{"title":"Alabaster DePlume","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eAngus Fairbairn, performing as Alabaster DePlume, represents contemporary jazz's most intimate and unconventional voice. A self-taught saxophonist from Manchester who only picked up the instrument in 2007, he blends breathy, whisper-quiet saxophone with spoken word poetry and spiritual jazz atmospherics. His 2022 breakthrough \u003cem\u003eGold – Go Forward in the Courage of Your Love\u003c\/em\u003e, recorded at London's Total Refreshment Centre with rotating casts of musicians given minimal rehearsal time, earned widespread acclaim for its balance of discomfort and comfort, vulnerability and political conviction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eDePlume's approach defies categorisation, drawing equally from jazz improvisation, folk storytelling, and activist philosophy. His monthly Peach events at Total Refreshment Centre create spontaneous collaborations with UK jazz scene figures, whilst releases on International Anthem Recording Co. showcase his distinctive style: simple circular melodies, low-volume flourishes, and mantric vocals addressing themes of dignity, grief, and collective care. Recent albums \u003cem\u003eCome with Fierce Grace\u003c\/em\u003e (2023) and \u003cem\u003eA Blade Because a Blade Is Whole\u003c\/em\u003e (2025) continue his exploration of music as communal healing.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"alabaster-deplume-gold-go-forward-in-the-courage-of-your-love-2lp","title":"Alabaster DePlume - Gold (Go Forward In The Courage Of Your Love) 2LP","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlabaster DePlume - \u003cem\u003eGold\u003c\/em\u003e -\u003cem\u003e Go Forward In The Courage Of Your Love\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eDouble Vinyl LP - International Anthem \/ TRC \/ Lost Map\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eManchester-based saxophonist, poet, and spiritual instigator Alabaster DePlume created one of contemporary music's most emotionally direct and genre-defying statements with \u003cem\u003eGold\u003c\/em\u003e. Released in 2022 through a three-way partnership between International Anthem Recording Company, Total Refreshment Centre, and Lost Map Records, this double album combines DePlume's tender tenor saxophone, spoken word poetry, and quietly radical politics with contributions from an exceptional cast including drummer Tom Skinner (Sons of Kemet), tabla player\/drummer Sarathy Korwar, keyboardist Danalogue (The Comet Is Coming), and numerous vocalists and instrumentalists. The result transcends jazz categorisation entirely, existing somewhere between spiritual jazz, experimental folk, abstract poetry, and gentle activism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDePlume's approach centres on vulnerability, encouragement, and emotional honesty. Track titles like \"Don't Forget You're Precious\", \"Fucking Let Them\", and \"Do You Know A Human Being When You See One?\" signal the album's concerns with self-worth, human dignity, and recognising others' humanity. His spoken word pieces, delivered in soft Manchester tones, offer affirmations and provocations that feel personal yet universal. The musical settings, arranged and produced by DePlume with mixing by Dilip Harris, range from spare saxophone and voice to full ensemble pieces with percussion, strings, synthesizers, and multiple vocalists creating communal sound. The \"Visitors\" tracks interspersed throughout reference specific places (Jerusalem Palestine, Oak, Krupp Steel Condition Pivot) as field recordings or location-specific meditations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe ensemble assembled here represents a cross-section of UK experimental music's finest players. Tom Skinner and Sarathy Korwar's drumming provides both jazz propulsion and tabla-influenced rhythmic textures. Danalogue's synth work adds cosmic dimension. Vocalists including Hannah Miller, Falle Nioke, and others create choral textures that feel both intimate and ritualistic. Mixed at The Crush by Dilip Harris (who also contributed effects and synth), this European pressing captures the album's dynamic range from whisper-quiet moments to full ensemble crescendos.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"International Anthem","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43083400970299,"sku":null,"price":80.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/3203\/3339\/files\/a2016742172_10.jpg?v=1766114738"},{"product_id":"alabaster-deplume-to-cy-lee-instrumentals-vol-1-2020-lp-with-obi","title":"Alabaster DePlume - To Cy \u0026 Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1 (2020 LP with Obi)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis 2020 compilation draws from Alabaster DePlume's early albums (\u003cem\u003eCopernicus\u003c\/em\u003e 2012, \u003cem\u003eThe Jester\u003c\/em\u003e 2013, \u003cem\u003ePeach\u003c\/em\u003e 2015) plus two 2017 recordings, collecting instrumental pieces that showcase his evolution from Manchester-based saxophonist into one of contemporary music's most distinctive voices. Released through a three-way partnership between International Anthem Recording Company, Total Refreshment Centre, and Lost Map Records, \u003cem\u003eTo Cy \u0026amp; Lee\u003c\/em\u003e features an exceptional cast of UK improvisers and experimentalists including Sarathy Korwar on drums, Danalogue (The Comet Is Coming) on piano and voice, and a rotating ensemble of string players, percussionists, and vocalists. Pressed by Germany's prestigious Pallas facility and including IARC obi strip, TRC inner sleeve, and insert with photography and credits, this compilation offers entry into DePlume's world of gentle experimentalism, spiritual seeking, and emotional directness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 11 tracks span ambient textures, contemporary jazz improvisation, and experimental folk traditions, unified by DePlume's tenor saxophone and compositional vision. His approach favours patience over virtuosity, emotional honesty over technical display, creating music that feels deeply personal yet universally resonant. The ensemble features mbira, cello, bass flute, synth, and various percussion alongside DePlume's saxophone, guitar, and occasional vocals, creating sonic landscapes that draw from jazz, ambient music, folk traditions, and experimental approaches without committing exclusively to any single genre. The title references Cy Twombly and Lee Krasner, visual artists whose work shares DePlume's concern with gesture, emotion, and the transformation of simple materials into profound statements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMastered by David Allen and lacquer cut at SST GmbH, this heavyweight matte jacket pressing by Pallas ensures excellent sound quality befitting the music's dynamic range and textural detail. The IARC obi and TRC inner sleeve connect this compilation to two crucial hubs for contemporary experimental music in Chicago and London respectively, situating DePlume within a community of artists rethinking jazz, improvisation, and experimental music's relationship to emotional vulnerability and political consciousness.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"International Anthem","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43086342651963,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/3203\/3339\/files\/a3666438350_10.jpg?v=1766264931"}],"url":"https:\/\/lushliferecords.com.au\/collections\/alabaster-deplume.oembed","provider":"Lush Life Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}