''Channel the Spirits'' is the first full-length album by

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

-based band

The Comet Is Coming The Comet Is Coming is a London-based band who incorporate elements of jazz, electronica, funk and psychedelic rock. The band originally recorded for The Leaf Label, on which their debut EP ''Prophecy'' was released, on limited edition 12" vi ...

. It was released on 1 April 2016 by

The Leaf Label The Leaf Label is a British independent record label based in Yorkshire, England. Initially an electronic music label, releasing mainly instrumental music, the company's approach now features artists spanning jazz and post-punk. History The Le ...

Background

Described as a "prophetic document" and "the beginning of the end" by

, ''Channel the Spirits'' draws on the same influences of jazz, electronica, psychedelia and sci-fi references as the previous release from The Comet Is Coming, ''

Prophecy In religion, a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called a ''prophet'') by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law, or prete ...

''. The first single, "Space Carnival", was premiered on The Quietus, who described the track as a demonstration of "the group refining their cosmic jazz stylings". In an interview with '' M'' magazine, band member Betamax Killer said of the album:

Channel The Spirits was meant to be a soundtrack to planet Earth’s doom. To stare death in the face and explore a symphony of human emotions. Panic, hope, defiance, fear, brotherhood and a release from cultural restrictions. We hoped to discover the underlying human power beneath the mundane day-to-day routines of modern life. Through the process of making the record we have been on a journey together through the distant realms of our collective mind. It feels like we have become creative space explorers.

Critical reception

'' Bearded'' magazine wrote that "this is a debut album that will leave you dumbfounded, reeling, exhausted and inspired". The Quietus praised the "sense of perspiring, physical energy that pulses through almost everything" and the "outrageous, head-snapping riff and hip-snapping beat as well as the "echoes...of Space Invaders, 70s sci-fi films, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, post-punk,

Fela Kuti Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; 15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), also known as Abami Eda, was a Nigerian musician, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as the p ...

, and 80s dance and electronica as well as... Sun Ra, Parliament, and Funkadelic". Penny Black Music called the album "engaging, atmospheric and intoxicating...one of the more forward-thinking and groundbreaking albums you will hear this year...not to be missed". In August 2016, the album was shortlisted for the

Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the B ...

Accolades

Track listing

All tracks written by

# "The Prophecy" – 1:49 # "Space Carnival" – 3:36 # "Journey Through the Asteroid Belt" – 5:33 # "Nano" – 1:16 # "New Age" – 5:27 # "Slam Dunk in a Black Hole" – 2:26 # "Cosmic Dust" – 3:26 # "Star Furnace" – 5:37 # "Channel the Spirits" – 4:04 # "Deep Within the Engine Deck" – 1:22 # "Lightyears" – 4:46 # "End of Earth" – 2:16

Personnel

;The Comet Is Coming * King Shabaka –

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while th ...

* Danalogue the Conqueror – keys * Betamax Killer – drums ;Additional musicians * Joshua Idehen –

spoken word Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...

(11)

References

{{Authority control 2016 debut albums The Comet Is Coming albums The Leaf Label albums