On paper, Moor Mother and SUMAC seem like odd musical bedfellows: the former a lyrical tactician specializing in experimental jazz and hip-hop atmospheres, the latter a seething elemental trio intent on excavating heavy metals from your subconscious. In execution, however, their unique brands of primal fury work perfectly in concert. And as if sensing the pull of one another, they found themselves together at Studio Litho in Seattle, creating an aural whirlwind of thrashing guitars and potent narrative malleability. The result: a collaborative album called The Film, which is due out April 25 on Thrill Jockey.
For now, though, we can revel in the anarchic temperament of “Scene 1”, a sliver of the new record that expresses a kind of dissonant minimalism, guitars growing in volume and fervor alongside Moor Mother’s increasingly agitated words. She stands at the center of this storm, head held high as the world attempts to cast her aside — but she and the band will not be moved, even in the face of countless cresting squalls. The song has the freeform flexibility of jazz but the torrential impact that SUMAC has long harnessed. As the album is meant to be viewed as a whole, this small offering is a tantalizing glimpse of what is to come.
Listen below.
The Film is due out April 25 via Thrill Jockey. You can pre-order the album here. Follow SUMAC on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Follow Moor Mother on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
