The London-based musician has announced a hybrid project made of free-jazz, classical, broken beat, hip-hop and more.
Producer and multi-instrumentalist Ben Marc is one of the key figures of London’s jazz scene. Following his critically acclaimed Breathe Suite EP, released last September, he has just announced his debut full length Glass Effect. The project, composed of 13 tracks, will be a singular exploration of free-jazz, classical, broken beat, hip-hop and more, linking the musician’s broad range of influences: Radiohead, Ethio-jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke, Afrofuturist Sun Ra Arkestra, grime legend Dizzee Rascal… The man has long crossed musical boundaries, working with the likes of Shabaka Hutchings, Matthew Herbert, Charles Mingus, China Moses, Soweto Kinch and many more.
To announce his new album, Marc has dropped the single “Mustard”, a peaceful and jazzy instrumental of around three minutes. The track has a nostalgic and dreamy feel to it, exemplifying the optimistic atmosphere of the upcoming project. “It’s hopeful,” says Marc about it. “We all need as much of that as we can get.” Indeed, one of the reasons behind Glass Effect was going to nightclubs in Ibiza and experiencing the heady sun-dappled euphoria of a summery dancefloor. However, the album will also carry a heavy London influence, and will address more nuanced themes, such as “the resilience of being a Black man in the city” or the quietness of a “Japanese hotel room at 4am”.
Glass Effect by Ben Marc, out in Spring 2022 via Innovative Leisure.
Listen to”Mustard” in our Songs of the Week playlist on Spotify and Deezer.
