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Damian Lazarus & The Ancient Moons - Help Me Find A Way

4,865 views · Published 24 July 2018 · 6:25 · Indexed 26 September 2026

Channel: crosstownrebels · 2018 · Music

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Heart of Sky is OUT NOW on vinyl and digital - https://DLATAM.lnk.to/HeartOfSkyID

Damian  Lazarus’  magical  live  project  The  Ancient  Moons returns  with  'Heart  of  Sky',  released  on  July  20th  through  Crosstown  Rebels/BMG. The  album  follows  2015’s  extraordinary  global  melting  pot  'Message  From  The  Other  Side',  dubbed  “a  journey  into  techno’s  dreamiest  recesses”by  The  Fader  and  a  “psychedelic  masterpiece’ by  Vice. Since  then  The  Ancient  Moons  have  travelled  the  world  with  their  highly  immersive  live  show,  supported  Roisin  Murphy  on  tour  and  played  at  Glastonbury  and  Melt!  amongst  others. 

Heart  of  Sky  was  recorded  in  Monastic  Studios,  Lazarus’  custom-built  studio  overlooking  the  Mugello  mountains,  deep  in  the  heart  of  Tuscany.  It  combines  Lazarus’s  cosmic  world  influences  with  his  love  for  ‘80s  soul/funk.  “The  world  influence  is  still  there  but  it’s  subtler,”  Lazarus  explains,  “I’vebeen  digging  in  crates,  searching  for  interesting,  weird  music  in  Middle  Eastern  record  fairs.  These  inspirations  appear  throughout  the  new  record,  but  after  touring  I  knew  I  wanted  to  write  the  next  record  with  the  band,  utilising  the  power  of  a  soulful  vocalist  at  the  front.  My  background  is  very  much  in  soul  music.  I  started  buying  records  when  I  was  12,  listening  to  pirate  radio  stations  in  London,  going  tosoul  all-dayers,  jazz-funk,  rare  groove,  I  spent  every  penny  on  records  with  strong  vocals  and  hooky  choruses.  On  the  new  album,  I  thought  maybe  there  was  a  way  to  connect  that  heart  and  soul  to  a  positive,  trippy,  psychedelic  sound.”

The  first  taste  of  the  new  album  came  with  last  summer’s  club  hit  ‘I  Found  You’.  Heart  of Sky is  ebulliently  fronted  by Jesse  Appiah,  the  rising  London  singer  who’s  worked  with  Michael  Kiwanuka,  Jamie  Woon,  Kwabs  and  Jess  Glynne.  He is  joined  by Ben  Chetwood,  session  musician  and  MD  who  has  worked  with  everyone  from  Rudimental  to King  Krule,  plus  the  Heritage  Orchestra’s  Rob  Gentry,  and of  course,  Lazarus  himself.  With  a  guest  appearance  from  Australian  singer  Chela  on  the  recent  single  ‘Five  Moons’.  The  result  is an  album,  self-produced  by  the  band,  that  its  maker  admits  “it  may  not be  for  the  techno  purists” but  which,  instead,  has an  ambitiously  broad  scope,  straddling  both  clubland  and  alternative  pop;  for  the  dancefloor  and for the head.

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