Roulette

現代のUKジャズ・シーンを牽引する音楽プロデューサー/ピアニスト、アルファ・ミストによる6枚目のスタジオアルバム『Roulette』は、復讐、許し、贖罪というテーマが色濃く残る、広大なディストピアという独自のSF世界を創り上げた作品。

彼の特徴である、揺らめくキーボード、直感的なグルーヴ、自由に流れるジャズの即興演奏は健在だが、『Roulette』はスモーキーなサイケデリックさが染み込んでいる。没入感のあるこのアルバムは、拍子が軽々と切り替わる8分間のタイトル曲をはじめ、心に深く刻まれる、痛切で哀愁を帯びたメロディーによって、アルファ・ミストがUKミュージック界で最も先進的な作曲家の一人であることを強く印象づける作品となっている。

Roulette is the sixth long-player by London-based multi-instrumentalist, rapper, composer, and producer Alfa Mist. Since releasing Epic, his debut EP in 2014, hes created an integrated sound that organically weaves together 21st century jazz, hip-hop, soul, and classical music. Mist is a musical world builder. On the 15-track Roulette, he imagines a sci-fi universe of the near-future. Reincarnation is no longer a spiritual concept but a scientific reality, where it serves as a potent tool able to link present dreams to past lives. While the possibilities are limitless, there are also consequences to debate on ethical, moral, and philosophical grounds. He extended the albums idea with a comic based on its themes, with illustrations by artist James Rueben. In Mists imagined world, all lives -- current and past -- are held on permanent record. Governments use them to legislate and prosecute. Mist is accompanied by his standing quintet and appended by the Amika Quartet, who collaborated with him on 2024s excellent Recurring (Live at Kings Place). Mist raps some, but he is accompanied by vocalists who include New York rapper Homeboy Sandman, Brit-soul queen Tawiah, and vocalist and polymath multi-instrumentalist, Kaya Thomas-Dyke (his bassist). Opener "Reincarnation" finds Homeboy Sandman flowing above the piano, trumpet, saxophone, and organic beats in modern soul-jazz with psych undertones (the entire album is lightly saturated in the latter). The title track is introduced by strings before Johnny Woodhams flugelhorn, Mists electric piano, Jamie Leemings reverbed electric guitar, Thomas-Dykes bass, and Samuel Rapleys saxophones atop Jamie Houghtons drumkit join in a sultry noir-ish vamp before Woodham solos and is reintegrated, then Mist solos and transforms the tune into glorious pastoral fusion. It segues into "All Time." Fingerpicked electric guitar, a guiding bassline, and the leaders synth frame the spacious, gorgeous vocals by Tawiah offering a lyric about time: the way we grasp at it, chase it, and are undone by it. "Between Lives" is a brief jazz tune about the bardo -- the space of emptiness that lies between death and rebirth. Mists electric piano meets strings in a modal melody painted by bass, guitar, and a very blue saxophone. Mist delivers the rap on the glorious "9 Months," a lilting yet sultry jazz jam juxtaposing possibility, consequence, and transcendence in the occurrence of repeated reincarnation amid saxophone, flute, synth, beats, and textured ambience. On "Always Be" Thomas takes the sweet, honeyed lead vocal on the ontological questions about reincarnation: "So who are you the day that life begins again?" It flows into the transcendent jazz instrumental "Avoid the Drones," revealing power and elegance by the instrumentalists. Closer "Black Snow" is a flowing ballad woven through modal lyricism, blues, and silvery post-bop to send the thought-provoking set off with blue notes. Though all of Mists recordings are worth investigating, Roulette is easily his most realized and sophisticated project to date. ~ Thom Jurek

スモーキージャズの警鐘。現代UKジャズ黎明期から活躍するプロデューサー/ピアニスト:アルファ・ミストによる6th。本作は、復讐、許し、贖罪というテーマを基に、独自のSF世界で現代社会の傾向を戯画化し現実社会への警鐘とジャズを鳴らし創造されたディストピア作品。揺れるグルーヴとキーボード、脈打つドラムとベースライン、時にヴォーカルやストリングズも挿入。アルバム全編を通して堪能できる(即興)演奏はスモーキー且つサイケデリック。没入感ある拍子が切り替わる長尺曲も収録。本作でも聴かれる痛切で哀愁を帯びた音世界は、先進的な作曲家であり現代を生ける人間の直接的な音楽アプローチ。ええやんええやん。
intoxicate (C)黒田"ハイプ"朋規

現代UKジャズ・シーンをおもしろくしているピアニスト/プロデューサーが6枚目のスタジオ・アルバムを完成しました。復讐、許し、贖罪というテーマが色濃く残るディストピア世界を、揺らめく鍵盤と流れるようなグルーヴ、自身のラップなどによって物語として表現。ホームボーイ・サンドマン、タウィア、シンガー兼マルチ演奏家のカヤ・トーマス・ダイクの客演も聴きどころです!
bounce (C)狛犬