Special offer. Afrofuturism
Logan Richardson (saxophone)
Awards:
-
Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2021
Richardson’s is a hands-on approach in which he stirs the work of his live band into a rich soup of studio technology, gene-splicing Sun Ra with J Dilla and the reverbdrenched experiments of...
Special offer. Afrofuturism
Logan Richardson (saxophone)
Purchase product
Awards:
-
Presto Recordings of the Year, Finalist 2021
Richardson’s is a hands-on approach in which he stirs the work of his live band into a rich soup of studio technology, gene-splicing Sun Ra with J Dilla and the reverbdrenched experiments of...
About
180 gram purple splatter vinyl, 12" 2x Gatefold LP (4 sides of music - A, B, C, D) - comes with download code containing the digital album in multiple formats.
Alto saxophonist, composer and producer Logan Richardson's career has been marked by his deep engagement with the Black American improvised music tradition as much as by his fearlessly open-minded embrace of the contemporary sounds of the global diaspora and his keen gaze towards the future. 'AfroFuturism' (his fifth solo album) synthesises all those elements together into a stunningly audacious statement that is epic in its scope while providing a deep, intimately personal view into its creator's inner life.
The core of the album is a series of towering alt-rock/trap/wonky beat soundscapes created Logan's extensive range of keyboards, synthesizers and programming along with the latest iteration of his Blues People band - Igor Osypov on guitar and Peter Schlamb on vibes and keys, with Dominique Sanders on bass and sharing production duties, and the thunderously virtuosic drumming of Ryan J. Lee and Corey Fonville rounding out the rhythm team.
Logan intersperses these with an array of diverse sonic interludes, scraps of found audio, unexpected, limpid pools of introspective strings performed by Ezgi Karakus and quiet glades of hushed balladry from long-time collaborator, vocalist Laura Taglialatela. Over all, his unmistakable keening voice on alto sax provides the constant narrative thread. "I was trying to get back deeper to the core of my artistic voice: using fresh production processes to mix in my interconnected influences and all the sounds I hear, while trying to find a sense of roots."
As one of today's most singular voices in contemporary music, with AfroFuturism Richardson delivers not only a hugely impressive statement, but one with a direct and urgent message for the future that is rooted in his own and the larger contemporary Black American state of affairs, while reminding us of his musical unpredictability. One can only imagine what he'll do next.
Personnel: Logan Richardson (alto saxophone, piano, keyboards, synths), Igor Osypov (electric and acoustic guitars), Peter Schlamb (vibraphone, keyboards, key bass), Dominique Sanders (bass, key bass, production), Ryan J. Lee (drums, bass), Corey Fonville (drums), Laura Taglialatela (vocals), Ezgi Karakus (strings)
Contents and tracklist
1. Say My Name (feat. Stefon Harris)
2. The Birth of Us (feat. Igor Osypov, Peter Schlamb, Dominique Sanders, Ryan J. Lee)
3. Awaken (feat. Di Anna Richardson)
4. Sunrays (feat. Laura Taglialatela & Corey Fonville)
5. For Alto
6. Light
7. Trap
8. Grandma (feat. Great Grandmother Wolff)
9. Farewell, Goodbye (feat. Laura Taglialatela)
10. Black Wallstreet (feat. Ezgi Karakus)
11. Photocopy
12. Round Up (feat. Igor Osypov, Peter Schlamb, Dominique Sanders, Ryan J. Lee)
13. According to You (feat. Dominique Sanders)
14. Praise Song (feat. Igor Osypov, Peter Schlamb, Dominique Sanders, Ryan J. Lee)
Spotlight on this release
Awards and reviews
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Presto Recordings of the YearFinalist 2021
May 2021
Richardson’s is a hands-on approach in which he stirs the work of his live band into a rich soup of studio technology, gene-splicing Sun Ra with J Dilla and the reverbdrenched experiments of Khan Jamal. The recording struggles to contain the consequent tsunami of sound, but it’s compelling listening nonetheless.
April 2021
Alto saxophonist and composer Logan Richardson’s take on the Afrofuturist aesthetic mixes spacey jams with his Blues People band into artfully constructed soundscapes using sampled voices, found sounds and layered Ezgi Karakus strings. Richardson holds the pieces together with a clear composer’s vision and dictates mood with bursts of alto sax.
April 2021
Richardson offers a range of electronic and acoustic instrumentation that belies easy description. The production work on the aptly titled “Trap” has every element of this electronic blues, but it is a conversationwith one of hip-hop’s most critical modern inventions. The music is like poetry, evoking movement and transportation. But where we are going is more a collective enterprise. Sound is amap, not a territory.