Welcome to this world

"Shane Cooper, the mastermind behind this group, lives and dreams in different musical realms, having carved out his place as one of the premier bassists on the South African jazz scene while also making a strong impression in the electronic realm under the name Card On Spokes. With Mabuta he's able to integrate both identities to a certain extent, creating a whole that's true to each of his musical passions ... Opening on drummer Marlon Witbooi's cadential groove and quickly moving into a trance state with an arpeggiated keyboard crosscurrent, Mabuta wastes no time in taking the music to an astral realm. But this isn't a sleepy drift through starry atmospheres. Witbooi and Cooper dig in under the surface, the horns crest the waves, and the overall impression is one of hypnotic splendor, not gentle woolgathering. The follow-up track - "Bamako Love Song," one of two numbers featuring breakout British saxophone star Shabaka Hutchings - starts off with a more grounded ideal, finding traction with Cooper's bass while looking toward Mali. But then it slyly changes its line of sight and gazes up at the cosmos, playing out as a vacillating vision embracing both heaven and earth".

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