ATA Records are proud to announce the new album I Too Am A Stranger from The Sorcerers, following previous album successes The Sorcerers and In Search of The Lost City of The Monkey God, which garnered high praise from Mulatu Astatke Who's this? The Sorcerers? It's cool! This is great. Give me the CD man!" and recent Radio 6-listed 7" single Exit Athens, of which Giles Peterson said, "Great Stuff as always". Recorded wholly at ATA Studios and produced by label head, Neil Innes, I Too Am A Stranger features the Sorcerers trio, (lead by Neil Innes) of Joost Hendrickx/Neil Innes/Richard Ormrod, with assistance from regular percussion collaborator Danny Templeman and up-and-coming Leeds trumpeter Olivia Cuthill. Joost and Neil's drum and bass bond is tighter than ever, and Richard is given free rein on baritone and alto saxophones, flutes, bass clarinet, vibes, and the wonderland that is the ATA vintage keyboard collection. I Too Am A Stranger is a resolutely maximal endeavour, a layered recording both sonically and via many interwoven influences: as ever, the Ethiopique sound is front and centre [Bebaynetu, Kid Mahout, She Who Perceives The Sounds Of The World], but there are also references to the declamatory baritone sax-heavy chanbara soundtracks of Fumio Hayasaka [Yasuke In Roppongi, Oromo Moon], the fuzzed-out vibes sound of Vibrafinger-era Gary Burton [side openers The Warrior Code and He Who Kills With One Leap], and Moondog's popping woodblocks [Moth, The Dao Of The Sorcerers]. In truth, there is so much on this album to appeal to so many different listeners: tight – and new! – beats, exotic melody, far-out horns, references from within and without the worlds of Jazz, Library, Ethio, etc etc, as well as the wholly analogue ATA sound that satisfies DJs and audiophiles alike. More

ATA Records are proud to announce the follow up to the critically acclaimed debut album fromThe Sorcerers. Conceived as a soundtrack to an imagined lost European exploitation film,'In Searchof The Lost City ofThe Monkey God'covers a wide range of influences: Ethiopiques Ethio-Jazz rubs up against European library music of the 60s and 70s. The Sorcerers seamlessly blend these disparate elements into one cohesive sound. Based in ATA Records' home of Leeds, The Sorcerers form the backbone of the ATA Records house band including drummer Joost Hendrickx (Kefaya, Shatner's Bassoon, Abstract Orchestra) and ATA label heads Neil Innes (Bass & Guitar) and Pete Williams (Woodwinds & Percussion). Bass clarinets, flutes, and esoteric percussion that sit alongside bass, guitar and drums are essential to The Sorcerers sound providing cinematic textures on top of a solid rhythmic foundation. The Sorcerers began working on the new album during the winter of 2018 and it was during the writing sessions for this album that the concept for the LP began to take shape. The name for the album was taken from the title of a National Geographic article read by Bassist Neil Innes and was used as the starting point for the entire concept. The library music scene of the 60s and 70s has always been an intrinsic part of the sound of ATA Records and so it made perfect sense to envisage the album as a soundtrack, given the cinematic quality of The Sorcerers music. Each track was written with a particular scene in mind and the music was then shaped in the studio to best reflect the essence of that scene. Drums, Bass and Percussion provide the solid foundation onto which Flutes, Bass Clarinets, Xylophones and Vibraphones add the atmospheric and melodic counterpoint, deftly weaving between one another to conjure up images of the unforgiving environment of the dense jungle, unknown eyes watching the protagonists of the imagined film as they make their way towards their ultimate goal, their pursuit by unseen assailants, the arcane mysticism of undiscovered cargo cultists and the ancient ruins of long passed civilisations. More

