Instant Karma

Fanboy three (l-r): BadBadNotG ood’s Alexander Sowinski, Chester Hansen and Leland Whitty; (inset below)Art urVerocai

The good, the badand the V

WHENTorontojazzers BadBadNotGood were looking to add string arrangements to their upcoming fourth album Talk Memory, only one name was ever considered. Brazilian studio legend Arthur Verocai has sprinkled his magic on records by Jorge Ben, Gal Costa and Marcos Valle, although his finest achievement remains his 1972 selftitled debut, a gorgeous and unique blend of bossa nova, jazz, folk and orchestral soul, inspired by everything from Tom Jobim to Jimmy Webb, Frank Zappa, MilesDavisandRavel. “It’sacombinationof everything I love about music in one album,” says BadBadNotGood saxophonist Leland Whitty. Other famous fans include Madlib, Floating Points and Stereolab’s Laetitia Sadier, who picked the “mesmerising” album as one of her all-time faves in a past issue of Uncut. Yet on release it sank without trace, and Verocai didn’t make another record under his own name for 30 years.

“The market at the time was very commercial,” Verocai explains today, “and the album had artistic components without commercial retensions.” He also bristled at he lyrical censorship imposed by razil’s repressive military regime. s a result, Verocai retreated back ehind the studio glass to compose music for TV and adverts, ncluding a jingle for the 1994 ootball World Cup.

However, in the 2000s, hip-hop oducers such as MF Doom and h Wonder began discovering nd sampling the Arthur Verocai um, encouraging him to start riting songs again. “I was very happybecausetheywereenjoying mywork,whichuntilthenhadnot been recognised here in Brazil.” BadBadNotGood are from an even younger generation of disciples but Verocai was impressed with their sophistication: “The guys in the band are very talented and it gave me the conditions to do a good job.”

They originally came together when BadBadNotGood supported Verocai in São Paulo in 2019 and got to play some of the songs from the self-titled album with his band. “It was one of the most inspiring and special performances that we’ve done,” says Whitty. “Once the relationship was established it seemed like a no-brainer to ask him to do string arrangements, and everything he did was incredible. It was so easy because since we love his music and trust his vision so much, there were no notes or guidance on our end. It was perfect and beautiful, first try.”

“We had a few good conversations before and after the show,” adds BBNG bandmate Chester Hansen. “He was super-welcoming and told us a bunch of cool stories.”

Now 76, Verocai is more in-demand than ever. “I have been working a lot

BadBadNotGood

ascend to the next level, in cahoots with cult Brazilian arranger

Arthur Verocai , Brazilian and foreign,” he confirms. Most excitingly, he reveals that he has “a new album ready to record in the near future.” Since busting out of Humber College’s jazz programme a decade ago, BadBadNotGood have been thrilled to witness a renewed hunger among music fans for jazz and exploratory music in general, ushering in a new era of openminded collaboration across borders and generations. “There are so many fusions of multiple ARTHUR VEROCAI different genres, it’s super-exciting,” says Whitty. “Even though there’s this wave of ‘jazz’, every artist is finding unique sounds and combinations within that realm.” As well as Arthur Verocai, Talk Memory also features harpist Brandee Younger and new age composer Laraaji. “That was pretty special – he put a beautiful ambience on the whole thing, like azenguardianorsomething. Everythingthatwedidwiththis recordworkedout.” SAM RICHARDS

VANISHING TWIN

OOKII GEKKOU

FIRE RECORDS LP / CD

Vanishing Twin explore new ground on ‘Ookii Gekkou’ incorporating elements of afrofunk, outer jazz and avant-garde. Ltd edition gatefold vinyl. “One of the most original and exciting acts of the moment” The Quietus. BRIGID MAE POWER

BURNING YOUR LIGHT

FIRE RECORDS LP / CD

New covers release featuring takes on Songs: Ohia, Townes Van Zandt, Aretha Franklin, Patsy Cline and more “A remarkable Irish singer emerges from fligree and shadow” Mojo. NATIVE SOUL

TEENAGE DREAMS

AWESOME TAPES FROM AFRICA 2LP / CD

South African amapiano electronic music from a young duo who explore a hauntingly contemporary, mostly instrumental interpretation of the currently trending style. APRIL MAGAZINE

IF THE CEILING WERE A KITE: VOL. 1

TOUGH LOVE LP

Recorded over a span of about 2 years, If The Ceiling Were A Kite is a document of things losing defnition and time gone slack. A handful of cryptic indie pop recordings nestled in warm aerosol hiss & scrappy hand-drawn cover art, refecting their SF Bay Area home.

