John Parry, Author at Backseat Mafia

Album Review: Reginald Omas Mamode IV – ‘Rivière’ Noire’: Forward-thinking lo-fi funk and hip hop with a bold, direct message.

Dalliance or daring, ‘Rivière’ Noire’ the fourth album from singer, producer and beats aficionado Reginald Omas Mamode IV is, whichever way you look at it, a bit of a leap.…

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Album Review: The Circling Sun –‘Orbits’: the spiritual jazz collective return refreshed and vital as ever.

The ever-orbiting Aotearoa/New Zealand based cosmic jazz big band The Circling Sun are clearly on a roll. After building a live reputation on the NZ scene for well over a…

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Album Review: Charbel Haber, Nicolás Jaar and Sary Moussa- ‘Crashing waves…’: A breath-taking electro-acoustic journey which reaches beyond the moment.

Disseminating experimental/alternative music from the myriad of vibrant scenes across the SWANA region to the wider world has been Ruptured Music’s generous undertaking for over fifteen years. Its creative source…

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Track/Video: Tape looping soundscaper Blank For.ms previews incoming album with the gently powerful ‘Formed By The Slide’.

It seems a long way from big band composition to becoming a tape loop/analogue wiz but that’s the trajectory Brooklyn based musician Tyler Gilmore aka Blank For.ms has journeyed. Schooled…

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Album Review: Universal Affirmation Ensemble – ‘Unconditional Propositions’: Daring experimental rock inspired by Gamelan’s rich intensity.

The second release of the venerable Katuktu Collective’s spring offering sees the Californian label open our ears to some new sonic adventures with drummer and composer Justin Devries. For his…

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Album Review: Me Lost Me –‘This Material Moment’: Jayne Dent’s avant-folk takes another great leap forward.

As the Broadside Hacks/ Shovel Dance Collective avant-folk momentum rolls on, it does well to remember that Newcastle’s Jayne Dent aka Me Lost Me has been stretching those traditional boundaries…

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Album Review: Franz Von –‘Take What You Want’: Conscious hip hop on the fusion front foot.

If you’re a gig goer who’s ever crossed paths with the fusion blast of TC & The Groove Family or going back further been levelled by Kweku Sackey, aka K.O.G,…

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Album Review: I Am Fya – ‘Homeland’: A future dub, avant pop, deep searching story that makes for vivid listening.

Manchester’s I Am Fya’s new audio-visual album ‘Homeland’ is a project that’s been evolving for some time. She swaggered into the electronic, avant-pop arena with the punchy ‘A Womxn’ debut…

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Album Review: Madalitso Band-‘Ma Gitala’: More pulsating, street band afrobeat from the unstoppable Malawian duo.

Obviously no-one has told the irrepressible Madalitso Band about the third album wobble. The Malawian roots duo, Yosefe Kalekeni and Yobu Maligwa, are a partnership who take everything in their…

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Album Review: Tavare-‘Too Small To Be So High’: A delicate and solemn slow core triumph.

Trying to keep track of Canadian experimental guitarist and composer Aidan Baker’s recorded output since his first release in 2000 is an almost impossible challenge. The Discogs bible lists around…

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