ATA Records are proud to announce the new album I Too Am A Stranger from The Sorcerers, following previous album successes The Sorcerers and In Search of The Lost City of The Monkey God, which garnered high praise from Mulatu Astatke Who's this? The Sorcerers? It's cool! This is great. Give me the CD man!" and recent Radio 6-listed 7" single Exit Athens, of which Giles Peterson said, "Great Stuff as always". Recorded wholly at ATA Studios and produced by label head, Neil Innes, I Too Am A Stranger features the Sorcerers trio, (lead by Neil Innes) of Joost Hendrickx/Neil Innes/Richard Ormrod, with assistance from regular percussion collaborator Danny Templeman and up-and-coming Leeds trumpeter Olivia Cuthill. Joost and Neil's drum and bass bond is tighter than ever, and Richard is given free rein on baritone and alto saxophones, flutes, bass clarinet, vibes, and the wonderland that is the ATA vintage keyboard collection. I Too Am A Stranger is a resolutely maximal endeavour, a layered recording both sonically and via many interwoven influences: as ever, the Ethiopique sound is front and centre [Bebaynetu, Kid Mahout, She Who Perceives The Sounds Of The World], but there are also references to the declamatory baritone sax-heavy chanbara soundtracks of Fumio Hayasaka [Yasuke In Roppongi, Oromo Moon], the fuzzed-out vibes sound of Vibrafinger-era Gary Burton [side openers The Warrior Code and He Who Kills With One Leap], and Moondog's popping woodblocks [Moth, The Dao Of The Sorcerers]. In truth, there is so much on this album to appeal to so many different listeners: tight – and new! – beats, exotic melody, far-out horns, references from within and without the worlds of Jazz, Library, Ethio, etc etc, as well as the wholly analogue ATA sound that satisfies DJs and audiophiles alike. More

The funky, atmospheric, evocative and sometimes downright weird output of companies such as DeWolfe, Cavendish, Burton and the ubiquitous KPM have always been a guiding inspiration for ATA Records, as evidenced in the spooky soundtrack vision of The Sorcerers, the big band brass of The Yorkshire Film & Television Orchestra and even in the soul-jazz of The Lewis Express & Outer Worlds Jazz Ensemble. It only seemed natural for the team at ATA Records to scratch their own Library itch and so "The Library Archive Vol. 1" was born in 2019. Recorded over a series of sessions in the Aladdin's Cave of vintage recording equipment that is ATA studios, it featured many of the ATA stable of performers. Released in 2021, "The Library Archive Vol. 2" still had the golden age of European Library music squarely in it's sights, but this time the focus was drawn more to the off-kilter soul organ sound of Italian quartet I Marc 4. These two volumes garnered praise from Library aficionado Shawn Lee ("Holy F*$K this sounds great! ATA really smash the classic British Library sound. 10 out of 10") and the Don of British Library Music himself, Alan Hawkshaw. And so to "The Library Archive Vol. 3": taking heavy inspiration from Jungle Obsession 9 by Roger Roger, and The Feed-back, as well as Blaxploitation era composers such as Willie Hutch and Melvin Van Peebles, and the masterful and ingenious Roy Budd, "The Library Archive Vol. 3" draws deeply from the well of library greatness. Each track has been lovingly crafted with a keen ear for authenticity and the same eye for detail shown on 'The Library Archive' Vol. 1 & 2, recorded on the same instruments and equipment and with the same techniques as the music that inspired it, with a focus throughout on stripped-back rhythm sections topped by flute, vibes and vintage synths. With three volumes now out and another currently in R&D, The Library Archive will stand as a testament to the love the ATA producers and artists have for the original composers and performers. More

ATA Records are proud to announce this new double A-side from The Sorcerers featuring, on the flip, the first release by The Outer Worlds Jazz Ensemble. Exit Athens marks the start of a new era for The Sorcerers. Continuing their investigations of Ethio-Jazz and 60s and 70s European library music, the group is now formed around Joost Hendrickx (Kefaya, Shatner's Bassoon, Abstract Orchestra), Richard Ormrod (saxes, flute & keys) and ATA label head, bassist Neil Innes. Exit Athens features a driving funk engine room with exotic percussion, vintage keyboards, and the classic Addis Ababa combination of vibes, flute and horns. The aim is to double-down on previous album successes The Sorcerers and In Search of The Lost City of The Monkey God, expanding their tonal palette whilst tightening their focus, with the intention of producing multiple albums of solid analog cuts, every one of which will appeal equally to DJs and audiophiles alike. On the AA side, Beg, Borrow, Play marks the debut of The Outer Worlds Jazz Ensemble. The first in an ongoing series of 45s and LP issues, each Outer Worlds release will feature the immaculate grooves of the hard-working, unsung sidemen of the Leeds Funk, Latin and Ethio/Afrobeat scenes. The Outer Worlds series was conceived to feature visiting soloists who have made a beeline to ATA in search of a specific setting for their material, and represents ATA's ambition to encompass the very best in contemporary jazz/club/rare groove/exotica sounds. Beg, Borrow, Play kicks this off with ATA veteran Chip Wickham on baritone sax, and a slice of jazz exotica that owes as much to New Orleans Street Beat as to the Eastern moods of artists like Yusef Lateef and Ahmed Abdul-Malik. The result is loose and limber, with horns reminiscent of classic Art Ensemble of Chicago, and will appeal to fans of contemporary Afro-Futurist fusions More

