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CD
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ATA 041CD
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$16.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 7/11/2025
The Sorcerers' latest long player lands in perfect time for the summer, offering a further progression into their unique take on Ethio-inspired jazz. Other Worlds and Habitats is, of course, released on ATA Records and is blessed with the analogue recording and painstakingly loving production listeners have come to expect from this boutique studio. This, The Sorcerers eagerly anticipated fourth LP, follows on from the success of I Too Am A Stranger. Never ones to stop moving forward, and ever vigilant to avoid the realm of pastiche, The Sorcerers see the Ethiopique sound as a building block for their natural progression as a group, but a block that sits at the base of a much larger, ever expanding, structure, The addition of keyboardist Johnny Richards, whose use of the Jen 73 piano, Mellotron and Farfisa Compact Duo, alongside the core members of the group, has opened some exciting doors for The Sorcerers, fusing the future looking optimism of the late '60s and '70s (when artists began to experiment with the new electronic technology and synthesizers becoming more readily available) and more traditional sounds. Taking inspiration from Ethiopian keyboardist Hailu Mergia and Nigerian musician William Onyeabor, Other Worlds and Habitats, as the name suggests, showcases The Sorcerers' shift to a new, and deeply exciting, musical landscape. A Danish tour, unbelievably the first live outing for The Sorcerers, created another patina to the band. A weary time on the road, shared by the core Sorcerers trio of bassist Neil Innes, drummer Joost Hendrickx (Gotts Street Park, Kefaya, Eddie Chacon) and reed/flute/vibes player Richard Ormrod, alongside new/old member Richards led, to an organic, less cerebral sound than listeners have heard before. The Sorcerers' Other Worlds and Habitats is a natural progression in the world they have created for themselves. Richer for shared experiences, and accepting the rise of the machines, they prove that while their journey is always going forward, there are many different paths to take.
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LP
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ATA 041LP
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$29.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 7/11/2025
LP version. The Sorcerers' latest long player lands in perfect time for the summer, offering a further progression into their unique take on Ethio-inspired jazz. Other Worlds and Habitats is, of course, released on ATA Records and is blessed with the analogue recording and painstakingly loving production listeners have come to expect from this boutique studio. This, The Sorcerers eagerly anticipated fourth LP, follows on from the success of I Too Am A Stranger. Never ones to stop moving forward, and ever vigilant to avoid the realm of pastiche, The Sorcerers see the Ethiopique sound as a building block for their natural progression as a group, but a block that sits at the base of a much larger, ever expanding, structure, The addition of keyboardist Johnny Richards, whose use of the Jen 73 piano, Mellotron and Farfisa Compact Duo, alongside the core members of the group, has opened some exciting doors for The Sorcerers, fusing the future looking optimism of the late '60s and '70s (when artists began to experiment with the new electronic technology and synthesizers becoming more readily available) and more traditional sounds. Taking inspiration from Ethiopian keyboardist Hailu Mergia and Nigerian musician William Onyeabor, Other Worlds and Habitats, as the name suggests, showcases The Sorcerers' shift to a new, and deeply exciting, musical landscape. A Danish tour, unbelievably the first live outing for The Sorcerers, created another patina to the band. A weary time on the road, shared by the core Sorcerers trio of bassist Neil Innes, drummer Joost Hendrickx (Gotts Street Park, Kefaya, Eddie Chacon) and reed/flute/vibes player Richard Ormrod, alongside new/old member Richards led, to an organic, less cerebral sound than listeners have heard before. The Sorcerers' Other Worlds and Habitats is a natural progression in the world they have created for themselves. Richer for shared experiences, and accepting the rise of the machines, they prove that while their journey is always going forward, there are many different paths to take.
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LP
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ATA 033LP
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Originally released in 2024. I Too Am A Stranger was recorded at ATA Studios by the core Sorcerers trio, featuring the compositional vision and timeless lines of bassist Neil Innes, truly rare grooves from drummer Joost Hendrickx (Gott Street Park, Eddie Chacon) and a little cosmos of tones and melodies from reed/flute/vibes/keyboard player Richard Ormrod. Up-and-coming Leeds trumpeter Olivia Cuthill was chosen to augment the brass sections, and regular collaborator Danny Templeman fills out the percussion palette. As ever, the Ethiopique sound is front and center, as evidenced in flute features "Bebaynetu" and "Kid Mahout," and the final track, alto sax feature "She Who Perceives The Sounds Of The World." Beyond the Addis influences, I Too Am A Stranger references other unique and striking sounds that have always enthralled members of the ATA family: the declamatory baritone sax-heavy chanbara soundtracks of Fumio Hayasaka, the fuzzed-out vibes sound of Vibrafinger-era The Stark Reality, and Moondog's popping woodblocks. I Too Am A Stranger is a resolutely maximal endeavor, reflecting the cosmopolitan and cross-cultural networks that comprise the world. The Sorcerers pay homage to the rich history and cultural significance of this influential style of music while bringing their own unique energy and perspective to the table. The culmination of this artistic exploration is their eagerly anticipated third album, I Too Am A Stranger.
