Devils Of Moko - One (2020)

The debut album from London based trio Devils Of Moko, ‘One’ is an expansive exploration of jazz motifs, electronic production and soulful hooks. The Jazz-Electric trio consists of Mulele Matondo on Bass (Kongo Dia Ntotila) Sam Gardner on Drums (Septabeat, Samadhi Quintet) and Dominic J Marshall on Piano and Synth (Dominic J Marshall Trio, The Cinematic Orchestra). ‘One’ will be released on Bandcamp exclusively with a ‘pay what you can’ option and be released on streaming services in the following months. With so much uncertainty surrounding the world and the music industry at this time, we wanted to make sure fans can listen to this beautiful piece of work for free, but if they felt that they were in a position to pay the love forward could contribute more.

The album features singles ‘Vata’ and Algorithm’ alongside some unheard heavy hitters like ‘Home’, perhaps the strongest example of the mixed genres with its nostalgic loops and bleeps showing the warring emotions that come from returning home after being away. Then there is ‘Ndoto’ which is the Swahili word for Dream, this fast paced and energetic tune feels like a dreamy chase sequence, where each instrument chases after the other. Building piano, persistent drums and a confident bass line wrap around one another to dizzying heights.

The trio’s refusal to fall back onto their traditional music training is what makes this album stand out, nudging at the western way of playing with different takes on modern Jazz. The new UK jazz scene is where the trio would comfortably sit, they see the scene as an extension of what you’re feeling, it’s ‘Jazz and…’, the boundaries aren’t there and it is mirrored in their own musical creation whether that’s the Kongolese rhythms, stories, and the departure from western musical structure from Mulele. The electronic influences from Sam whose own exploration in electronic music, Drum and Bass and production carve an edge into the trio’s voice. Or the soulful jazz melodies played by Dominic, who’s piano playing sparks warmth and rounds the trio’s music into its uplifting soul busting sound.