Love Of The Brave are a psyche folk group, based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, at the time this album was recorded, back in 2010. The founder of the group Neil Innes still runs the recording studio, ATA Records, an extremely well maintained all analogue set up, used primarily to record jazz, funk and library music. The short-lived Love Of The Brave outfit was the first project recorded at the famed studio. It brought together some of the most versatile artists in the north, many of who still work on projects with ATA today, both these factors give this release a landmark aspect for the label. The "Love Of The Brave" consists of eight tracks and draws on inspiration from artists such as Pentangle, Rotary Connection, Richie Havens, the Kinks, David Bowie and Joni Mitchell. Vocalist Fuzzy Jones features on all tracks, as does Neil, in his case playing a variety of instruments. They are joined throughout the album by a variety of musicians, including jazz drummer Joost Hendrickx, Work Money Death's Tony Burkill on sax, and famed pianist Matt Bourne on cello. The involvement of musicians such as these could give this album some crossover interest with jazz fans. Love Of The Brave's use of analogue recording techniques gives lends this album the authentic studio sound of a record from the late 60s coupled with lyrics touching on pertinent contemporary issues. More

Abstract Orchestra's composer, leader, arranger and producer Rob Mitchell has now added remixing to his already notable list of credits, in this case turning his hand to Abstract's MADVILLAIN project. Rob has worked with many artists during his busy career; The Haggis Horns, Rag 'n' Bone Man, Sharon Jones and the Dap–Kings, Brand New Heavies, and Slum Village, alongside many others but it was the orchestra's work he wanted to revisit. Seeing the pandemic as an opportunity to spend more time in the studio, Rob spent several months polishing his production skills before embarking on this remix project, he wanted to make sure he did it justice. Working under the moniker Ghostlife, a nod to the fabled anonymity of rapper MF DOOM, Rob has reworked the big band orchestration of Abstract, creating a beat led affair with greater dance floor appeal. For Abstract Orchestra MADVILLAIN REMIXES, Ghostlife cherry picked ten tracks from Abstract's two-album project and plays with a higher BPM count within the hip hop aesthetic of the original. The tracks include "Raid", "Fancy Clown", "Curls", and "Figaro" and in this case Ghostlife has forgone the big arrangements Abstract is known for, rather he has coaxed out hooks and samples from their tracks and produced something he hope will appeal to a different crowd. There is dancefloor potential in "Eye","Accordian" and bass heavy "Borrowed Time" while the reworks of 'Fancy Clown" and "Curls" would fit well into any radio show. More

