Village of the Sun - First Light

Previous praise:Simply stunning - Tony Minvielle, Jazz FMThis is a special one - Erica McKoy, Worldwide FMIncredible... wicked - Zakia Sewell, NTS RadioVery good indeed! - Gideon Coe, BBC 6 MusicA great, vinyl only (for the moment) taste of what we have been missing - All About Jazz+ coverage from Uncut, The Line Of Best Fit + moreVillage Of The Sun return today with the announcement of their highly anticipated debut LP FirstLight. Due out 4 th November on heavyweight vinyl via London analogue specialists Gearbox Records,the record follows their widely acclaimed double A-side single Village Of The Sun / Ted.Village Of The Sun is an enigmatic collaboration between UK jazz virtuosos Binker Golding & MosesBoyd and electronic music legend Simon Ratcliffe of Basement Jaxx fame.Born out of a shared passion for improvised instrumental music, the new project sees all three of theartists steps into relatively new territory, combining their respective sensibilities to create somethingall at once atmospheric and danceable. Evocative of some of Simon's inspirations such as AliceColtrane, Airto Moreira and Masters at Work, Village Of The Sun embodies a hybrid of electronicbeats, heady jazz improvisation, and sheer, raw energy, breaking ground between pseudo-Sambarhythms, dreamy ambient textures, and explosive sax and percussion.The new single The Spanish Master is a total embodiment of what Village Of The Sun is at it'sheart. Combining atmospheric synth lines with percussive electronics, which gently ebb aroundBoyd's intricate drumming and Golding's expressive sax. With tension building around every elementthe track careens into a movement of frenetic drumming, electronic idiosyncrasies, and fervent saxbreakouts, which find the trio performing at their energetic, adrenaline-fuelled best.The album is truly a project of passion and exploration, and one that refuses to follow just one path.Tracks such as Cesca and Tigris emphasise Ratcliffe's ability to weave shapeshifting keys andelectronics around Golding and Boyd's interplay, changing the mood and direction of the track at amoment's notice. Whereas the title track First Light channels the sound of the current UK jazzscene with Ratcliffe imbuing a sense of dramatic tension and release with electronic atmosphericsand keys that ferment alongside the almost shamanic, semi-free sax lines and uncomprimisingdrums.As part of one of British dance music's biggest ever acts, Basement Jaxx, Ratcliffe and collaboratorFelix Buxton led the progressive house sound in the 90s/00s with ground-breaking albums Remedyand Rooty, and by releasing a string of Top 10 singles including Red Alert, Rendez-Vu, Romeo, andWhere's Your Head At?. Ratcliffe's own solo work includes the 1995 EP City Dreams and the 2011 EPDorus Rijkers - both releases prove his musical versatility and virtuosity.Speaking about the Village of the Sun collaboration, Simon says, I've alway