Ramond

Is like the 1988 Britannica Collector’s Edition

Modest. Unassuming. A classic. And we’re not just talking the A-Z index—we’re talking full anthology.

We collaborated with Ramond who previously collaborated with more than a dozen artists who we subsequently collaborated with on a select live performance of his soundtrack album, Black Sands. Feel like a brain teaser? A bit more like a melter. But that’s how this project felt to us.

Nine supporting local hip-hop, R&B, and instrumental artists came together on a snowy December afternoon to bring, “Bright Side,” “Gladiators,” and “Reign” to life at the former Rossonian Lounge in Five Points—an iconic establishment that once hosted performances by Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Nat King Cole and dubbed, "one of the most important jazz clubs between St. Louis and Los Angeles."

Black Sands features 13 songs that provide the soundtrack for an animated film focused on African mythology—a decidedly Afrocentric alternative to traditional anime narratives. The album leaves its mark in much the same way: a creation made possible by the contributions of local black artists in a city where folk, indie, and bluegrass cast large shadows.

The voice of Charles Mingus, legendary jazz bassist and composer, narrates the introduction to this piece. It’s footage shot before he was evicted from his Manhattan studio in 1966. A consistent theme of this last year has been an acute societal awareness that even in 2020, things look much like they do in 1966: inequality and injustice continue to write a dizzying saga in our country, displacement of black and brown neighborhoods pushes forward, and financial support and safety nets for musicians remain untenable.

Our goal is to honor the legacy of the Rossonian in a way that connects 20th century jazz music to modern-day hip-hop and R&B: two genres that have been integral pieces in the Civil Rights movement.

The aforementioned supporting artists, in order of appearance, are: Sydnie Battie (vocals, "Bright Side"), Valerie Reives (violin, "Bright Side" and "Gladiators"), Carter (keys, "Bright Side" and "Gladiators"), Kelechi Onyebuchi (guitar, "Bright Side" and "Reign"), Kagiso "KGBDrums" Mogadingoane (drums/percussion, "Bright Side," "Gladiators," and "Reign"), A Meazy (vocals, "Gladiators"), Josue HC (saxophone, "Gladiators" and "Reign"), Kid Astronaut (vocals, "Reign"), and J Loryn (vocals, "Reign").