Alabaster DePlume - To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol.1 LP

Alabaster DePlume - To Cy & Lee Instrumentals Vol.1 LP

Alabaster DePlume is not doing things properly, and this makes him very happy.

DePlume is a Manchester-born, London-based bandleader, composer, saxophonist, activist and orator. He’s a resident at the legendary London creative hub Total Refreshment Centre, a recording artist for the off-grid, Scottish Hebridean island label Lost Map, and now the latest arrival into Chicago-based International Anthem’s growing family of progressive musical explorationists. Whilst much of his music contains vocals – often whispered imperatives – this is a collection of instrumentals, drenched in feeling and recorded over four albums and eight earth years in cities across the UK.

The music of "To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1" contains naturally elegant orchestration wrapped around something visceral and primordial. Swirled inside the 11 pieces are shades of Japanese Min’yo folk, Celtic folk, the Ethio-jazz of saxophonist Getatchew Mekurya and hints of the pan-human ‘ancient music’ that sat underneath Arthur Russell’s melodies on First Thought, Best Thought. The music is filled with space, inspired, he says, by computer games and Japanese animation, particularly Joe Hisaishi’s soundtrack for Studio Ghibli’s Castle In The Sky. 

The record combines new compositions alongside bygone instrumentals and understated lullabies that feel like they’ve been picked from between the cracks of civilisation. These songs were collected from albums "Copernicus," "The Jester," and "Peach" – under-the-radar records that preceded his critically acclaimed 2019 release The Corner of a Sphere. The new tunes feature Dan ‘Danalogue’ Leavers of The Comet Is Coming and Sarathy Korwar alongside a host of London’s finest musicians

- Words By Emma Warren:

Composed by Alabaster DePlume.

Performed by Alabaster DePlume – vocal, tenor sax, guitar; Ríoghnach Connolly – voice, flute; Jess Connor – voice; Ellis Davies – electric guitar; John Ellis – pianette, clavinet, piano; Jessica Macdonald – cello; Hannah Miller – cello; Bi Roxby – voice; Paddy Steer – percussion, bass pedals; Leon Boydon – acoustic guitar; Daniel Inzani – piano; Beth Porter – cello; Lorenzo Prati – tenor sax; Dan Truen – drums; Will Calderbank – cello; Lorien Edwards – bass guitar; Philip Howley – drums, percussion; Mikey Kenney – violin; Pascal Makonese – m’bira; Kirsty McGee – bass flute; Tim Vincent Smith – violin; Rick Weedon – drums, percussion; Chestnutt – synth; Danalogue – piano, voice; James Howard – electric guitar; Sarathy Korwar – drums; Donna Thompson – voice. 

Cover Art, Design & Layout by Raimund Wong.