Music Industry News

Sonic artist, guitarist, and composer Alex Pipes releases debut album Square One: a marriage of funky four-on-the-floor dance grooves and virtuosic improvisation.

Blurring the lines of funk and jazz while taking cues from house rhythms and fusion virtuosity, Square One is an album pushing conventional boundaries, inviting listeners on a musical adventure of vibrant and captivating soundscapes.

Pipes leads his band with energetic enthusiasm, orchestrating the chaos and igniting the fuse as each tune takes off on an improvisational journey to space. Citing inspiration from genre breaking greats, Pipes channels the fearlessness of jazz funk and fusion artists of the 70s and 80s for Square One, with a contemporary aesthetic. At times it’s fused with infectious funk grooves, catchy hooks, and transcendent improvisation, while other tracks morph into full-blown fusion displays of virtuosic ability, and even moody ambient soundscapes. Square One expertly marries the sophistication of jazz with the irresistible groove of funk and house, resulting in a collection of tracks that are as intellectually stimulating as they are emotionally resonant.

Square One features some of Auckland’s best in the next generation of musicians; Joe Kaptein (Princess Chelsea, The Circling Sun, Muroki) on the keys and synths, Andrew Isdale on the tenor saxophone (Katchafire), Wil Goodinson on the bass, Elijah Whyte on the drums (Foley), and Ben Frater on percussion (Muroki) – with Alex Pipes leading the charge on guitar, composition and production. Mixed by New Zealand jazz great Nathan Haines – who features on soprano saxophone on ‘Blue Fluff’ – and mastered by UK drum and bass legend Jason Cambridge (DJ A-Sides). All tracks were composed by Alex between 2020-2023 and gigged around Auckland between 2022-2023 before being recorded at The Lab Recording Studio in April 2023.

Square One stands as a testament to the power of live instruments, improvisation and creativity in a world hungry for fresh, boundary-pushing music. The release of Square One opens a new chapter for Pipes – positioning him as a strong voice for the next generation of New Zealand instrumental music – as he shifts his focus to gigging the album and live performance, where the music truly flourishes.

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Photo credit (1): Michael M Park
Photo credit (2): Leo Kurono Kirk