myele manzanza: crisis & opportunity vol. 2 - peaks
Francisco Espregueira
The second installment of the Crisis & Opportunity series sees world renowned drummer Myele Manzanza join forces with Andre Marmot, Jay Phelps & Lewis Moody, as well fellow Kiwi musicians Aron Ottignon, Matt Dal Din, Ashton Sellars (who similarly have now found themselves living in the UK / EU). Together they take inspiration from the mixtape format (favoured by many cult status producers and MC’s) and deliver thirteen doses of exhilarating, jazz infused bottled lightning.
This magnificent release is another golden piece in Myele Manzanza’s discography, and is dropping next friday via DeepMatter - one of the labels of the moment, always introducing incredible talent. Following Crisis & Opportunity Vol. 1 - London, the Vol. 2 quickly began to take shape with Myele’s band embodying a spirit of collaboration and improvisation in the project. The free-flowing feel to the record is intentional, with the performers trusting each other’s instincts. Crisis & Opportunity Vol. 2 - Peaks continues to follow Myele Manzanza’s artistic journey throughout the global pandemic whilst continuing to re-examine and re-approach his approach to crafting music. Available on vinyl.
“Just get a groove going with a few basic chords and let the music go wherever it goes. As I had been bashing my head into a brick wall trying to ‘compose’ music, I realized that I could just say, “fuck it. I trust these musicians. If I give them the space, then they’ll be able to fill it with good ideas.”