B.J. Smith - From the Ash (2019)

B.J. Smith returns to NuNorthern Soul after a short break from his last outing ‘Between Ship and Shore parts 1,2 & 3’ to bring us an incredible selection of audio journeys through ambience. A much in-demand collaborator who excels in both acoustic and electric guitar formats, who has played with the likes of afro-dub disco act Akwaaba, Nuphonic band FUG, Krautrock legend Holger Czukay and is currently a member of Smith & Mudd and White Elephant. He has confounded expectations not only with the versatility of his playing, but in the music he is capable of creating and on the instruments he chooses to do so. Nowhere will that be more apparent than on this, his latest album for NuNorthern Soul.

Produced using a strict recording technique with spontaneous composition at its heart, this album sees B.J. Smith explore an ambient and meditative music he's previously not been known for. Gone are the disco beats and, on many tracks, the percussion altogether in favour of multiple layers of Smith's many instruments. Aside from the assistance on some tracks by a hang drum player, every other sound you hear on this album comes from Smith himself, improvising each live performance, purposefully avoiding loops and samples.

Smith admits that he was listening to 'Ambient 1: Music for Airports' by Brian Eno and featuring Robert Wyatt when he first laid down the initial tracks for the album in 2013. It has taken until now to refine the recordings and for both Smith and NuNorthern Soul to release what stands as a distinct departure for both.