Ahead of the launch of our magazine 'Jazz Revelations: Issue 1 - Leeds' on Wednesday 3rd May at Wharf Chambers, we will be sharing snippets from the different articles in the magazine.
Today, we take a peak at what's inside the article Jake Mehew:
The composer, producer, and improviser details his explorations into building his modular synth and the next moves in his career after releasing ‘Sage’, a spiritual jazz record, back in September 2022
Around 6 weeks after Jake Mehew released his debut solo record, ‘Sage’, on Leeds’ ATA Records, he started his album tour with a special listening party accompanied by a quadrophonic modular live set at Open Source Arts in Leeds.
Arriving at the venue upstairs, the space was illuminated magnificently for this special performance. With a plush mat centred in the room with his array of musical equipment placed on it, Jake had set up his modular synth alongside a harmonium, keys, another synth plus a turntable to listen to ‘Sage’.
The album combines pieces of free improvisation with rich soundscapes that immerse the listener into a meditative state. Using the Fender Rhodes as a bed to build deep grooves with textures of subtle analogue synth manipulation and production, the album moves from the tranquil and soothing to the mysterious and dramatic.
As the audience came to sit down around the instruments, Ben interviewed Jake about the the record and his career to date as part of the listening party. Afterwards, Jake re-imagined ‘Sage’ through an ambient mood, performing a set that tingled the senses with the sounds moving left, right, forwards and backwards through the surround sound experience of the quadrophonic speakers.
Here’s some excerpts from Ben’s interview that evening with Jake.
Ben - What led you to writing this album?
Jake - Even though ‘Sage’ came out in September 2022, it was actually made two years ago in 2020 sort of just after the first lockdown. I was really grateful to have been awarded an opportunity with a concert venue in Newcastle called Sage Gateshead, which is where the record gets its name from.
They awarded me a week of time to just throw myself into a project, and the residency was just to sort of develop ideas or to be in a space where you can try things out. After finishing maybe 80 hours of writing, recording and engineering, we finished with this record which I'm really proud of.
We weren’t actually at Sage at all! So that particular year, they held this digital residency so I've never been to Sage but at the time, I had this studio space in Meanwood. Everything just sort of aligned in such a way where the record could happen as there was a rule of six people in the same room at the same time back then.
Read more in the 'Jazz Revelations: Issue 1 - Leeds' magazine
The magazine features artists in Leeds producing jazz, R&B, neo-soul, hip hop and electronica music, including:
Phenicia, Vipertime, Yusuf Yellow & August Charles, Jasmine Myra, Sunkissed Child, NikNak, Olivia Cuttill, TC & The Groove Family, Jake Mehew, Plantfood + many more.
We are hosting a launch gig on Wednesday 3rd May at Wharf Chambers to celebrate, with performances from the Olivia Cuttill Quartet, Jake Mehew, and Phenicia headlining.
Proceeds from the launch and magazine sales will go to MAP Charity, a pioneering alternative provider in creative education based in Leeds. They offer music and arts qualifications to young people at risk of exclusion from the mainstream school system. Find more about them here.
Wharf Chambers Co-Operative Club is a members’ club, and you need to be a member, or a guest of a member, in order to attend. To join, please visit wharfchambers.org. Membership costs £2 and requires a minimum of 48 hours to take effect.
In the magazine, you can expect to find in-depth interviews and crate digging with artists, release roundups, an extended feature of our radio piece 'On Rotation', looking ahead to the future talent in the city, a little history on the city's scene, plus a mix to accompany your reading.
The magazine is audio-described as well for those with different accessibility needs.
A big thanks goes to Emma Jones (@emmajonesillustration) for her design work in the magazine, and to Hugh Roberts (@misc.etc_) for the cover design on the magazine and the gig poster.
Thanks to Yasmina Nahas for her contribution to the magazine, and Ally J Steel for his support throughout the project.
And a special thanks to Ben Lee, editor-in-chief of the magazine, for producing the whole project.
We hope to see many of you down at Wharf on 3rd May to support the Leeds scene.
Keep following the Jazz Revelations website, or our Instagram and Facebook pages for sneak previews of the magazine leading up to its release.
Ticket & Bundle Prices:
£5.50 - Magazine only
£7.50 - Launch advance ticket only
£9.50 - Launch OTD ticket only
£12 - Magazine + Launch advance ticket bundle
£14 - Magazine + Launch OTD ticket bundle
Timings:
1930 - Doors open
2015 - Olivia Cuttill Quartet
2115 - Jake Mehew
2215 - Phenicia
Please consider making a donation to The Runnymede Trust and/or the Race Equality Foundation to help further equality within the UK.
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