Gerald Cleaver
-Griots
Gerald Cleaver: Electronics.
Virelles features David Virelles.
Recorded in 2020 in Brooklyn, New York.
Mixed and mastered by Jeremy Loucas at Sear Sound, New York City.
Buena Vista mixed by Chris Castagno.
Inner Sleeve portrait by Attila Kleb.
Design in London, January 2021, by Philip Marshall.
This Records has been made with the support of the shifting foundation.
Griots is all about spontaneity, dealing with a wide range of influences and ideas, blending them in an at times gentle, at times ferocious flurry of rowdy synthesis, FM tones and muted drum machines. The album is a challenging listen that offers comfort as well as contorted acceptance. It defines the nature of inspiration as circular. Griots also features Cuban jazz pianist and composer David Virelles and American composer and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire. Highly original and striking a unique and informed tone, Griots loops psychedelic sounds and rhythmic ideas, adding a version-like feel to it's IDM and club music influences. Its templates are open-ended and shed light on what is going on around us.
Available on vinyl and digital, with the vinyl version containing seven tracks + four digital-only tracks that are downloadable upon purchasing a copy.
reviews
**Imagine Sun Ra-meets-Actress on this stunning, deeply experimental, electronic jazz set!**
https://soundsoftheuniverse.com/
This is ace! Prolific Detroit/NYC jazz drummer Gerald Cleaver serves a sterling 2nd album of electronic music, calling to mind Sun Ra, Terrence Dixon, Pekka Airaksinen, Dennis Weise
Attached with the statement “It is very important to me to stress the importance of Tribe. Community is everything” Gerald Cleaver pays homage to his spiritual home city Detroit’s important electronic music scene, also weaving strong influence from his decades playing in myriad NYC jazz constellations – playing skins alongside legends including Roscoe Mitchell, William Parker, Wadada Leo Smith, Marcus Belgrave, Lou Reed.
His drummer’s instincts at at the root of seven cuts cultivating FM synthesis, pulsing drum machines and touches of keys and trumpet by Cuba’s David Virelles and US player Ambrose Akinmusire, respectively, into wonderfully effervescent and playful works that remind us to many, many touchstones, but delivered with a verve and open-ended, psychedelic aesthetic that’s dead easy to get lost inside.
Tip!
https://boomkat.com
Excellent, free-minded Techno journey w/ 4 digital only tracks in addition (w/ download code)
https://hardwax.com//
Busily based nowadays in New York — a regular collaborator with William Parker — Cleaver flexes his Detroit roots in these original, tough, psychedelic, jazzy excursions in electronic dance music, for which the drummer is joined by the virtuosic Cuban jazz pianist David Virelles and Blue Note trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire.
Unusual and well worth checking.
https://honestjons.com/