Leaf Newsletter #56
12 June 2002
This newsletter contains details of the following:
1. ASA-CHANG & JUNRAY - 'Jun Ray Song Chang' album
2. Leaf at SONAR
3. Leaf events (including European shows for Boom Bip & Doseone
and Murcof)
4. Unsubscribe info
1. ASA-CHANG & JUNRAY - 'Jun Ray Song Chang'
CD / BAY 22CD / UPC 666017035321
limited edition LP / BAY 22V / UPC 666017035314
release date: Monday 24 June 2002
mail order prices: CD: 10.00 GBP (+p&p) / LP: 8.00 GBP (+p&p)
Artist website:
http://www.riverrun.co.jp/asa-chang
for mail order, real audio samples and further info, go to:
http://posteverything.com/artists/release.php?id=2245
Asa-Chang's music is wildly exotic, playful and lovingly crafted by human
hands, and should be approached with an open mind. We doubt you've ever
heard anything quite like this before...
A heady brew of Eastern percussion, babelogues of spoken word, horns, toys,
flute, mandolin and an analogue synthesiser drum, which together resonates
like a struck bell, oscillates wildly between breathtaking futurism and
timeless spirituality, and bucks like a wild horse. Isn't it about time we
heard something this fresh?
Asa-Chang & Junray is about the friction between self-taught tabla-bongo
guru Asa-Chang (who spends his professional life as a touring percussionist
with multi-million-selling J-pop acts), and traditionally instructed tabla
master U-Zhaan. Programmer Hidehiko Urayama never appears onstage, but his
presence is felt through the sound system machine, Junreitronics.
"We respect the Indian tradition but wanted to offer something back,
something different, something that even Indians couldn't do," Asa-Chang
explains. "That's how we developed the tabla-over-spoken-word style."
A method exemplified by the stunning 'Hana' (Japanese for 'flower').
Circulating on white label and CDR since last summer, and to be released as
a limited edition 12" in May, it has picked up an enviable cult following,
(including John Peel). A bolt from the blue of intense, hallucinogenic
sounds, it's one of those tracks you hear once and will never forget. Listen
more closely and let its tender beauty reveal itself. As Asa-Chang says,
"The technique of layering tabla over voice, we found, could really accent
emotions. So we actually think of 'Hana' as a love ballad." The 12"
is already one of our best selling releases through the Leaf
mailorder service.
Jun Ray Song Chang compiles all of Asa-Chang's Japanese releases to date (a
mini-album on Hot Cha Records and an EP released on Cornelius's Trattoria
imprint). There is a video available for 'Hana' - it's as mental as you
would expect it to be - we'll be putting this up on the
PostEverything site very soon
CD LP
1. A1. Hana
2. A2. Preach
3. A3. Kobana
4. A4. Nigatsu
5. B1. Goo-Gung-Gung
6. B2. Kutsu #2
7. - Jippun
8. B3. Kokoni Sachiari
9. B4. Tabla Bol (Catastrophe)
10. B5. Radio-No-Youni (Comme A La Radio)
11. B6. Kutsu
UK press on the Hana 12":
"be rendered awestruck... brilliant" NME
"transcendant... a genuinely new musical experience" Jockey Slut
"breathtaking... sounding like the saddest scene from Bladerunner
that's never been shown" 5/5, Seven Update
"a technicolour confection of serene strings, Oriental ululation,
bonkers electronic pulses and virtuoso percussion, all infused with
mystical flavours" 4/5 Muzik
"Bonkers, but you can't help but like it!" 4/5 iDJ
"fucking awesome" 5/5 DJ Magazine (er, Jamie Lidell anyway)
"Beautiful and highly emotive" LondonZok
"'02-Tokyo-folk from Japan's premier session musician. Hearing is
believing" Sleazenation
2. LEAF AT SONAR
MURCOF, MANITOBA AND MORLEY
The Leaf Label presentation at this year's Sonar festival in
Barcelona takes place this Friday (June 14). If you're lucky enough
to be there, it's not to be missed.
Scheduled to appear are Manitoba (live) and recent signing Murcof
(live), plus a DJ set by Leaf bossman Tony Morley. The show will be
recorded for future broadcast on Radio 1 (UK), Radio Nova (France),
Viva TV (Germany) and 40 Principales Radio and Catalunya Cultura
Radio (Spain).
