If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Yekaterina Gyadu When I first saw that Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin were making music together, "Live Humble" is more what I pictured... somewhat. The new song draws from the book Religious Folk-Songs of the Negro released in 1874. The song features traditional folk instruments like guitar and gourd banjo, but it's also heavy on synthesizers and includes some noise rock style guitar soloing. The song also incorporates a strong dance element. While it may be based in the traditional music I associate with Blount and Obomsawin, it also rushes off in rock, dance, and pop directions while still sounding like a cohesive song. We knew that a collaboration between Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin was going to be good, but we couldn't have predicted it would be this mind-blowing. Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin say of their new single: "’Live Humble’ epitomizes the remix methods used in the creation of  symbiont . Inspired by a spiritual of the same name collecte...

Photo by Yekaterina Gyadu When I first saw that Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin were working on a project together, I knew it would be good, but I certainly didn't expect it to sound like it does. Their latest single, "Old Indian Hymn," incorporates elements of Blount's "Afrofuturist folklore" and Obomsawin's free jazz meets American roots sound, and then incorporates an entirely new level of experimentation. The duo are taking traditional roots music and crafting something entirely new and exciting from it. "Old Indian Hymn" is a hauntingly beautiful experimental sound that doesn't sound like anything we've ever covered, despite fitting in with exactly what we love to bring you. Their upcoming album is shaping up to be one of the most exciting releases of 2024. Mali Obomsawin and Jake Blount discuss their new single, which is based on Indian Melodies , an 1845 hymnal by Thomas Commuck (Narragansett, Brotherton), the first published musi...

Photo by Abby Lank We would apologize for our third Jake Blount related post this week, but once you hear this new single, no apology will be needed. The afrofuturist artist has teamed with Abenaki folk and jazz artist Mali Obomsawin. As if that pairing wasn't already intriguing, they pair have brought in powwow singer/rap and digital hardcore artist Joe Rainey in for their first single. Blount and Obonsawin describe their music as "genrequeer," and that's evident with "My Way's Cloudy." The song combines elements of folk, jazz, hip hop, some pop, and maybe even some industrial into this beautifully foreboding sound. The closest thing I can describe this melting pop of styles is an organic trip hop. "My Way's Cloudy" is one of the most quietly intense songs of the year, and Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin's upcoming album has rocketed straight to the top of our anticipated album list. Jake Blount and Mali Obomsawin say of their upcoming ...