ATA Records are proud to announce the follow up to the critically acclaimed debut album fromThe Sorcerers. Conceived as a soundtrack to an imagined lost European exploitation film,'In Searchof The Lost City ofThe Monkey God'covers a wide range of influences: Ethiopiques Ethio-Jazz rubs up against European library music of the 60s and 70s. The Sorcerers seamlessly blend these disparate elements into one cohesive sound. Based in ATA Records' home of Leeds, The Sorcerers form the backbone of the ATA Records house band including drummer Joost Hendrickx (Kefaya, Shatner's Bassoon, Abstract Orchestra) and ATA label heads Neil Innes (Bass & Guitar) and Pete Williams (Woodwinds & Percussion). Bass clarinets, flutes, and esoteric percussion that sit alongside bass, guitar and drums are essential to The Sorcerers sound providing cinematic textures on top of a solid rhythmic foundation. The Sorcerers began working on the new album during the winter of 2018 and it was during the writing sessions for this album that the concept for the LP began to take shape. The name for the album was taken from the title of a National Geographic article read by Bassist Neil Innes and was used as the starting point for the entire concept. The library music scene of the 60s and 70s has always been an intrinsic part of the sound of ATA Records and so it made perfect sense to envisage the album as a soundtrack, given the cinematic quality of The Sorcerers music. Each track was written with a particular scene in mind and the music was then shaped in the studio to best reflect the essence of that scene. Drums, Bass and Percussion provide the solid foundation onto which Flutes, Bass Clarinets, Xylophones and Vibraphones add the atmospheric and melodic counterpoint, deftly weaving between one another to conjure up images of the unforgiving environment of the dense jungle, unknown eyes watching the protagonists of the imagined film as they make their way towards their ultimate goal, their pursuit by unseen assailants, the arcane mysticism of undiscovered cargo cultists and the ancient ruins of long passed civilisations. More

Taking a short sabbatical from their journey into the spiritual stratosphere and beyond, Work Money Death landed on terra firma just long enough to record a follow up to the critically acclaimed "The Space In Which The Uncontrollable Unknown Resides Can Be The Place From Which Creation Arises". The new album "Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction" explores many of the meditative motifs that mould this unique group in their quest for the perfect sound and space. Those who are familiar with Work Money Death will know their output is as much an adventure for the listener as it was for the musicians. "Thought, Action, Reaction, Interactions" is a salute to the now sadly deceased master of the spiritual sound Pharoah Sanders, and in particular the spontaneity of his recording process. Each of the four tracks on "Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction" were recorded in one take with no rehearsal and while the players may have known where they were starting off none of them were sure where they would end. As much as it is entertainment, and have no doubt this LP is an unctuous, spirit-smoothing joy from beginning to end, this is an experiment of making music in the moment. Spontaneous and spiritual in its truest sense, "Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction" is a work of innovation and unsurpassed beauty.
As with the previous Work, Money, Death release (which was recorded in difficult conditions due to the Covid pandemic) the aim was to recreate a situation, in this case the impromptu and unrehearsed recording sessions of Sanders in the late 60's and early 70's, everything recorded in one take, creating a body of work that is a strong nod to a certain time and ethos but not a pastiche of it.
““Sounds sublime””
Gilles Peterson — BBC6, WorldWideFM
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Jake Mehew's debut album Sage is a modern and contemporary take on spiritual jazz, a truly exceptional record from the eclectic and highly talented Leeds' artist.Whilst staying within the ethos of spontaneous, unedited performance, Mehew constantly pushes and manipulates the genre's boundaries.The recognisable and lush sound of the Fender Rhodes, layered on a bed of punchy, percussive, grooves, provides the bedrock for powerful improvisations, running alongside Meyhew's subtle analogue synth manipulation and production. Sage was workshopped over one frantic lockdown week in August 2020. It's a truly honest experience of seven days of hard work, a multi tracked record, made without using overdub to capture the true energy of the performance.True to the spirit of albums made in a pre digital era Mehew set out to capture ideas, interaction and performance at their inception rather than post production. Jake Mehew is an up and coming composer, performer and producer based in Leeds, UK. His work combines principles of free improvisation with the technological considerations of the avant-garde. Using a combination of acoustic instruments, modular synthesisers and samplers Mehew creates rich, meditative soundscapes that envelop the listener in an immersive sound field. More

ATA proudly presents it's first foray into the world of disco with "United Disco Organisation's"Send The Rain/Funky Thing dConceived by producer/bassist Neil Innes and guitarist/singer Chris Dawkins, United Disco Organisation present two sprawling dancefloor fillers reminiscent of the early underground disco explorations of philly soul and Joe Bataans Salsoul label. A-side "Send The Rain" features the sinuous flute of label-mate Tony Burkill before Chris Dawkins vocals takes centre stage, while the instrumental features an extended flute solo from Tony. Dawkin's guitar drives B-Side "Funky Thing" with Vibraphone bringing to mind Roy Ayers ubiquity's mid to late 70s disco tracks on the instrumental. Scheduled to be played on 27th November by Craig Charles on his flagship BBC6 Music show, these 2 tracks have already garnered a great deal of interest including from DJ/Producer Smoove of Smoove & Turrell. More

