Leif Maine and Jackson Mathod: Volte-Face

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Thomas Leif Maine (d, g, b, ky)
Jackson Mathod (t)
Christopher Summer (v)
Ajene James Davis (v)

Label:

Def Pressé

November/2024

Media Format:

LP, DL

Catalogue Number:

DFPRROM33

RecordDate:

Rec. date not stated

Volte-Face is the sound of Tulse Hill, South London - very 2020s, drifting, ambient, the shape of its compositions often difficult to discern, but possessing real jazz sensibility. This is largely thanks to the ubiquitous Jackson Mathod, whose live shows and recordings (many with Gabriele Pribetti) have been such a feature of recent years. His work with the likes of Blue Lab Beats have made him a sought-after collaborator for all kinds of musical projects.

Vocalists Summer and Davis are not singers but rappers, and there are guest appearances from Washington DC rapper J-Scienide on both the opener ‘First Light’ and the title track. If you can appreciate the hip-hop vibe, complete with the lo-fi electronica and grungy beats, there is much to enjoy here.

Mathod’s signature trumpet style illuminates the whole thing, sometimes in the form of bright little riffs, sometimes as doubled Tijuana Brass-like fills, as on ‘Transformer’. Maine, adept at both conventional and broken beat drumming, and of twangling guitar, has shouldered much of the musical input, creating waves of atmospheric backing.

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