Melanie De Biasio: No Deal

oneallanclarke

She’s Belgian. Influenced by Billie Holliday, John Coltrane, The Doors and trip-hop. She gets classified as jazz but even within that broad church there’s more to what she does than that. I must have first heard her on Gilles Peterson because he was involved in promoting her at the time this album was released in 2014.
I think I can honestly say that this is the best album I’ve heard this century and that’s why I consider it to be essential. Everyone I’ve played it to/introduced to it has loved it. Just 33 minutes long and none of those minutes wasted.
This is the second of three albums she’s released with a fourth to come in a few weeks. The first is interesting but doesn’t quite have it. The third is excellent though, and people should definitely check it out if they like this one. The tracks that have been released from the upcoming one are much more free-form and ambient so I’m intrigued but a bit apprehensive as to what it’ll be like
Anyway, here No Deal is:

Ken_Lobster

oneallanclarke
Like this
Good shout

Anchor

Looks great. After my recent dalliance into jazz im looking forward to this. 👍

Djpekingman

Quick scan - very See-line Woman/Woman of the Ghetto ish and that can’t possibly be a bad thing. Looking forwards to exploring further.

Travis_Bickle

Belgian jazz you say…..?

oneallanclarke

It’ll be a shame if no-one listens to this.

Djpekingman

I like this. As I’ve said before I spent quite a bit of time in Brussels, so it would not be unusual to find myself in a late night club drinking whisky and inhaling the smoke from a million Gitanes or Gauloises while listening to some local jazz ensemble with some french tart chirping in my ear. And while jazz is never going to be a full on muse for myself I can appreciate the pleasure of the musicianship and a great voice. I love this girl’s voice and the style of Jazzery on display because it never strays into full on jazz wankery. I’m sure some enterprising house remixers would have a lot of fun with this. Not essential for me because I’m not that much of a jazzer, but a perfectly acceptable listen. I wouldn’t chuck it out of bed that is for sure. Nice choice Clarkey. And not a poodle in sight. Not even a french one.

oneallanclarke

Djpekingman

I’m sure some enterprising house remixers would have a lot of fun with this.

"
Not exclusively house but some pretty good remixes. From memory, the best are the ones by EELS, Hex and the Cinematic Orchestra

Anchor

I’ve listened. I need to listen again. 👍

90Piesanhour

It’s okay. Nice voice, decent backing band, wouldn’t object if it was on in a bar, but wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it or play it very often. Thanks for posting, though.

Under-the-ground

I like this. Lovely voice & well put together from the music point of view. A portisheady without the proper West Country darkness, with more of a continental jazz feel.

Made me think of that Anneck who was Ian Curtis girl friend. You know well read, arty, black roll necks & stuff. I never knew she befriended the bunnymen until Wills book.

I like the albums feel. A record you can live in especially this time of year. Good choice.

8/10 . Essential enough

Anchor

Had another listen today on the walk in.

I like it, or I don’t dislike it it. One of the two.

Very Billie Holiday isn’t it. In the vocal - no bad thing. But I found myself more drawn to the musical landscape of it.

Feels very cosmopolitan and befitting a club on the rue de Esplanade in a basement with plenty of pernod and gittanes.

I’ll revist and will give those remixes a spin.

Thanks for the reco.

Under-the-ground

A ill wind sweeps across my day. It’s raining outside

Love it

space

Listened to this and loved it - it’s right up my alley. It’s like an overchilled jazz Portishead.

I’m putting it on the essential list and will end up listening to more of he same.

Kevin_Stapleton

As has been mentioned, it has that late 90s, early 00’s feel - it could quite easily be The Cinematic Orchestra. I have a problem with jazz, in general, but this is alright. I could listen to it again, but if I never listened to it again I wouldn’t be upset.