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Rarelyalways released his brilliant "Baby Buffalo" EP last October to critical acclaim.  Pitchfork praised the Hackney raised jazz musician, producer and vocalist for carving out a niche of his own, whilst Billboard, amongst others, boldly predicted big things on the horizon.  Fast forward 6 months and "Manic" provides further evidence of his distinctive style and flavor.  Produced by Hanni El Khatib, grime, trip hop; jazz effortlessly intermingle with his unique, skeletal flow.  First single "Lamenting" echoed the importance of community support, and second single "Hungry" was written in his final years at secondary school, in the aftermath of the Mark Duggan shooting.  The EP is completed by rush hour inspired title-track "Manic" and sentimental opener "Careful."

"Manic" EP is out now via Innovative Leisure. 

Interview with Rarelyalways up on Roland.

Rarelyalways released his brilliant ‘Baby Buffalo’ EP last October to critical acclaim. Pitchfork praised the Hackney raised jazz musician, producer and vocalist for carving out a niche of his own, whilst Billboard, amongst others, boldly predicted big things on the horizon.

Fast forward 6 months and the recently released ‘Lamenting’ provided further evidence of his distinctive style and flavor. The second single to be taken from his upcoming ‘Manic’ EP, penned for release on June 11  is ‘Hungry. Produced by Hanni El Khatib, grime, trip hop & jazz effortlessly intermingle with his unique, skeletal flow.

"Putting this song together was one of the most challenging moments I’ve had as an artist,” he explains. “If I have to describe it in one word, I’d say it’s unapologetic." Most of the lyrics were written in his final years at secondary school, in the aftermath of the Mark Duggan shooting.

“This guy is FIRE” - GILLES PETERSON (BBC)

"It made my jaw hit the floor the first time I heard it" - BILLBOARD

"Rarelyalways is about to blow up in a big way”  - MATT WILKINSON (APPLE MUSIC 1)

“a concise exhibition of his minimalist swagger”  - FADER

Initially premiered through Wonderland.

You might hear hints of great British one-offs like Tricky, Roots Manuva, even a more laid-back Dizzee Rascal as grime, trip hop & jazz intermingle in Rarelyalways sound which is further evident on the new single and forthcoming EP produced by Hanni El Khatib.

"Who feels it knows it I’d say, many people have been unwell during the infamous year of 2020 to present, and whether you agree or not, I strongly believe not all health conditions are visible. The lead single ‘LAMENTING’ echoes the importance of community support; humans are not immune to bad days or vulnerability." 

 

Innovative Leisure and some albums from the last decade have been featured in a piece on the Discogs Blog. Thanks to Morgan Enos who helped write the profile.  And of course, Discogs is a fine retailer for iL titles!

Hanni El Khatib's 5th full length LP, FLIGHT is out today, May 15th, 2020. As Line of Best Fit notes in FLIGHT (produced by Leon Michels): the "mastery of a wide variety of styles is impressive, but his ability to maintain a consistent quality across those styles is staggering."  While CLASH claims that the "multi-faceted 'FLIGHT' makes for a dizzying listen..."