ALABASTER DEPLUME

From lyrical instrumentals & vividly painted pleats of poetry to softly hewn saxophone & crooned political polemics, DePlume concocts a musical landscape awash with mood & intensity.

Like ancient alchemy thrust into the trembling soundscape of now, ‘Gold’ was forged through enigmatic means involving minimal preparation & versatile, seat-of- their-pants performances from the players (contributions come from the likes of Falle Noike, Sarathy Korwar, Rozi Plain & Tom Skinner). The resulting dream- like atmospherics, cascading percussion & elusive saxophone spurts, are all drawn together & contextualised by the jazz musician / saxophonist / spoken word poet / composer.

Amidst the pretty parps & tumbling bass, DePlume’s voice looms large. It’s not egregiously present or dominating in a “look at me” manner - it’s more that his words carry a benevolent, anguished weight. They hit home hard. He bores deep into his core, underpinning it all with a scoop of sardonic wit served up with poetic panache. “I remember my shame” & “I won’t hide behind a matchstick of a sweet little word either; I will be naked like water”. ‘Gold’ is the sound of a master at work, at ease with his ability, confident in experimentation, which elevates this beyond jazz into something cosmic, crucial & gilded with a life-affirming streak a mile wide.

“An offbeat talent who walks a wavering line between improvisational saxophonist & performance poet” - The Guardian