STR4TA

How better to celebrate an enduring friendship than making an album...last year Gilles Peterson and I went into the studio together to work on STR4TA...

> Excited to announce that Gilles Peterson has partnered with Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick to reinvigorate the loose, protean energy of the early-80s Brit-funk scene.

Long-time friends and collaborators, STR4TA sees them mine new musical possibilities out of that shared formative era. Bringing a fresh slant to a sound first developed by groups like Atmosfear, Hi-Tension, Light of the World and Freeez – with Maunick, it should be noted, also a member of the latter two bands – it’s the first material that Maunick and Peterson have released together in over a decade.

“The idea of the project was to capture that raw, moment to moment sound,” Maunick says, drawing a contrast to the touches of refinement he and his peers have acquired in the years since. In its early days, the Brit-funk sound – and the London jazz-funk milieu it grew out of – was rooted in raucous live shows, rivalling those of the punk bands in that same period. Recalling his role in the process, Peterson says he was the one making sure things didn’t get too polished. “I was there at the back, telling them, no, leave it like that, cut it there, or just use that first take,” he says.

Following the success of the single ‘Aspects’ & the Demus Dub remix in September 2020 supported by François K, Trevor Jackson, Colin Curtis DJ & Moses Boyd to name a few; the album announcement is accompanied by the second single ‘Rhythm In Your Mind.’ STR4TA showcase another masterclass in wrapping a track tightly around the groove, showing off the taut musicianship of Francis Hylton, on bass, and Matt Cooper, on keys and drums.

'Rhythm In Your Mind' is the second single from the newly announced STR4TA album entitled 'Aspects' released on Brownswood Recordings in 12” LP, CD & DD formats on March 26th 2021.

Listen to 'Rhythm In Your Mind' here: https://youtu.be/LUKaRPAvFt4 Pre-order STR4TA ‘Aspects’ here: https://str4ta.lnk.to/aspects_album Follow STR4TA on instagram: www.instagram.com/str4ta_music