My first CD cover artwork released in Japan

This summer I left behind my art studio in Switzerland and moved to the US. I am now in Ithaca NY for a new chapter in my career (more about my new hometown in a forthcoming blogpost) and you will not be surprised that except for some color doodles you may have seen on my Instagram account I have been a little more occupied with settling in than with new artistic productions. However, all the exciting projects mentioned in previous articles are well underway, and I am very happy to announce the release of a particularly pleasant collaboration: my very first CD cover artwork for the album "Empyrean Tones".

The CD features Jason McGuiness aka Analog Burners' best productions so far and has just been released by the established Japanese label Ultra Vybe (which celebrated its 30th anniversary - not a small accomplishment in the current record industry). The compilation is a great introduction to those not familiar with Analog Burners' catalogue. It also features a cast of great jazz musicians such as Kamasi Washington, Keyon Harrold and Phil Ranelin. As a music aficionado, I can’t tell you how excited I am not just to see my first CD cover artwork being released, but to see it in the form of a Japan import with a nice obi. Japan is well-known for their exclusive new releases and reissues, and this Japan-only compilation is another example of that.

Of course you can order "Empyrean Tones" online, for example via Disk Union (the world's biggest record store), Tower records Japan or HMV Japan, or you can ask your favorite record store to order it (and I really think it is always a great idea to support your local record store). For the time being, it comes only as a CD release, but there might be a vinyl edition if the album sells well. Fingers crossed. And above all, congrats to Jason McGuiness for this release. It makes it easier to wait for the release of the new album he is currently finishing.

The CD on the shelves of Tower reords in Tokyo (next to the Kamasi Washington album, an artist who is also featured on Jason's album).

Empyrean Tones: Keyon Harrold – Trumpet (D’Angelo, Maxwell, Miles Davis biopic, Kanye, etc) Duante St Louis – Keys/Organ Brandon Eugene Owens – Bass (Kendrick Lamar/Robert Glasper) Te’Amir Sweeney – Drums (Aloe Blacc) The role of art, at it’s most brave and brazen, has always been to provide unflinching reflections of reality. Music, the purest of all art forms, has the ability to crystallize moments and make history tangible. We’re living in the midst of current and historical pain, each new individual moment of destruction and despair opens deep wounds. From the opening sax notes, “We Could Be,” is a daring record in the tradition of grassroots music from the 60’s and 70’s. Bittersweet, it acknowledges the imbalance of pain within our communities. Bold, it refuses to buckle under that pressure and instead, it asks of us to step into the promise of previous generations. It proposes that we could be closer to freedom. While the lead track is a hard and hopeful aspiration, the flip side, “Empyrean Tones,” is the mind flight. This is where the heaviness of before dissipates like smoke and we are allowed to dream. Jason McGuiness, the projects’ producer, is in the old-school tradition of producers who need not pick up an instrument. With a vision and purpose, McGuiness culled an experienced group of music makers to create something that would reflect us back to ourselves. The instruments you hear are wielded by masters who have shared their talents with the likes of D’angelo, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Robert Glasper, Aloe Blacc and more. But they’ve never done something quite like this. From Te’Amir’s drums to Mark de Clive-Lowe’s keys, up toKeyon Harrold’s sublime horns and HighScience Project’s timeless vocals, the magic here is in the submission of the individual in reverence of the collective. pre-order link: http://www.fatbeats.com/products/jason-mcguiness-ft-the-high-science-project-keyon-harrold-we-could-be-b-w-empyrean-tone-7