Nostalgia 77 & The Monster - The Taxidermist (2012)

Nostalgia 77 has been heartily championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson (BBC R1/6Music) and Jamie Cullum (BBC R2), for his solo work as well as collaborations with an eclectic list of talents including Jeb Loy Nichols (Island), Beth Rowley (Universal) and Alice Russell, among others. His latest album under the main Nostalgia 77 alias was 2011’s critically acclaimed ‘The Sleepwalking Society’, his most heavily vocal album yet, which saw him working with the velvet voiced German singer Josa Peit and showcasing his songwriting skills, to high acclaim and heavy tastemaker support including Guy Garvey, Nemone and Stuart Maconie on BBC 6Music.

‘The Taxidermist’ brings together the spoils of a handful of experimental recording sessions which took place earlier this year, featuring some of the UK’s most eminent jazz talents on the current scene; on hearing the resulting material, Nostalgia 77’s label Tru Thoughts snapped it up for an album release. 

The title track – which was the first cut to make it out of the studio, before the album had even been conceived – was premiered on BBC Radio 2 by Jamie Cullum, alongside an in-depth interview with Benedic Lamdin (the man behind Nostalgia 77). This track will be made available as a free download on the album’s release.

After performing the music from Nostalgia 77’s last acclaimed LP, gruelling touring, and long and alcoholic lunches, it seemed only natural to go into studio to record the band live. This set of cinematic instrumentals ranges from serene to sinister, searching to sanguine.
An expanded line up with two keyboards harnessed the prodigious power of piano man Mathew Bourne and organ grinder Ross Stanley. James Allsopp and Fulvio Sigurta on reeds and trumpet are both Jekyll and Hyde. All four are held secure by the engine room of Tim Giles’ drums and Riaan Vosloo’s bass.