Unfold

Following on from his in store at Rough Trade Jeb Loy Nichols releases his on Impossible Ark Records, via Unfold. Jeb  is an artist, writer and musician living a sustainable life in Wales. ‘Strange Faith And Practice’ is his new album. With a glowing review in The Independent on Sunday this is one album you shouldn’t miss.

Since moving to the UK from his native America and finding himself living in an East End squat with Neneh Cherry, Adrian Sherwood and Ari Up from the Slits, Jeb has variously been art director for Pressure Sound records, performed guest vocals for Groove Armada, designed prints and fabric for Paul Smith and compiled the celebrated review of blue eyed southern soul, ‘Country Got Soul’. Throughout this time he has also had a successful career as a musician, both with his band The Fellow Travellers and as a solo artist; his previous albums have received glowing reviews in publications from the Independent to Mojo.

Described by many as a modern day Renaissance Man, Jeb has led a creative life spanning countless records, exhibitions and more recently books. Artist, writer, musician; for Jeb it’s all part of the same journey. And quite a journey it’s been: from Middle America and its soundtrack of country music and southern soul; through ‘70s New York, the loft scene and a sound clash of free jazz and rap; via London, reggae and the creative resistance to Thatcher’s Britain; and finally to Wales, a place to build a home, print, write and record, at least for a while.

‘Strange Faith And Practice’ is a relaxed and candid album of songs. Set against the shifting seasons of his remote Welsh retreat, they reflect back on Jeb’s search for place, a personal voice and the different musical scenes he’s passed through.

The accompaniment on ‘Strange Faith And Practice’ is provided by a group of revered musicians hailing from London’s vibrant jazz scene, including Tim Giles and Mark Hanslip; the rich bass comes care of Riaan Vosloo, who also arranged these songs, and who co-founded the Impossible Ark label with close contemporary Benedic Lamdin (better known as the rising jazz producer/musician Nostalgia 77).

Benedic Lamdin: “For those of you who, like I, had never heard Jeb before, I can say it’s a wonderful world to discover. For those of you who already know and love Jeb’s songs, hear them here with fresh ears, pinned as they are to a chiaroscuro of shifting jazz drums, of double bass and of strings.”

Head to the Etch Shop to buy it now.

Jeb Loy Nichols, (see more info and a podcast below) has released a digital single, tracklisting is:

Sometime, Somewhere, Somebody/This Morning

UNFOLDDD001

The stunning digital single “Sometime, Somewhere, Somebody” by Jeb Loy Nichols is out now on Impossible Ark Records. This laid back fusion of wry, lyrical country folk and blue-eyed soul is the perfect first taste of the upcoming album, ‘Strange Faith And Practice’, and the musical backing is provided by some of London’s top jazz musicians (including Tim Giles, Mark Hanslip and Impossible Ark co-founder Riaan Vosloo). The B side brings you the summer morning strings of “This Morning”.

“Sometime, Somewhere, Somebody” is available to buy as a digital download from the Etch Shop, and ‘Strange Faith And Practice’ is out on 7^th September.

Read more and listen to a podcast from the acclaimed artist, writer and musician Jeb Loy Nichols, at http://www.impossiblearkrecords.co.uk

Jeb’s own work as a songwriter and artist is based on a life as a dedicated music fan and record collector. Amongst other projects his collection of southern blue eyed soul found it’s way into the world as the celebrated compilation “Country got soul”. Other archivists have made use of his collection too - notably a recent compilation of the Capsoul made use of Jeb’s completed discography for several masters.

There’s snippetts of both these collections in this mix alongside music that Jeb says influenced his approach to songwriting and gives the listner an insight into the world of Jeb’s new record for Impossible Ark.  “Andy Bey is my favorite singer” says Jeb.  Need we say more?

The mix also features a rare momento of Jeb’s friendship with the legendary memphise songsmith Dan Penn.  Which track? You Decide.

Be sure to check out www.jebloynichols.co.uk // Strange Faith and Practice by Jeb Loy Nichols is released 09 /09 on Impossible Ark Records.

Download the mix HERE

We’re extremely proud to annouce that we have done a deal with Impossible Ark records to release their music through Unfold. The label is run by Ben Lamdin (Nostalgia77) and Riaan Vosloo who work together on various projects including all the Lizzy Parks material on TT so far. They already have a well repsected catalogue of releases but this new deal should mean you are hearing a lot more from them in 2009 and beyond.