MAC MCCAUGHAN

THE SOUND OF YOURSELF

MERGE RECORDS LP / CD

An album of ambient and pop gems featuring contributions from Mary Lattimore, TORRES, Yo La Tengo, and more. JERUSALEM IN MY HEART

QALAQ

CONSTELLATION LP / CD

Qalaq = “deep worry”. The renowned 21st century ArabLevantine contemporary music/art project returns with a devastating album of collaborative tracks including Moor Mother, Tim Hecker, Lucrecia Dalt, Greg Fox & many more. KASIM SULTON

KASIM 2021

DEKO ENTERTAINMENT CD

Kasim Sulton is best known for his work with Utopia, singing on the top 40 hit “Set Me Free”, Kasim 2021 features stand out tracks like “More Love” and “Fastcar”. CINDY

1:2

TOUGH LOVE LP / CD

Cindy’s 3rd LP is the quietly devastating 1:2. Unlike the previous records, this isn’t dream-pop sunshine bliss; there’s an unsettling quality mixed with a hazy atmosphere that makes this latest record 100% addicting & the perfect antidote to comfort listening.

WYNDOW

WYNDOW

SUMMER CRITICS LP / CD

Debut album from Wyndow, Laura J Martin and Lavinia Blackwall’s new Kosmiche-Psych-Folk project. Woven from threads sent across the wires, Wyndow strikes new ground. S. RAEKWON

WHERE I’M AT NOW

FATHER DAUGHTER LP / CD

S. Raekwon, aka New York-based singer/songwriter Steven Reynolds, touches upon his experiences as a biracial Black man living in America in this gorgeous self-produced and recorded debut album. JULIA SHAPIRO

ZORKED

SUICIDE SQUEEZE LP / CD

On Zorked, Julia Shapiro’s (Chastity Belt) sophomore album, she jumped into the deep end in search of something new–and found power in heavy sounds. HOLY HIVE

HOLY HIVE

BIG CROWN RECORDS LP / CD

Holy Hive picks up where they left off on their debut album and pushes their Folk Soul sound into new places on their highly anticipated eponymous sophomore album.

THE RUGGED NUGGETS REB FOUNTAIN GRACE PETRIE POND

ODDS & ENDS

COLEMINE RECORDS LP / CD

The debut LP from The Rugged Nuggets hits hard and demands to be turned up loud with the windows rolled down. With swooning strings, breezy guitars & tough as nails drums, Odds & Ends epitomizes a mellow vibe. IRIS

FLYING NUN RECORDS LP / CD

Combining pop elements with her trademark noir sound; IRIS elevates Reb Fountain’s music to new heights. The album boasts authentic and anthemic tunes that leave an instant and indelible impression. CONNECTIVITY

THE ROBOT NEEDS HOME COLLECTIVE LP / CD

The new record from folksinger Grace Petrie is an exploration of connections between people. “The musical soul of her generation” - HuffPost “An effervescent charm-bomb of a performer” New Yorker. 9

SPINNING TOP LP / CD

On their highly anticipated ninth album 9, Pond’s explorations are funnelled into electrifying bursts of pure psych-pop joy. Featuring the elastic hipped robo-funk of “America’s Cup” and psych-rock jam ‘’Human Touch.’’ CARGO COLLECTIVE: AN AMALGAMATION OF RECORD SHOPS AND LABELS DEDICATED TO BRINGING YOU NEW MUSIC

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