I Hold the Lion's Paw - Abstract Playgrounds (2018) [Hi-Res]

Melbourne psychedelic jazz collective I Hold the Lion's Paw present their debut studio album, Abstract Playgrounds.

Led by trumpeter-composer Reuben Lewis, I Hold the Lion’s Paw (IHTLP) is an eight-piece collective that features some of Melbourne’s most exciting musicians. The music is born out of an organic cross-over of afro-beat, jazz and outré electronics. Expect to hear as much as electro-acoustic noise, slowly evolving soundtracks, afro-beat inspired grooves and psychedelic free jazz.

The album was produced by Reuben Lewis and edited by sound-artist Mark Shepherd, who assembled a day of live jamming in the studio to prepare material that would later be dissected, abstracted and re-composed into a single-take long-form improvisation and an electro-acoustic remix. Originally conceived as an LP in two chapters, side A is an unedited studio take performed without any pre-planned structure or set-list. Side B reimagines the IHTLP concept through an interconnected series of electro-acoustic pieces.

Lewis says of the music; “I have always wanted to develop a band that could traverse any of the sound worlds I inhabit, and to go one further, bring these worlds together in a way that enables a constantly evolving dialogue through improvisation. Abstract Playgrounds is a voyeuristic glimpse into the development of the IHTLP concept and the first of many musical chapters to come.”

“Abstract Playgrounds conjures its own unique rhythmic universe, spurred on by an unfettered belief in improvisation and group dynamics. It’s a high-wire act, made possible by the fact that IHTLP is awash with first-rank improvisers.” -- Des Cowley