Kuna Maze - Bristol Changes (Single)
Photo Credit: Johan Poezevara
Brussels-based producer, multi-instrumentalist, and DJ Kuna Maze, aka Edouard Gilbert, returns with a new single, “Bristol Changes” – a jazz-infused track with a drum ’n’ bass essence. It’s the first taste of music since Kuna Maze’s debut album, Night Shift, a concept record built around the journey into the night that was praised by the likes of Groove, Four Heads, and Mo Ayoub (BBC Radio 1).
“Bristol Changes” title is a homage to both the mecca of drum ‘n’ bass (the West Country city of Bristol) and the ‘Coltrane Changes’, a complex chord progression explored by legendary saxophonist John Coltrane. Kuna Maze’s signature keyboard stabs and distorted dub siren become the foundation of the foreboding track. Saxophonist Hyungjin Lee goes total improv, soloing over the entire song with boundless energy as if a jazz standard, while drummer Victor Pascal collides over the top with a drum ‘n’ bass-inspired breakbeat rhythm.
“I was diving back into the Goldie album ‘Timeless’ when I composed this track, and I wanted to make a song that was a reference / an ode to 90s drum and bass but also still very much a ‘jazz’ track,” Edouard aka Kuna Maze explains.
Kuna Maze’s debut album ‘Night Shift, musically evokes the nostalgia of sweaty and smoky jazz clubs but through the prism of modern electronic music. The LP boasts features with the creative polymath Steve Spacek and Midva, aka Nils Boyni, keyboardist from Emile Londonien. Kuna Maze toured extensively around Europe with his live band, including stand-out performances at Brussels Jazz Weekend, Super Sonic Jazz Festival and ESNS, and making his debut in Canada with a tour around Quebec. Kuna Maze topped this all off by sharing an amazing live-action short film, soundtracked with music from ‘Night Shift’ directed by Rocco Manta.
Kuna Maze is known for his releases alongside Lyon-based producer and long-time collaborator Nikitch. The duo released their debut and sophomore albums ‘Débuts’ and ‘Back & Forth’ via Tru Thoughts. Their second LP was made Worldwide FM’s Test Press Club Record and gained acclaim from Jamz Supernova, Mary Anne Hobbs (BBC 6Music) and Okayplayer. The album was followed by a Europe-wide tour with standout shows at Dour Festival, Ronnie Scott’s (London) and Le Botanique (Brussels).
Holding down previous residencies on Brussels’ essential radio platform, Kiosk Radio, and community music space Volta, Kuna Maze has firmly made Brussels his home, a metropolis with a flourishing and emulating jazz-electronic scene (home to Alia, Echt!, Le Motel, Lefto, Mika Oki). Constantly evolving and adapting his sounds, Kuna Maze has played alongside accomplished producers, such as Nosaj Thing, Flako, Lapalu and Machinedrum, while boasting releases on Cascade and Galant Records, as well as remixes and collaborations with the likes of Andreya Triana, Toshio Matsuura, Blu Samu, Black Josh, Ødyssee, Katuchat, Woodwire, Winston McAnuff and more.