Photo by Paulo Gonzales
SUMAC and Moor Mother share the new piece “Hard Truth” taken from their upcoming work The Film, to be released on April 25th. The piece highlights how inscrutably bold their collaboration is, invoking a haunting vocal melody atop burbling electronics and a density of distorted pulses, the throb accentuated by tactile scrapes. As a mere hint to what is contained within the album’s labyrinthian scope, the piece is brimming with the subtle, yet boundless creativity that the ensemble explores across the album.
The Film’s moniker speaks to the fact that it is conceived and delivered as a complete album, a full story or narrative. Moor Mother puts it best: “The idea is to create a moment outside of the convention. This is a work of art. Thinking about the work as a Film, instead of an album or a collection of songs. This task is impossible in an industry that wants to force everything into a box of consumption. You won’t understand or get the full picture until the artwork is completed. This work is developing and is requesting more agency within the creative process.” The Film does have clear themes running throughout – again Moor Mother expounds: “the themes are universal in nature – land – displacement – the climate – human rights and freedoms – war and peace – the idea of running away from the many violent forces and horrific systems of man and empire.”
The Film is an album that takes attributes of both artists’ work and finds common ground in shifting musical patterns, and expressive force. The record is a musical thumbing of their noses at the more traditional approaches of their respective fields, an innovative, powerhouse of an album.
Around the record’s release, SUMAC and Moor Mother will be premiering their collaborative performances in Berlin and at Roadburn Festival. Additionally, SUMAC will be heading out on a European tour this Spring with special guests, Japan’s ENDON, while Moor Mother will be playing select European dates with Lonnie Holley in May.
Pre-order SUMAC and Moor Mother’s The Film here.
SUMAC and Moor Mother tour dates
Apr. 17 – Berlin, DE – Festsaal Kreuzberg *
Apr. 19 – Tilburg, NL – Roadburn Festival *
SUMAC on tour
Apr. 15 – Warsaw, PL – Hydrozagadka
Apr. 16 – Poznań, PL – 2Progi
Apr. 20 – Tilburg, NL – Roadburn Festival performing ‘The Healer’
Apr. 21 – Brussels, BE – Botanique ^
Apr. 22 – Koln, DE – Bumann & Sohn ^
Apr. 23 – Karlsruhe, DE – Jubez ^
Apr. 24 – Fribourg, CH – Fri-Son ^
Apr. 25 – Innsbruck, AT – PMK ^
Apr. 26 – Munich, DE – Strom
Apr. 28 – Athens, GR – Kyttaro Live Club
Moor Mother on tour
May 11 – Krems, AT – Donau Festival %
May 14 – Bern, CH – B-Flat %
May 15 – Frankfurt, DE – Jazz Montez %
May 16 – Berlin, DE – X-Jazz Festival %
* Moor Mother collab set
^ with Endon
% with Lonnie Holley
