ARTIST: NANA ADJOA
TITLE: LIVE
LABEL: BLOOMER
CAT NO: BLOOMER004
FORMAT: ALBUM / LIVE / 12"
GENRE: INDIE
COUNTRY: NL
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Understated, yet dramatic, Nana Adjoa combines storytelling, poetry and instrumental musicality for Bloomer Records’ fourth release. Songs are flecked with alternative sound designs but always ride atop rich acoustic foundations. The A-side presents orchestral and jazz fusion interpretations whereas the B-side recordings have a more grounded edge, completed with Nana's 5-piece tour band. As a multi-instrumentalist and powerful vocalist, she gives substance to the term modern-day musician.

As with a live release, the mood is palpable and the infrequent, refined engagement of the crowd expresses well what the lone listener is likely to feel. Working alongside the Metropole Orkest (the largest full-time ensemble of its kind), jazz ensemble Arifa and string quartet Alma Quartet has given this release an inimitable and distinct sound. Nana’s diverse aural pallet and often esoteric narratives accent the talented musicians that support her in this release.

Given her authorial approach to songwriting and orchestral collaboration, it follows that some songs have characteristics of cinematic scores. These detailed soundscapes are balanced with more soulful foundations and nods to jazz along the way. Nana and her tour band culminate their distinct analogue sound with 60’s Eko guitar, Egmond bass, 70’s Fender Twin and a combination of 70’s Korg Ms-10 and 70’s Hohner pianet for keys.

Fortunate enough to have been recorded in some of Europe’s finest settings, such as Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw - resonance and space play a key role in the sound design. Also at work are Nana’s varied use of acoustic and electric guitar, such as “In Lesser Light Pollution’ where her 60s Hollowbody Egmond bass plays through a guitar amp and airy spring reverb.

Bloomer Records continues a theme of explorative music, but pushes the boat toward acoustic and orchestral foundations that applaud Nana Adjoa’s musical mind. A humble label with big ideas, Bloomer Records encapsulates her intrepid but refined approach.