Northern Californian composer/pianist Telemakus prepares the release of his LP ‘The New Heritage’ with the first single ‘Mars Blues’, taking a step into a new artistic beginning. His work has stemmed to highly creative composition and arrangement, generating a spirited album tackling the themes of exploration, wonder, and innocence.
This album’s foundation lies at the intersection of jazz and hip hop, playing into the heritage of jazz-sampling artists who turned their hands to instruments, and discovered new musical dimensions and complexities. Fruiting from the year-long COVID-19 lockdown, the album was created virtually with musicians from 11 countries, with a focus on maintaining a live sound while exploring ideas the producer normally wouldn’t have considered.
‘Mars Blues’ is the first single lifted from the LP witnessing the contribution of Chino Corvalán, Ted Taforo and Corydrums. This track documents the strong connection developed between the musicians, who the producer sees as “incredible people who sometimes mentored me and taught me a lot about how my music can sound”. The track explores an expressive sci-fi-esque sound palette, referencing Telemakus’ fascination for outer space and astronomy.
The moments of inspiration which lead to the creation of this album were often triggered by self-doubt, which inspired Telemakus to sharpen his musical sword, further proving his potential and identity. As one of the the only Indian-American jazz musicians in his immediate scene, Telemakus struggled to establish himself and his musical identity, free from the constraints of external factors and finding a sound which truly represents himself. ‘The New Heritage’ documents Telemakus’ artistic journey throughout the global crisis illustrating a strong creative growth reliant on the artist’s roots and supported by supreme collaborators.
The track is releasing via Radio Juicy on the 21st July 2021. Order your copy here.