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LP
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ATA 018LP
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Originally released in 2020. The Sorcerers began working on a new album during the winter of 2018 and it was during the writing sessions for this album that the concept for the LP began to take shape. The name for the album was taken from the title of a National Geographic article read by bassist Neil Innes and was used as the starting point for the entire concept. The library music scene of the '60s and '70s has always been an intrinsic part of the sound of ATA Records and so it made perfect sense to envisage the album as a soundtrack, given the cinematic quality of The Sorcerers music. Each track was written with a particular scene in mind and the music was then shaped in the studio to best reflect the essence of that scene. Drums, bass and percussion provide the solid foundation onto which flutes, bass clarinets, xylophones, and vibraphones add the atmospheric and melodic counterpoint, deftly weaving between one another to conjure up images of the unforgiving environment of the dense jungle, unknown eyes watching the protagonists of the imagined film as they make their way towards their ultimate goal, their pursuit by unseen assailants, the arcane mysticism of undiscovered cargo cultists and the ancient ruins of long passed civilizations.
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7"
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ATA 032EP
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$17.50
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 3/28/2025
Originally released in 2024. ATA Records present the latest 7" single, "Kaunas Baltic Connect" featuring The Sorcerers and "Baby, I Don't Care." The funky, atmospheric, evocative and sometimes downright weird output of companies such as DeWolfe, Cavendish, Burton, and the ubiquitous KPM have always been a guiding inspiration for ATA Records, as evidenced in the spooky soundtrack vision of The Sorcerers, the big band brass of The Yorkshire Film & Television Orchestra and even in the soul-jazz of The Lewis Express & Outer Worlds Jazz Ensemble. The ever-expanding Library Archive series are an honest and forthright homage to the golden age of library recording, and this new release is no exception! "Kaunas Baltic Connect" featuring The Sorcerers harks back to the dynamic, brooding menace of Poliziotteschi and Euro-crime movies -- popping toms punctuate a martial-sounding '60s beat, with an insistent and recurring piano motif. The Sorcerers influences are layered throughout, from the spectral synth chords lurking in the background and Farfisa organ melody, to the eventual entry of the Sorcerers horns in all their full glory -- flute and baritone saxophone to the fore. Fans of Ennio Morricone's score to Pontecorvo's Battle of Algiers will also find a lot to enjoy here. "Baby, I Don't Care" is reminiscent of shamelessly groovy releases from The Lewis Express, featuring a joyful slice of Hammond organ blues dancing away over the funkiest drums this side of Clyde Stubblefield -- replete with congas and bongos from ATA Studios stalwart, Danny Templeman. This has all the hallmarks of a new club favorite -- definitely one for the DJs -- or cue it up at your next house party.
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LP
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ATA 002LP
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Originally released in 2019. Taking influences from Ethiopiques Ethiojazz as well as the soundtracks to the European horror films of the '60s and '70s, The Sorcerers seamlessly blend these disparate elements into one cohesive package. Based in ATA Records' home of Leeds, The Sorcerers are made up of the cream of the city's jazz and world scene. Forming the backbone of the ATA Records house band they incorporate bass clarinets, flutes, and vibraphone alongside bass, guitar organ and drums, providing Ellingtonian textures on top of a solid rhythmic foundation. After featuring on the Funk, Soul & Afro Rarities: An Introduction to ATA Records compilation, they set to work recording a full-length LP at the studios of record label ATA Records. Initially inspired by the work of Ethiopian composer Mulatu Astatke, the Sorcerers have deftly incorporated a wide breadth of musical influences from the creepy metallic textures and quietly insistent rhythm section of "Pinch Of The Death Nerve" through to the Moondogesque melodies of the Viking of 5th street and the KPM inspired orchestration of closing track night of the sorcerer. The LP also includes an alternate version of "Cave Of Brahma," a heavily Mulatu influenced track that featured on the ATA Records compilation. The album has a dark undercurrent that weaves throughout all eight tracks, underpinning the album with an unsettling and evocative theme. Support comes from Jazzman Gerald, Jimi Tenor, Shawn Lee, Nightmares On Wax, and Mulatu Astatke himself.
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