Our free summer festival, Feeërieën, returns to the enchanting Warande Park from August 28th to September 1st. Treat your ears to the best in contemporary dub, neoclassical, electronica, desert blues, Scottish smallpipe music, South African gqom, hip-hop, and amapiano!

Italian producer Raffaele Constantino - aka Khalab – has built up a rock-solid reputation over recent years for his organic fusion of traditional African sounds, deep bass work, jazz and heavily layered & dense electronic textures. Undisputed musical evidence of this was his 2018 album ‘Black Noise 2084’ (with musical guests like Shabaka Hutchings, Moses Boyd and Clap! Clap!) that was brimming with Afrofuturistic beats, global sounds and jazz. A superb example of how boundless music can be. It instantly earned him a spot at AB during BRDCST.

On his latest album ‘Layers’ – to be released this summer – he again invites a selection of soulmates such as drummer/producer Emanative (also present this evening at Sun Ra’s tribute), multi-instrumentalist Tenderlonious and spoken word artist Joshua Idehen.

Tip: those who want a taste of Khalab’s musical walk of life: check out his ‘Hyperitual’ compilations that focus on (quite legendary) Italian jazz labels like Soul Note and Black Saint.

Sun Ra's 'Space is the Place' 50th anniversary + Emanative

Dressed like a pharaoh and allegedly born on Saturn, the musical output of this “Salvador Dali of jazz” is nothing short of astonishing, with more than 100 (!) full-length albums to his name. Musically, he’s indulged in pop songs, jazz standards, doowop (Radiohead even closed some of their sets with Bye Bye by Sun Ra And The Cosmic Rays) as well as avant-garde jazz. A key album in his oeuvre, Space Is The Place – not to be confused with the film of the same name featuring another Sun Ra soundtrack – celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Fact Mag wrote: “Marvin Gaye had ‘What’s Going On’, John Coltrane had ‘A Love Supreme’, and Sun Ra had ‘Space Is The Place’. Perhaps not the definitive or most compelling record he released, but certainly a piece which radiates his mission statement from the core.” To mark the anniversary, Feeërieën takes the London collective Emanative along for the ride. Emanative: “It was a massive honour to be commissioned by The London Jazz Café to prepare a set in celebration of this iconic space jazz classic. This is not something to take on lightly, being the masterpiece that it is, so I’ve enlisted the very best all-star rocket number nine piece full band for the occasion.” Emanative showcases musicians who’ve played side-by-side with the crème de la crème of London’s jazz scene, including Nala Sinepro, Maisha, Alabaster dePlume, Collocutor, Emma-Jean Thackray, and Ill Considered. Those wishing to dive deeper into the world of Sun Ra should head here.

SOUNDTRACK BY: DJ NICK WOODMANSEY PLAYS SUN RA

Emanative drummer/producer Nick Woodmansey behind the wheels of steel with a strictly vinyl Sun Ra-set.