Ash Walker ft: Oscar Jerome + Joe Armon-Jones - Automaton (Single)
Photo credit: Dan Medhurst
Four years on from his explorative third full-length ‘Aquamarine,’ Londoner Ash Walker returns with an equally ambitious follow-up, set for release via Night Time Stories on 30th June. Alongside a plethora of award-winning collaborators and combining a dizzying array of sounds, ‘Astronaut’ hears Walker push his astral shower of rhythm and vibes to new heights. If 'Aquamarine’ was the take-off of his audial spaceship, ‘Astronaut’ is the cosmic voyage reaching terminal velocity; a rocket-powered masterclass spanning jazz, blues, soul, funk, and reggae. Following the release of first single ‘Time Gets Wasted’ ft. Sly5thAve and Denitia comes the albums second offering ‘Automaton.' Featuring emerging jazz artist Oscar Jerome and virtuoso keyboard player, composer, collaborator and producer Joe Armon-Jones.
Walker had this to say on the track: "This record was inspired by my deep-rooted love of Dub. ‘Automaton' is the story of a robotic being with a heart, jaded by the woes of life and modern society, lost in a world of 1’s and 0’s but every night they stare at the moon, thinking that there is more to the universe than just numbers and start to feel their heart pulsing. Told that they’ll never feel as they’re a robot, the more they look to the sky, the more they feel… Knowing that something else is out there. Teaming up with good friend Oscar Jerome on vocals, whose laid back hazy, smokey vocal lines & harmonies are reminiscent of seventies bands like The Congos and The Upsetters. I couldn’t be happier with the results. Then with the addition of some more friends like Joe Armon-Jones on Hammond Organ, Alex Cosmo Blake on Guitar, Robohands on Bongo’s & Flute, Hari-Lee Evans on Bass and Raffy Bushman on suitcase piano, the ‘Automaton' began to live and breathe.” Ash Walker
An avid record collector, Walker has DJed far and wide... from the infamous Royal Mail squat party to the canals of Venice, spinning vinyl in Brixton with The Specials to scattering dub across San Francisco and LA. His own production output is similarly exploratory: his journeys have taken him far and wide, from tunnels under the river Thames to recording local percussionists in the Atlas mountains of Morocco. Inspired by a deep dive of sounds from artists including Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, King Tubby, Bo Diddley, 4Hero, J Dilla, Pete Rock, Curtis Mayfield, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich; his first two albums, ‘Augmented 7th’ (2015) and ‘Echo Chamber’ (2016) gained attention from the likes of BBC 6 Music DJs Gilles Peterson, Don Letts and Gideon Coe.
A beautiful and thought-provoking cosmic masterpiece, ‘Astronaut’ cements Walker’s place amongst jazz music’s elite. We have lift off.