VA - Bastard Jazz Presents: Ecology Division (2026)

Ecology Division is a new compilation from Bastard Jazz that maps a broader network of producers and musicians working across jazz, soul, electronic, and beat-driven music. Featuring artists from London, Lisbon, Montreal, Brooklyn, Chicago, and beyond, the project focuses on collaborators and peers whose work exists in close orbit to the label, forming a loose but interconnected creative system. Moving fluidly between live instrumentation and forward-leaning production, the compilation brings these different approaches into a single frame.

Across ten tracks, Ecology Division captures the diversity within that system, from the harp-led jazz of Rachel Kitchlew & DOUGH to the stripped-back Rhodes minimalism of Simon Mavin (Haitus Kaiyote). Lapgan brings a psychedelic, beat-driven approach, while Kartik leans into a choppy, sample-led hip-hop palette. Korovo explores synth-forward, new wave-adjacent electronic territory, and Birocratic and Danny Scott Lane each contribute groove-led, funk-informed productions built on analog textures and live instrumentation. Contributions from Nick Marks and Sholto & David Bardon further expand the field, illustrating how distinct voices can operate independently while remaining part of a shared musical environment.

Visually, Ecology Division takes cues from vintage field guides and naturalist illustration, with each single paired to a distinct animal. The artwork mirrors the project’s underlying framework, suggesting a form of cataloging and interrelation. Together, the music and imagery position the compilation not as a traditional compilation, but as a snapshot of an active and evolving ecosystem around Bastard Jazz.