UK’s cosmic psychedelic-funk group The Heliocentrics release new album on Madlib’s label
Led by drummer Malcolm Catto and bassist Jake Ferguson, the London-based cosmic-jazz-meets-psychedelic-funk ensemble The Heliocentrics have been at the forefront of some of the most forward-thinking records over the past two decades, collaborating with legendary artists like Mulatu Astatke, Lloyd Miller, Orlando Julius, Melvin Van Peebles and many others. The group has just released a great new album on groundbreaking producer Madlib’s label, Madlib Invazion.
Titled Infinity of Now, this album is the first new recording from the group since 2017, when they released two albums on Soundway Records, A World of Masks and the soundtrack to the LSD documentary The Sunshine Makers .
Like all of the band’s previous releases, the eight-track album was written, arranged, and produced by Catto and Ferguson at the drummer’s analog-based Quatermass Studio. The recording also features a strong supporting cast of musicians, including longtime collaborators keyboardist Jack Yglesias (also of Saravah Soul), baritone saxophonist Jason Yarde and vocalist Barbora Patkova (who has appeared on the past two recordings), as well as alto saxophonist Collin Webster, guitarist Dan Smith, Raven Bush on string arrangements and additional electronics.
Very similar to the group’s more recent releases, the music is a brilliant mix of funky psychedelic grooves, Krautrock-like and Ethio-influenced melodies, free-form jazz solos, and spacey electronic atmospheric tones, that nicely incorporate Patkova’s soulful hypnotic vocals on a majority of the tracks. It’s like a melding of Can, Sun Ra, and David Axelrod all scrambled into one transmission sound, while being completely original.
Overall, another brilliant and must-own album from the genre-defying group that continues to push the envelope musically, and define their own psyched-out futuristic sound.
The Heliocentric — ‘Infinity Of Now’
(Madlib Invasion)
A1. 99% Revolution
A2. Venom
A3. Elephant Walk
A4. Burning Wooden Ship
B1. Hanging By A Thread
B2. Nonsense Part 1
B3. Light In The Dark
B4. People Wake Up!