The funky, atmospheric, evocative and sometimes downright weird output of companies such as DeWolfe, Cavendish, Burton and the ubiquitous KPM have always been a guiding inspiration for ATA Records, as evidenced in the spooky soundtrack works of The Sorcerers, the big band brass of The Yorkshire Film & Television Orchestra and even in the soul-jazz of The Lewis Express ('Theme From The Watcher'). It only seemed natural for the team at ATA Records to scratch their own Library itch and so last year's "The Library Archive Vol. 1" was born. Recorded over a series of sessions in the Alladins cave of vintage recording equipment that is ATA studios, it featured many of the stalwart musicians from the label who can also be found recording with The Sorcerers, Work Money Death and The Lewis Express. Garnering praise from Library aficionado Shawn Lee("Holy F*$K this sounds great! ATA really smash the classic British Library sound. 10 out of 10") and the Don of British Library Music himsel fAlan Hawkshaw, "The Library Archive Vol. 1" was very well received and so a follow up was inevitable. Recorded during the Autumn of 2020, "The Library Archive Vol. 2" still has the golden age of European Library music squarely in it's sights, but this time the focus is drawn more to the wonky organ work of Italian quartet I Marc 4.
Each track has been lovingly crafted with a keen ear for authenticity and the same eye for detail shown on 'The Library Archive Vol. 1', recorded on the same instruments and equipment and with the same techniques as the music that inspired it.
More

Soundway presents a long-awaited remaster and re-cut of the 1976 album ‘Ifetayo’ by Black Truth Rhythm Band, an important and overlooked chapter in Trinidad’s rich musical history that blends West African influences with jazz, funk and the social commentary of the calypso tradition.

Led by the charismatic Oluko Imo (who went on to record with Fela Kuti and perform with members of Fela’s Egypt 80 band ), the group drew on the strong connections to Yoruba culture and Orisa traditions in Trinidad, looking to Africa for inspiration and reflecting the burgeoning Black Power movement of the time.

Recorded at KH studios in Port of Spain, Ifetayo (Yoruba for ‘Love excels all’) was the group’s sole album release. Imo contributed lead vocals and played bass, kalimba, conga, flute and percussion, channelling music from both sides of the Atlantic into a distinctive and unique slice of Afro Trinidadian expression.

Includes bonus track “Imo” not included on the original LP More

Greg Foat's Greek Jazz quartet featuring Sokratis Votskos, Warren Hampshire and Ayo Salawu recorded live in Mykonos. Big fat Synth bass lines with Psychedelic Guitar, Hypnotic Bass Clarinet, mystical Flute and Killer Drums.

File under: Live cosmic synth jazz More

Favorite recordings and Lea Lisa presents Many Shades of House, a personal selection of House music tracks that have a very special place in Lea Lisa's heart and in her record box.

Amongst this selection, Many Shades Of House is including many very rare and hard to find titles, mostly never reissued on vinyl until now.

Lea Lisa (Phonica Records, Wolf Music…) is a DJ, producer & vinyl addict who never stops digging and hasn’t since she first started in 1995. House music is so rich and varied that she naturally felt the desire to show and share this diversity. “Through this compilation I wanted to present artists and records that have greatly influenced me throughout my career. Whether through the strong messages they convey or through the emotions I felt discovering each of these vinyl.” said Lea Lisa.

Carefully packed with long-forgotten US house gems (Transient's groove keeper "Higher" and a 1997 NYC House tune from Kerri Chandler in his garage house days), iconic early house/techno treasure (Mark Goddard's "Truth"), intensive journeys (Passion Dance Orchestra) to atmospheric soundscapes (Pure Science), soulful grooves (Ron Trent's boogie infused "Can't Change Me") and timeless deep house gems (Slowhouse, Abacus).

