths, effects-laden guitars and kaleidoscopic electronics rise above a weighty punk-funk bassline and crunchy, snare-heavy beats. It has serious dancefloor chops but is also atmospheric and immersive: perfect 5am music for Bay Area beach parties and mushrooms-fuelled forest raves.Fittingly, it’s 40 Thieves who provide the accompanying remix, a 10-minute epic created with the assistance of Adonis and Rodney from the psych rock band ‘Guavatron’ for additional synths and the guitars. Beginning with tabla-style percussion, swirling chords, psychedelic guitar licks and mystical sitar sounds, the remix builds in waves, with looser drums and even weightier bass propelling the track forwards at a metronomic and hypnotic pace. By the time the eyes-closed guitar solos drop two thirds of the way through, you’ll be tripping hard and reaching for the lasers. It’s a genuinely stunning remix of a genuinely intoxicating, mind-mangling track.