Sepalcure

Hot on the heels of their sophomore EP Fleur (January 2011) and their Love Pressure Remixed EP (August 2011), the two New Yorkers known as Sepalcure released their highly-anticipated debut full length through Hotflush Recordings at the end of November 2011.

Working together in what can only be described as a joyous collaboration, Travis Stewart and Praveen Sharma utilized the broader canvas of the album format to take their collaborative process to a new level, incorporating a strikingly diverse and, it must be said, very American set of influences into the bass-based framework of their sonic delights. The duo have long been at the forefront of an ever-expanding bass music scene in New York – not only through their DJ and live performances, but also through Praveen’s community-oriented bass music website Percussion Lab (which also presents events). Additionally, the duo have been prolific on solo projects. Stewart now spends significant periods of time in Berlin. This summer he released a much heralded Machinedrum album Rooms on Planet Mu. Over on our side of the Atlantic, proud New Yorker Sharma (who, by the way, has no plans to move to Berlin) let loose a flurry of EPs under the alias Braille on Hotflush and Rush Hour. Both the Machinedrum and Braille releases reflect the impact of the frenetic, paranoid rhythms of the modern Chicago and the return to vogue of music deeply embedded in the core of his city – House music. Together as Sepalcure, both artists add a crucial sense of emotional intelligence, melodic sensuality and a dynamic passion that defines their unique sound. Their music is caught between detailed and intelligently gathered histories of dance music movements in New York, Chicago, Berlin and London and it’s also free of them all – in the end, their sound is their own, created with a fervent commitment to the hear & now. Like New York itself, this is a record where new doors open to surprising worlds, where the full range of delights is both easily acknowledged and highly addictive.

Opening with Me, a clear statement of intent that brings to mind early Metalheadz-era Alex Reese and Waxdoctor tunes within a fresh 2011 beat dynamic, the album continues its rhythmic and soulful attack on Pencil Pimp which drops abandoned melancholic soul into a burnt out etheral city that isn’t Detroit. The Bronx? Brooklyn? Queens? New York while we waited for Hurricane Irene? No surprise then that this is slated to be the first single from the album. Tribalisms on The One echo Zanzibar-era New Jersey Black House before it came over to Madhattan and stormed the world. On See Me Feel Me you can hear Sharma’s IDM roots but Stewart has clearly helped him take a trip down to Philly for a bit of what can only be dubbed as an East Coast urban love fest. With Hip Hop mutating towards electronic music it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear a big league rapper biting this soon. Eternally Yrs continues what is surely a romantic core in this album – it’s a burbling update of the ravehouse sound, with processed vocals rubbing up against woodblock beats and a relentlessly bouncing bassline. Yuh Nuh See takes a bite out of juke’s trademark staccato bass and looping vocals, washing the tension away with lush melodies and dubbed out atmospherics. Breezin indicates an ease but is in fact one of the more bass-heavy tunes on the album, bringing to mind a crowded beach in the Bronx where everyone is playing something different on their boombox – it’s Nigeria, Harlem and other undisclosed sources of wonder trapped in summer heat. Hold On gets even more Jamaican – did we just enter a Soundclash? if so, this one is especially blissful. Carrot Man lets us know Model 500, UR and Carl Craig’s dystopian landscapes still continue to inspire. while the finale Outside sounds like the duo captured the elation of finishing the album and walking outside after weeks in a dark and sweaty studio. Sophisticated, yes, but accessible too. Emotional, yes, but fun as well. Simply titled Sepalcure this album is a bold statement from two artists rising to the top of their game.

In 2011 Stewart and Sharma took the Sepalcure live act to SXSW, Miami Winter Music Conference, Unsound Festival New York, and Britain’s Big Chill festival, as well as a host of other events across Europe and America. Next, the duo appeared at Unsound Krakow in October, after which they’ debuted a new Sepalcure Live A/V set at Mutek: Mexico City, expanding the themes of their album art for the first time in a live setting. They followed that up with the NYC debut of the A/V show in early November, and live dates in London and Berlin. Late December the duo performed Live, non A/V, shows in New York. San Francisco and Portland. In February 2012 the duo are touring in Europe.

A new yet to be revealed single will be released in March 2012 followed by more US dates including an appearance at SXSW. Stay tuned to this page for updates.