Je'raf - All My Friends are Holograms

"The premise of je’raf is to make the avant-garde accessible. Upon listening to their music, what is most likely to strike you is that it sounds both extremely familiar and wildly extraterrestrial. This is intentional: it’s left-field music you can groove to, and it exists to make you feel grounded while spiraling far out into other possibilities. Get into it."
-Erin Margaret Day, Bandcamp

credits

released July 15, 2022

je'raf is:

Brianna Tong - vocals
pt Bell - vocals, piano
Ishmael Ali - guitar, electronics, cello, piano, vocals
Wills McKenna - saxophone, flute
David Fletcher - trumbone
Eli Namay - bass, vocals
Bill Harris - drums, percussion, vocals, piano, wurlitzer

Recorded at Marmalade by Ishmael Ali and Bill Harris
Mixed and mastered by Ishmael Ali and Bill Harris
Produced by je'raf
Released and distributed by Don't Panic Records and Distro

This is DP-031

Cordoba - Specter - (track 2 Factory)

I laid down some upright bass on Track 2 of this album, by my good pals in Cordoba. I’m also in the music video performing some “musical labor” … lol.

Liner Notes:

Specter is motivated by a deep-seated feeling that the fabric of society is quickly unravelling, and their songs react to issues like gentrification, police brutality, and escalating social unrest. Cordoba also reflects on feelings of isolation and anxiety that have only been amplified in this time of pandemic. The album is characterized by the band’s typical off-kilter grooves, nuanced arrangements, and vocal versatility, this time incorporating performances from KAIA String Quartet and a cast of local jazz musicians.

credits

released October 30, 2020

Cordoba is…
Brianna Tong - Vocals
Eric Novak - Vocals, Saxophone, Flute, Oboe, Bass Clarinet
Cam Cunningham - Guitar
Zach Bain-Selbo - Keys
Khalyle Hagood - Bass
Zach Upton-Davis - Drums

Also featuring...
A.ADISA - Vocals on Track 2, Background Vocals on Track 3
Neko Jackson - Background Vocals on Track 3
Eli Namay - Bass on Track 2
Matt Riggen - Trumpet on Tracks 2, 3, 9, 11
David Fletcher - Trombone on Tracks 2, 3, 9, 11
KAIA String Quartet - Strings on Tracks 2, 5, 7, 9, 11

Tracks 3, 10, 11 written by Cam Cunningham
Tracks 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, written by Cam Cunningham and Brianna Tong
Track 2 written by Cam Cunningham, Brianna Tong, and Asha Adisa
Tracks 4, 9 written by Cam Cunningham and Eric Novak

This record was recorded at Jamdek by Doug Malone and at Limbic Audio by Cordoba’s own Zach Bain-Selbo. It was mixed by Zach Bain-Selbo and mastered by Greg Obis of Chicago Mastering Services. Album art by Eric Novak and Brianna Tong.

Je'raf - Throw neck

CASSETTE TAPES AVAILABLE AT NO INDEX RECORDS HERE:
noindex.bandcamp.com/album/throw-neck


Danceable woke conspiracy theory noise hip-hop metal jazz funk monologue-core. Je'raf is a Chicago/New York based band that formed in 2017. They combine hip hop, funk, and free jazz elements into tightly arranged songs that leave room for improvisation and looseness, while incorporating critical and satirical social commentary on police, conspiracy theories, religion, cults, and the emergence and trajectory of the American Bro.

Je'raf has held a monthly residency at Cafe Mustache in Chicago since July of 2019, playing every third Tuesday of the month. Their debut record, Throw Neck, is set to release this February 29 (LEAP YEAR!) at the Hungry Brain, with a split release on both Amalgam and No Index Records based in Chicago.

Formed in 2017, art-rock ensemble Je'raf arrange bits of hip-hop, jazz, funk, and postpunk into whimsical, progressive jams. All seven members (they're split between New York and Chicago) play in similarly animated, eccentric bands outside of the group too--bassist and vocalist PT Bell is in art-punk unit Blacker Face, for instance, and vocalist Brianna Tong fronts jazz-fusion group Cordoba. On Saturday, February 39, local labels Amalgam and No Index release Je'raf's rambunctious and politically charged debut album, Throw Neck. That night they celebrate with a headlining set at Hungry Brain; Udababy opens.

By J.R. Nelson for the Chicago Reader

Recorded at Pallet Sound by Seth Engel on February 2 and 3, 2019. Mixed and mastered by /jə'raf/
Design and layout by /jə'raf/
Artwork by Jordan Martins
Photo by Rachel Winslow

/jə'raf/ is:
Brianna Tong - Vocals
PT Bell - Vocals, bass
Ishmael Ali - Guitar, electronics
David Fletcher - Trombone
Wills McKenna - Saxophone
Eli Namay - Bass
Bill Harris - Drums, percussion, Microkorg

noindexrecords.com
amalgamusic.org  

credits

released February 29, 2020

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