Elusive - Fusion Swing (2017)

In spring of 2017, Elusive will release his next electronic jazz outing, shaping his identity in recent years as a unique song composer and creative visionary. Titled Fusion Swing, the lengthy album is a record of spiritual ascension, vivid color schemes and dynamic rhythms. Pieced together at various studios across Los Angeles, the new record is a culmination of Elusive's history in the cross tandem worlds between jazz, hip hop, beats and classical.

Fusion Swing’s rhythmic palette is intertwined with hints of the future and portals to the past. Jazz breaks from the ‘50s and ‘60s spiral over syncopated electronic tones with an odyssey of environments in between. The harmonic and melodic scope of Fusion Swing is just as cross pollinated and unique, folding out layer upon layer of organic blends that call to mind the most adventurous electronic artists.

Stretching out his musical base of collaborators, features are added into the matrix of his signature experimental sound. Pushing beyond the hardware and software aspect of this era’s electronic landscape, Fusion Swing glistens with texture, shape and harmony through the addition of saxophone, guitar, upright bass, trumpet, cello and harp. The individuals behind these instruments include Randal Fisher (sax), Emile Poree (guitar), Ardom Beltan (bass), Todd Simon (trumpet), Isaac Takeuchi (cello) and Christian Frederick Thierbach IV (harp). These are all members of the vast community of Los Angeles, embedded deeply within the never ending sense of culture found in the city of angels.

Nite Jewel presents one of the more unique collaborations to Fusion Swing and the record's lead single, “Rinse Cycle.” Coming off a year of creative acceleration with the Dâm-Funk collaborative EP Nite Funk and the Liquid Cool solo album, Nite Jewel walks a fine line between soothing vocal cadences and dynamic color tones. Her vocal additives on “Rinse Cycle” carry that same essence of uncompromising beauty, showcasing how valuable the collaborative process is to this album. For all those looking to grab a unique piece from Fusion Swing, the “Rinse Cycle” single will be included as a limited edition lathe cut 8” square picture disc. The uniquely shaped vinyl pressing will be offered as a collectible in a volume of only 25 copies.

For the visual extension of Fusion Swing’s album cover, Elusive called on surrealist collage artist Mykal Alva. The LA based visionary created a unique series of works that complement the album's sonic ethos and among those pieces emerged the finalized artwork. Building on the album design Mykal contributed on the last Elusive LP, Headspace, the art is a glowing counterbalance to the worlds of sound Elusive harnesses. On the engineering side, Fusion Swing was mixed and mastered in Los Angeles at the Cosmic Zoo by label owner Daddy Kev.

Tracks:
01. Elusive, Ardom Belton, Issac Takeuchi, Christian Frederick Thierbach - Intro: Sands of Time (1:12)
02. Elusive, Randal Fisher - Pendulum, Pt. 1 & 2 (6:09)
03. Elusive - Invisible Pieces (2:41)
04. Elusive - Anicca (2:55)
05. Elusive, Nite Jewel - Rinse Cycle (2:34)
06. Elusive - Visitors from the Sky (3:10)
07. Elusive, Flavia, Isaac Takeuchi, Christian Frederick Thierbach - Song for the Sacred (5:39)
08. Elusive - Too Blue (3:40)
09. Elusive, Todd Simon - Permanence (2:15)
10. Elusive, Isaac Takeuchi - Window to the Cosmos (3:55)
11. Elusive, Emile Pore'e, Ardom Belton, Todd Simon - Even Swing (2:22)
12. Elusive - Perceptions (2:31)
13. Elusive, Todd Simon - 8bit Swing (2:51)
14. Elusive - Galaktik Free Form Funk (1:20)
15. Elusive, Todd Simon - Painting Pictures (4:19)
16. Elusive, Ardom Belton, Isaac Takeuchi, Christian Frederick Thierbach - Majestic (2:52)
17. Elusive, Randal Fisher - Outro: Super Moon (2:12)