Jazzanova offers up first single Creative Musicians from the project’s forthcoming LP Strata Records – The Sound Of Detroit – Reimagined By Jazzanova due out 22 April via 180 Proof/BBE Music.
Since their very first release in 1974, Detroit-based record label Strata Records has gained almost mythical status amongst true music fans, despite its relatively short initial lifespan. The revolutionary label (formed by Kenny Cox, Charles Moore, and others) has been revered by such music tastemakers as Theo Parrish and Gilles Peterson, with its almost legendary, emotive raw cuts.
DJ Amir and 180 Proof Records now team up with BBE Music to proudly present ‘Strata Records – The Sound Of Detroit – Reimagined By Jazzanova’. This brand new full-length project will see the Berlin-based stalwarts reworking some of the standout moments from Strata’s exclusive catalogue.
First single drop Creative Musicians (featuring remixes by Waajeed and Henrik Schwarz) indicates that what is to come will be a ‘strictly no covers’ album, with instead a brand-new musical celebration of the iconic imprint. Jazzanova’s take on The Lyman Woodard Organization’s musical manifesto ‘Creative Musicians’ makes this clear with Afrobeat-inspired horn arrangements, drum track, and syncopated tempo.
Vocalist Sean Haefeli brings a relaxed urgency to the sessions, even offering up a special four-to-the-floor mix on one of legendary Detroit DJ/Producer extraordinaire, Waajeed’s remixes. This manages to keep an organic vibe and add unique, contemporary Detroit flavour. Henrik Schwarz, who needs little introduction to electronic fans, takes the track in a slightly different direction, retaining many original elements but adding his signature sound to the mix.
When Brooklyn-based (now Berlin-based) DJ Amir Abdullah discovered the freestyle funk album ‘Saturday Night Special’ by The Lyman Woodard Organization on Strata, it sparked an ongoing journey into the musical heart of Detroit’s jazz community. Amir and his partner, Kon, were premier league crate diggers and famous worldwide for their groundbreaking On Track mixtapes, which revealed that elusive soul, jazz, and funk grooves and breaks that underpinned the hip hop of the day. In 2012, Abdullah joined forces with Barbara Cox, wife of Kenny Cox, to launch the 180 Proof label and reissue Strata Records’ influential back catalogue, including around 30 unreleased sessions. The story of Strata Inc. rises out of the insurrection that rocked the city of Detroit in July ’67 at the height of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. The 12th Street Riot, as it’s known, was sparked by the same police brutality that continues to fuel today’s Black Lives Matter movement.
Stream ‘Creative Musicians’ HERE
LP Strata Records – The Sound Of Detroit – Reimagined By Jazzanova is due out in April via 180 Proof/BBE Music. Pre-order HERE
