There's plenty of tension in that calmness at the beginning of live session version of 'The Code' by London-based Ethiopian-singer model Egyptian Alewya and British jazz drummer Moses Boyd. After the build-up, it turns into powerful rock/jazz/global territory. Previously, the two have recorded a live version of her song 'Sweating'.
Female artists and female-fronted bands - like Dua Lipa, Charli XCX, and Porridge Radio - have outnumbered men on the shortlist for this year's Mercury Prize, for the first time in its 29-year history, Sky reports. A total of seven female or female-fronted acts (of 12 nominees) made the 2020 shortlist; the previous highest total was five. In general, this year pop dominated the shortlist, with none left of the field albums.
The nominees:
Anna Meredith - ‘FIBS‘
Charli XCX - ‘how i’m feeling now‘
Dua Lipa - ‘Future Nostalgia‘
Georgia - ‘Seeking Thrills‘
Kano - ‘Hoodies All Summer‘
Lanterns on the Lake - ‘Spook the Herd‘
Laura Marling - ‘Song for Our Daughter‘
Michael Kiwanuka - ‘KIWANUKA‘
Moses Boyd - ‘Dark Matter‘
Porridge Radio - ‘Every Bad‘
Sports Team - ‘Deep Down Happy‘
Stormzy - ‘Heavy is the Head‘
UK electronic-jazz drummer Moses Boyd and drill rapper Digga D are the most nominated artists for this year’s AIM Independent Music Awards, with three nominations each. Electronic music trailblazers Flying Lotus and Floating Points, as well as Polish pianist Hania Rani and psychedelic R'n'B singer Greentea Peng are vying for two awards each. The most attractive category, Best Independent Album, is filled with interesting releases: Brooke Bentham 'Everyday Nothing', Everything Is Recorded 'Friday Forever', Kidjo Ojua 'The Mixtape', Kim Gordon 'No Home Record', Laura Marling 'Song For Our Daughter', Moses Boyd 'Dark Matter', Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds 'Ghosteen', The Ninth Wave 'Infancy', Phoenix Da Icefire & Husky Brown 'Panacea' and Sarathy Korwar 'More Arriving'.
'Dark Matter' is debut solo LP by UK jazz drummer Moses Boyd, a modern, groovy-jazz album, rich with sound and easy to listen to. Brooklyn Vegan likes how it overcomes boundaries: "'Dark Matter' completely breaks down lines between genres. It’s jazz, it’s hip hop, it’s soul, it’s psychedelia - it’s a lot of things, and whatever subgenre you wanna call it, it’s a grooving, entrancing record that hooks you in from the start and ends way too soon". Guardian praises Boyd as "a skilled producer, artfully splicing warm acoustic tones with tempestuous electronic samples".
