Afrofuturism has been “a cultural force since the mid-20th century when jazz visionary Sun Ra and his Arkestra first touched down on Planet Earth” and let us know that space is the place. Then there’s the speculative fiction of Octavia Butler, and the writing of N.K. Jemisin, as well as the apocalyptic Afrofuturism in the music of Jake Blount, the “R&B cyborg Janelle Monáe, and dystopian noise-rappers Death Grips”, (FPE Records Bandcamp). For this New Sounds show, hear some of the Afrofuturism of the 21st century from spoken word artist, poet, musician, producer Moor Mother, bandleader/flutist Nicole Mitchell, percussionist/composer Michael Wimberly, and other artists. Composer, producer, poet and musician Moor Mother has been a part of the Philadelphia hip hop scene; her roots are in jazz, and her work sometimes blends poetry, jazz, ambient music, Afrofuturism, and soul - and can sometimes incorporate in dance, electronics, and science-fiction. Listen to music from Moor Mother’s 2022 record, Jazz Codes, featuring a wide range of collaborators and guest artists.Also, hear work in which Moor Mother features prominently, as on the Sons of Kemet record, Black to the Future, a record of dance music, instrumental jazz, and poetry, AND…spoken word, Afrofuturism, electronic music, hip hop, grime, dub, and Caribbean rhythms. Then listen to music by percussionist, composer, collaborator and professor Michael Wimberly from his record, Afrofuturism, which reaches far beyond his jazz roots, embracing ‘the total music vision coined by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, “ancient to the future”’ (from the liner notes by Peter Margasak.) There’s also music by flutist, musician, composer and educator Nicole Mitchell, whose music has been deeply influenced by Afrofuturist author Octavia E. Butler. From her record, Mandorla Awakening II Emerging Worlds, listen to music featuring Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble. Then, hear dragonchild, the new project by sax player DA (or Danny) Mekonnen, who used to lead the Debo Band, and who now takes the exploration of Ethiopian music and explodes it into three-dimensional space. Listen to some of dragonchild’s music, and more. - Caryn Havlik Program #4744, Afrofuturism (First aired 4/26/23) ARTIST: Sun Ra Arkestra WORK: Door of the Cosmos [1:01]RECORDING: Sleeping BeautySOURCE: Enterplanetry KonceptsINFO: sunramusic.bandcamp.com ARTIST: Moor Mother feat Black Quantum Futurism / Mary Lattimore WORK: Umzanzi [2:41]RECORDING: Jazz CodesSOURCE: Anti/EpitaphINFO: https://moormother.ffm.to/jazzcodes ARTIST: Moor Mother, feat. Keir NeuringerWORK: APRIL 7th [2:10]RECORDING: Jazz CodesSOURCE: Anti/EpitaphINFO: https://moormother.ffm.to/jazzcodes ARTIST: Moor Mother, feat. Melanie CharlesWORK: WOODY SHAW [1:53]RECORDING: Jazz CodesSOURCE: Anti/EpitaphINFO: https://moormother.ffm.to/jazzcodes ARTIST: Sons of Kemet ft. Moor MotherWORK: Pick Up Your Burning Cross [3:44]RECORDING: Black to the FutureSOURCE: Impulse!INFO: https://sonsofkemet.lnk.to/blacktothefutureIB ARTIST: Michael WimberlyWORK: DDK Groove [5:15]RECORDING: AfrofuturismSOURCE: Temple Mountain RecordsINFO: michaelwimberly.bandcamp.com | michaelcwimberly.com ARTIST: Moor Mother, feat. LojiiWORK: Shekere [2:11]RECORDING: Black Encyclopedia of the AirSOURCE: ANTI- RecordsINFO: moormother.ffm.to/beota ARTIST: dragonchildWORK: Above All [4:25]RECORDING: dragonchildSOURCE: FPE RecordsINFO: https://fperecs.bandcamp.com/album/dragonchild ARTIST: Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth EnsembleWORK: Nicole Mitchell: Mandorla Island [10:23]RECORDING: Mandorla Awakening II Emerging WorldsSOURCE: FPE RecordsINFO: fperecs.bandcamp.com ARTIST: Amina Claudine Myers, Nicole Mitchell, Irreversible Entanglements (with Moor Mother)WORK: Ecstatic Suite, excerpt [10:23]RECORDING: Live, Ecstatic Music Fest 2019 in Kaufman Music CenterSOURCE: This performance not commercially availableINFO: aminaclaudinemyers.com | nicolemitchell.com | irreversibleentanglements.com ARTIST: dragonchildWORK: Meditation (Reprise) [8:34]RECORDING: dragonchildSOURCE: FPE RecordsINFO: https://fperecs.bandcamp.com/album/dragonchild
Afrofuturism has been “a cultural force since the mid-20th century when jazz visionary Sun Ra and his Arkestra first touched down on Planet Earth” and let us know that space is the place. Then there’s the speculative fiction of Octavia Butler, and the writing of N.K. Jemisin, as well as the apocalyptic Afrofuturism in the music of Jake Blount, the “R&B cyborg Janelle Monáe, and dystopian noise-rappers Death Grips”, (FPE Records Bandcamp). For this New Sounds show, hear some of the Afrofuturism of the 21st century from spoken word artist, poet, musician, producer Moor Mother, bandleader/flutist Nicole Mitchell, percussionist/composer Michael Wimberly, and other artists.