If you'd like to arrange meetings or interviews with any of the crew,
please email leaf@posteverything.com as soon as possible. Or you can
reach Tony Morley on his mobile while in Barcelona.
The event will take place in the new SonarDome marquee, outside CCCB.
The Leaf Label presents:
1825 :: LIVE :: Murcof
1905 :: DJ ::::: Tony Morley
2000 :: LIVE :: Manitoba
2045-2200 :: DJ ::::: Tony Morley
For more info, go to
http://www.sonar.es
3. Leaf live events
Includes the first ever European shows by Murcof, and the European leg of
the Mush Records tour, with performances by Boom Bip & Doseone and others.
And don't forget Manitoba all over the shop!
Sunday June 16
Heineken Jammin' Festival, Autodromo di Imola, Bologna, ITALY
Murcof (live) + Jazzanova, etc
Monday June 17
Lido Turistico (Magma Project), Via Miliscola, Napoli, ITALY
Murcof (live)
Friday June 21
Impotent Fury, 93 Feet East, Brick Lane, London E1, UK
Manitoba (DJ set) + Four Tet (DJ set)
Sunday June 23
Optimo The Sub Club, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow, SCOTLAND
Murcof (live) + DJs Twitch, Wilkes and Roland
Thursday June 27
The Sprawl, The Lifthouse, 85 Charterhouse Street, London EC1M, UK
Murcof (live) + Matt Rogalsky + EVOL + DJs Richard Fontenoy +
BitTonic + si-cut.db
Friday June 28
Domino Records Night, Embassy Bar, Upper Street, London N1, UK
Gorodisch (DJ set) + Max Tundra + Domino All Starz
Saturday June 29
Rising Sun Arts Centre, Silver Street, Reading, UK
Appliance + Murcof (live) + Tony Morley (DJ)
Sunday June 30
Aquaplaning Festival, South Of France
Murcof (live) + more tbc
Wednesday July 3
Eat Your Own Ears, The Lock Tavern, 35 Chalk Farm Road, London NW1, UK
Murcof (live), Tony Morley (DJ set), Eat Your Own Ears DJs
Thursday July 4
CULT/Flom-otion, Cargo, Rivington Street, London EC2A, UK
Murcof (live) + Manitoba (live) + Tony Morley (DJ) + Nick Luscombe (DJ)
Thursday July 6
Ultraschall, Munich, GERMANY
Manitoba (DJ) + Tony Morley (DJ)
Saturday July 13
WMF Club, Berlin, Germany
Manitoba + Four Tet + Eat Your Own Ears DJs
Sunday July 14
Knack Club, Berlin, GERMANY
Boom Bip & Doseone (live) + cLOUDDEAD + Reaching Quiet + Radioinactive
Tuesday July 16
Batofar, Paris, FRANCE
Boom Bip & Doseone (live) + cLOUDDEAD + Reaching Quiet + Radioinactive
Thursday July 18
Sallis Benney Theatre, Brighton, UK
Boom Bip & Doseone (live) + cLOUDDEAD + Reaching Quiet + Radioinactive
Tuesday July 23
Brudenell Social, Leeds, UK
Boom Bip & Doseone (live) + cLOUDDEAD + Reaching Quiet + Radioinactive
Wednesday July 24
Medicine Bar, Birmingham, UK
Boom Bip & Doseone (live) + cLOUDDEAD + Reaching Quiet + Radioinactive
Thursday July 25
93 Feet East, London, UK
Boom Bip & Doseone (live) + cLOUDDEAD + Reaching Quiet + Radioinactive
Friday Aug 30 - Sunday September 1
Bumbershoot festival, Seattle, USA
The Drum Machine Circle (featuring members of 310)
keep up-to-date at:
http://posteverything.com/news/article.php?id=1428
Thanks for listening. Get in touch!
The Leaf Label Ltd
Suite 219,
Bon Marche Building,
241 Ferndale Road,
LONDON,
SW9 8BJ,
UK
leaf@posteverything.com
http://posteverything.com/leaf
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