17th November 2023: MILLION SELLER releases today – Matt Calvert takes cues from Herbie Hancock’s 1971 Classic Mwandishi… with guests

Release day for MILLION SELLER from Matt Calvert – CD / DL / 180 gram, 2xLP

Million Seller is the new album and project led by Matt Calvert, one of the founding members of the underground alt-rock sensation Three Trapped Tigers. The inspiration for the project originated as Matt revisited his collection of early 70s releases by Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi group – some of the pianist’s most overlooked and least understood albums – 50 years on from that band’s last release (Sextant, 1973).

“The concept of Million Seller was to create a contemporary sound with similar elements to the Mwandishi band, putting the electronics and percussion at the forefront, merging organic and synthetic.” Mwandishi (originally a sextet, later a septet with added electronics) had three horn players: Million Seller has none, instead using three synth players: Calvert himself is joined by Ståle Storløkken of free-form experimental legends Supersilent, and by the unclassifiable improvisor Matthew Bourne. The rest of this supergroup line-up is completed by drummer Dave Smith, who brings his comprehensive knowledge of the Gambian tradition of Sabar drumming alongside his extensive jazz background, and a trio of guest musicians: Mamadou Sarr on sabar and djembe drums, Kadialy Koudate on kora, and Sam Wilson on contemporary percussion. The results are a striking fusion of ancient and modern sounds, of heavy yet playful synth interactions topped by driving acoustic percussion, of wild improvisation mixed with moments of ambient beauty, all creating a sonic identity that’s every bit as unique, wide-ranging and unforgettable as its inspiration.

Some of the tunes are directly based on material from the Mwandishi albums, but Calvert was very clear that this was not to be a tribute act: “We made a rule that no Fender Rhodes was allowed… but that was pretty much the only rule,” and the source material was used as a point of inspiration for free-wheeling jams that Calvert edited down into pithy four and five minute tracks. ‘Ostinato (Suite For Angela)’ inspired four different contrasting workouts on its twisty bassline, ranging from the kora-led ‘Intro’ to the pulsing, aggressive ‘Rituals’ and the slowed down doom- synth ‘Witch Doctor.’ Blurring organic with synthetic, ‘Water Torture’ features the the increasingly processed sounds of Kadialy Kouyate’s kora and Mamadou Sarr’s djembe melding into Calvert’s electronic backdrop and sci-fi bass. ‘Sleepless Giant’ is a hypnotic blend of groove and texture, and on ‘Rainmaker’ Matthew Bourne’s brooding pads create continuously shifting moods to which Ståle Storløkken responds with searing lead synths, all powered by Calvert’s synthetic bleeps and bass alongside Smith’s percussion. ‘Hornets’ features Sarr’s sabar drums leading the charge over a pulsing dance floor groove, with everyone playing at full throttle, while by contrast ‘You’ll Know When You Get There’ was meticulously pieced together by Calvert into an ambient synth soundscape with glistening dulcitone samples, and ’Hidden Shadows’ seems to conjure the ghost of Bennie Maupin’s flute from its digitally generated tones.

The title Million Seller is a wry nod to circumstance: originally a working title for ‘Hidden Shadows’ from the Mwandishi’s band’s final album, it reads like a rueful acknowledgement of their struggle for commercial success. This Million Seller is a deeply personal interpretation that stays true to the adventurous spirit of its inspiration, and stands defiantly on its own merits. Calvert says “Jazz is just one music out of many that I love – I draw inspiration from Warp Records and Brainfeeder as much as Blue Note, so I hope that informs this record too – and I feel as excited by this album as by any of my own material.”