Created in 2005, Favorite Recordings presents a rich catalogue combining the productions of new artists with reissues of forgotten masterpieces all along the wide groove music spectrum, from Soul/Funk, Jazz, Disco, to Reggae, Hip-Hop, House or Electronic genres. Before launching Favorite. Pascal Rioux, founder and label honcho, started in the mid-90s with the House music label Rotax Disques. In 2014, following his meeting and affinity with French House DJ Jeremy Underground, they quickly collaborated on a series of compilations (My Love Is Underground) curated by Jeremy and reissuing some of his finest Underground House music hidden gems. Today the story starts again with Lea Lisa with this finest compilation for House Music Lovers…

A1 - Kerri "Kaoz 6:23" Chandler - Be There (Kerri's Club Mix)
A2 - Slowhouse 2 – Untitled
B1 - Truth – Emotional
B2 - Passion Dance Orchestra - Inner Dance
C1 - Abacus - Blax Thanxs
C2 - Transient feat Sherman Benton - Higher (Club Mix)
D1 - Pure Science – Ekeyz
D2 - N'Dambi - Can't Change Me (Ron Trent Remix) More

WARNING!: This record explores the second verification of the origins of rotation in tornadoes experiment, VORTEX2. This sonic experiment is designed to explore the mechanisms of tornadogenesis, maintenance, and demise, the wind field near the ground in tornadoes, the relationship between tornadoes and their parent thunderstorms and the relationship among tornadoes, tornadic storms and the larger scale environment. This is the Supercellular Tornadogenesis. Hazards may occur! Beware!!.. More

After a long hiatus in Comtron releases they are back. Stronger than ever. Comtron (Fatima Yamaha and Rimer London) are known for they're critical view on society, the financial and political world. From dark and twisted electro tracks to pumpin' big room, gimmicky techno, deep swirling ambient and slow house beats, this double 12" has no flaws. More

In a remarkable culmination of a nearly five-decade-long career, DONNELL PITMAN finally graces the music world with his debut album. While PITMAN has long been revered among rare groove and deep crate diggers in the Windy City, it's the resurgent charm of 'THE CHOCOLATE LOVER' that has undeniably become the defining chapter of his illustrious career, gaining momentum since the 2010s. His popularity continues to soar each year, propelled by new records, reissues, remixes, and notable placements in hit TV shows such as STRANGER THINGS, ATLANTA, SNOWFALL, and SOUTHSIDE. This milestone marks his 5th venture with the esteemed Chicago label, Seven track LP with a full picture sleeve. More

Repress!

Master jazz pianist Tenorio Jr. aka Francisco Tenório Júnior only recorded this one album, 'Embalo', originally released on RGE in 1964. Rumour has it that he was arrested and thrown in jail (and possibly even murdered) while on tour with Toquinho and Vinicius de Moraes in Argentina in 1976. He has not been seen since...

Soon after the disappearance of Tenorio Jr. filmmaker Rogerio Lima produced a short film entitled "Balada para Tenorio," which chronicles the disappearance with interviews with family and friends – available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsEr5xwjEi8

Júnior played on Gal Costa’s classic song ’Pontos De Luz’, as sampled by Kaytranada on 'Lite Spots'.

This classic album has long been on our list to reissue and we are delighted to be able to present it at last with replica original artwork. As regularly played by the likes of Gilles Peterson, Floating Points and co. More

Underground hero and label boss DJ Steaw makes his Nu Groove debut with ‘Seascape EP’, a four-track odyssey of deep, soulful house. With over 12 years of experience, the revered DJ and producer is known for his arresting sets appearing on famed stages including Berlin's Tresor, London's fabric, Amsterdam's Shelter and all over his home nation of France. As an electronic tastemaker spanning multiple genres and influences, DJ Steaw has launched House Puff Records, Steaward and Rutilance Records, the latter of which he co-founded with crate digger Gunnter. Having already received support from tastemaker Chris Stussy, this four-track package is a perfect fit for the cult NYC label. Opening with the powerful stabs of ‘Take It There’, ‘Seascape EP’ explores the producer’s signature, bass-heavy sound as well as the myriad of influences from further afield. The title track ‘Seascape’ contrasts breathy pads with bright, dynamic percussion, as ‘Close To You’ and ‘Exotica’ further demonstrate a recognisable, nostalgic aesthetic that is both club-ready and dreamlike in quality. More

Back in 2020 The Whole Truth dropped a heap of gospel inspiration on Parkway in the shape of “Lord, Quench my Soul.” Three years later and they’re back stronger than ever.