The boys themselves describe the label as,

“A British record label. Focusing on the work of creative musicians, it has released Jazz, Latin and more experimental projects over the past three years.”

The first release will be an album by enigmatic alt-country singer and artist Jeb Loy Nichols, entitled Strange Faith and Practice (September 07). This will be followed by Impossible Ark: A compilation (October 10 2009).

More information:

http://impossiblearkrecords.co.uk/

http://www.jebloynichols.co.uk/

Pretty artwork below:

ARTIST: VARIOUS

TITLE: ‘FLUID OUNCE PRESENTS…’

CAT NO: UNFOLDDVD005

DISTRIBUTION: PINNACLE

LABEL: UNFOLD

RELEASE DATE: 27.10.2008

The brainchild of Fluid Ounce head honcho Chris Vogado - aka one half of Ninja Tune’s Zero dB - ‘Fluid Ounce presents…’ is a groundbreaking compilation: 90 (yes, nine-zero) tracks of exclusive, exciting,original and genre-rampaging music presented in high quality formats on one DVD.

And here’s how it came to be…

It’s 2008; you know how it is; the music industry is flickering in its own embers; compact discs dangle to scare off birds whilst vinyl gathers dust; recordings of music can be heard but not seen.

Chris Vogado struggles back from another gig, another airport, another journey, with two excessively heavy record bags full of vinyl gems. As he enters Fluid Ounce HQ and relieves his sloping shoulder

s, he detours into the vaults where demos bulge off every shelf and remind him of the mammoth task in hand. For years he’s been receiving, auditioning, reviewing and ransacking an ever rising flood of demos, sent with care from around the world. And for the past two years, he’s concentrated great efforts into scooping off the cream and liaising with the artists to optimise their often already exceptional if sometimes under-nurtured sounds. But to release all of these nuggets on 12” heavyweight vinyl, as the quality of the music deserves, when no miserable sod can be bothered to put their wallet where their appreciation of this unsurpassable format is? NON! NO! NO MORE! NOT IN THIS GAME! Chris Vogado, realising he is shouting at nobody, gathers his thoughts and calmly vows to make a change.

Suddenly, through the haze of sunlit dust specks a vision appears (and for once, it is not a naked lady). It could just be the solution: put out a massive collection of the very best of a damned good lot and show the world that quantity and quality can coexist in a small, neat package. Si, si, señores y señoras, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls - Fluid Ounce Presents… these 90 exclusive, outstanding tracks, from no less than 29 different, mostly new, but always uniquely fresh artists, all carefully plucked and finely tuned by the clean and unforgiving ears of A&R guru Chris Vogado.

“I know I’m hard to please”, sighs Vogado now, “and I know I’ve been a real pain in the arse for most of the artists featured here, meddling to the point of great interference, but it really has been worth it, as they, we - and hopefully you - will all agree.”

Tru Thoughts Hip Hop

‘Unfold Presents: Tru Thoughts Hip Hop’

ARTIST: VARIOUS

TITLE: UNFOLD PRESENTS: TRU THOUGHTS HIP HOP

CAT NO: UNFOLDCD006

DISTRIBUTION: PINNACLE

LABEL: UNFOLD

RELEASE DATE: 10.11.2008

For the first time ever, and to celebrate the launch of Unfold Records, you can now feast your ears on all the heaviest hip hop stylings from the massively diverse catalogue of Tru Thoughts (and hip hop sister label Zebra Traffic) on one essential jam-packed CD.

‘Unfold Presents: Tru Thoughts Hip Hop’ is the first compilation from the Tru Thoughts stable to have an obvious genre theme, but this being Tru Thoughts’ twist on hip hop as it stands today, the vibe is still hugely eclectic and aims to reflect the open-minded musical policy and crossover of influences embraced by hip hop in its original incarnation. The funk of The Bamboos; Quantic’s deep dancefloor mastery; dubstep influences from Me&You; Freddie Cruger’s B Boy drums; and the future grooves of Hint and Milez Benjiman combine with the vocals of Phonte from Little Brother; French rapper Trinidad; Ohmega Watts from the USA; and Life, Dirty Diggers and Rup representing the finest of the UK.