New Northern: Supporting exceptional improvised music in the North of England.
Juliana and Manon
For our 6th New Northern feature we travel to the North East to hear about the work of Wesley Stephenson and New Jazz and Improvised Music Recordings (NEWJAiM).
NEWJAiM applied to New Northern to support the release of ‘Capillary Cycles’ by the Sheffield based artist Juliana Day. The Jazz North team were keen to support an album by emerging northern talent and to contribute to the ongoing longevity of NEWJAiM Recordings, an eco-centric initiative established during Covid lockdown, specifically championing ecological sustainability across the music sector.
“New Northern is a fantastic new endeavour from Jazz North providing high quality support for organisations to follow through with their unique and individual creative visions”
‘Capillary Cycles’ is an improvised, loosely structured piece for recorders, voice, and live electronics. Drawing inspiration from the vastness and complexity of sea and desert landscapes, it delves into both the microscopic and the cosmic. The work explores the interplay between the internal and external, reflecting on the rhythms and systems within the body and their connections to the world around us. Juliana’s music uses a haunting combination of recorders, whistles, vocalisations, found sounds and field recordings, building up looped layers and ambient, improvised textures. It has been described as “utterly, soul wrenchingly beautiful” by Joyzine and “fascinating and contemplative” by Jazzwise.
The ‘Capillary Cycles’ album launch took place at The Cumberland Arms in Newcastle upon Tyne and saw Juliana perform in solo and duo formations alongside the harpist Manon McCoy. Both Juliana Day and Manon McCoy are scheduled to appear at Newcastle Festival of Jazz and Improvised Music in the Autumn in separate projects. The New Northern application explained how sharing the stage in March would enable a longer term relationship to develop between the two artists, building their respective work and reputation in the Tyneside region.
Capillary Cycles will be released on 2nd May and you can listen / pre order the album on Bandcamp