The original Believe is an intense call for hope, featuring some amazing hooks and instrumentation that reference the sound of classics yet still bring new flavors.

Parkway boss Mark Seven has stretched the piece out into two further mixes, injecting time and space to create club friendly mixes that are high on hope!

Altogether it’s more timeless magic from the label you rely on More

A classically trained dancer, Gabriel Roth was involved with the early ’60’s counterculture movement as a dance instructor for therapeutic workshops at the legendary Esalen Institute in San Francisco and Arica School in New York. These facilities and groups played key roles in the Human Potential Movement in psychology which later led to Transpersonal Psychology and the New Age Movement.
Through direct encounters and training from the era’s noted psychologists, philosophers, anthropologists, and spiritual gurus, she single-handedly rediscovered and redefined the ancient shamanic technique of ecstatic dance, establishing a method she named 5Rhythms in the late 70’s.
The practice of 5Rhythms consists of five movements: Flowing, Staccato, Chaos, Lyrical and Stillness. Through this dance sequence difficulties and obstructions in life can be identified and ultimately overcome. The sequence of the rhythms helps create waves that allow the dancer to reach a point of inner stillness. It is a globally recognised movement meditation practice with over 400 qualified teachers in more than 50 countries. Though Gabrielle Roth passed away in 2012, her spirit and legacy have been passed down through her family and extensive followers. It is still being practiced today.
Music plays a key role in these workshops. Following the shamanic tradition of using live percussion as a driving force, the music is necessarily rhythmic in nature and repetitive enough to focus on self-movement without invasive melodies or lyrics to distract one’s mind. It must be fairly lengthy in duration, with the journey defined by the pulsing waves of emotional flow that guide the body’s movement. The music was not intended to be consumed while socialising, but as an aid to the internal journey into one’s soul. It is minimal, abstract, and atmospheric. As a result of these characteristics (or rather functionalities), their albums didn’t fit into any conventional styles at the time of their release in the early 80s. Theirs is a pure form of dance music that also shares many commonalities with ambient music in the modern context. Yet ambient music had yet to establish itself as a genre at the time despite the early efforts of Brian Eno while underground dance - the genre with which it shares many of its stylistic qualities - was yet to be born. Their releases were rarely appreciated outside of workshops.
Between 1982 and 2008, Gabrielle and her husband Robert Ansell produced 16 original albums as Gabrielle Roth & The Mirrors. Robert brought together some of the best studio musicians that New York had to offer while his son Scott - who later became a Grammy-winning sound engineer - recorded and mixed all of their crystal clear productions.
Endless Wave: Vol 1 was originally released on their own private label in 1996 on CD. Comprised of a selection of their past recordings, the first part acts as a seductive entry point into their rhythmic sound world, with Roth’s voice intoning gentle instructions over each track. The opener Body Parts commences with a series of rolling polyrhythmic beats to prepare the body for meditation. From there the music shifts through a series of ambient moods that evoke each of the ‘5Rhythm’ states of being. Atmospheric synths and stately violins combine to help ease into movement on Flowing. Didgeridoos and funky bass lines evoke masculine energy on Staccato before the tumbling rhythms of Chaos encourage the uninhibited release of one’s mind and body. The soft vocal harmonies of Lyrical help the listener towards a lighter, more fluid, and creative state of being creating a becalming state that continues with the deep ritualistic chants and languid drums of Stillness.The second part of the album consists of a non-guided version of the same journey. Freshly recorded for the album’s release in 1996, the band deliver up an equally vital series of brilliantly realised rhythmic excursions.
In the words of Gabrielle Roth: “I have found a language of patterns I can trust to deliver us into universal truths, truths older than time. In the rhythm of the body, we can trace our holiness, roots that go all the way back to zero. States of being where all identities dissolve into an eternal flow of energy. Energy moves in waves. Waves move in patterns. Patterns move in rhythms. A human being is just that, energy, waves, patterns, rhythms. Nothing more. Nothing less. A dance.” More