Composer, producer, poet and musician Moor Mother has been a part of the Philadelphia hip hop scene; her roots are in jazz, and her work sometimes blends poetry, jazz, ambient music, Afrofuturism, and soul - and can sometimes incorporate in dance, electronics, and science-fiction. Listen to music from Moor Mother’s 2022 record, Jazz Codes, featuring a wide range of collaborators and guest artists.Also, hear work in which Moor Mother features prominently, as on the Sons of Kemet record, Black to the Future, a record of dance music, instrumental jazz, and poetry, AND…spoken word, Afrofuturism, electronic music, hip hop, grime, dub, and Caribbean rhythms. Then listen to music by percussionist, composer, collaborator and professor Michael Wimberly from his record, Afrofuturism, which reaches far beyond his jazz roots, embracing ‘the total music vision coined by the Art Ensemble of Chicago, “ancient to the future”’ (from the liner notes by Peter Margasak.)
There’s also music by flutist, musician, composer and educator Nicole Mitchell, whose music has been deeply influenced by Afrofuturist author Octavia E. Butler. From her record, Mandorla Awakening II Emerging Worlds, listen to music featuring Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble. Then, hear dragonchild, the new project by sax player DA (or Danny) Mekonnen, who used to lead the Debo Band, and who now takes the exploration of Ethiopian music and explodes it into three-dimensional space. Listen to some of dragonchild’s music, and more. - Caryn Havlik
Program #4744, Afrofuturism (First aired 4/26/23)
ARTIST: Sun Ra Arkestra WORK: Door of the Cosmos [1:01]RECORDING: Sleeping BeautySOURCE: Enterplanetry KonceptsINFO: sunramusic.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Moor Mother feat Black Quantum Futurism / Mary Lattimore WORK: Umzanzi [2:41]RECORDING: Jazz CodesSOURCE: Anti/EpitaphINFO: https://moormother.ffm.to/jazzcodes
ARTIST: Moor Mother, feat. Keir NeuringerWORK: APRIL 7th [2:10]RECORDING: Jazz CodesSOURCE: Anti/EpitaphINFO: https://moormother.ffm.to/jazzcodes
ARTIST: Moor Mother, feat. Melanie CharlesWORK: WOODY SHAW [1:53]RECORDING: Jazz CodesSOURCE: Anti/EpitaphINFO: https://moormother.ffm.to/jazzcodes
ARTIST: Sons of Kemet ft. Moor MotherWORK: Pick Up Your Burning Cross [3:44]RECORDING: Black to the FutureSOURCE: Impulse!INFO: https://sonsofkemet.lnk.to/blacktothefutureIB
ARTIST: Michael WimberlyWORK: DDK Groove [5:15]RECORDING: AfrofuturismSOURCE: Temple Mountain RecordsINFO: michaelwimberly.bandcamp.com | michaelcwimberly.com
ARTIST: Moor Mother, feat. LojiiWORK: Shekere [2:11]RECORDING: Black Encyclopedia of the AirSOURCE: ANTI- RecordsINFO: moormother.ffm.to/beota
ARTIST: dragonchildWORK: Above All [4:25]RECORDING: dragonchildSOURCE: FPE RecordsINFO: https://fperecs.bandcamp.com/album/dragonchild
ARTIST: Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth EnsembleWORK: Nicole Mitchell: Mandorla Island [10:23]RECORDING: Mandorla Awakening II Emerging WorldsSOURCE: FPE RecordsINFO: fperecs.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Amina Claudine Myers, Nicole Mitchell, Irreversible Entanglements (with Moor Mother)WORK: Ecstatic Suite, excerpt [10:23]RECORDING: Live, Ecstatic Music Fest 2019 in Kaufman Music CenterSOURCE: This performance not commercially availableINFO: aminaclaudinemyers.com | nicolemitchell.com | irreversibleentanglements.com
ARTIST: dragonchildWORK: Meditation (Reprise) [8:34]RECORDING: dragonchildSOURCE: FPE RecordsINFO: https://fperecs.bandcamp.com/album/dragonchild