New Zealand born and bred, keyboardist Mark de Clive-Lowe has been making a name for himself in the LA scene lately. I just saw him in an impressive performance with Harvey Mason, and he knows his ways around the electronics. Here, he teams up with an eclectic mix that features Tivon PEnnicott/sax-fl, Tim Stewart/g, Tim Lefebvre-Ben Shepherd/b, Nate Smith-Jamire Williams-dr and other various guests to form an intriguing mix of themes, melodies and moods. Some pieces, such as “The Mission,” have an anthem-like quality to them, with repeating themes that build up to a panoramic climax. Other pieces such as “Distractions,” “Hollow” and “Now Or Never” feature soulful vocalist Nia Andrews with layers of almost R&Bish keyboards creating layers of rich sonic wallpaper and carpet. A bit of hip hop electronic adds some spice to “Sun Up Sun Down” while “Nova Roda” takes you on a journey through third world percussions and vocals with Contramestra Xingu. The word “church” actually means “people who have been called out,” and de Clive-Lowe has beckoned many people here to attend his musical congregation. Lots of fascinating sounds, moods and themes are shared here, most which stick to the walls to which they’re well thrown.
Ropeadope Records