Ana Roxanne (see Because of A Flower) and DJ Python’s (Brian Piñeyr) collaboration saw its roots take hold in NYC in 2020 during lockdown as they drove around the outskirts of NYC, listening to Telegram by Björk, HTRK, Portishead, all manner of melancholy acoustic indie songs.
Their self-titled debut Natural Wonder Beauty Concept took shape over the next few years, the work process interrupted by each solo artist’s world tour.
From the liner notes:
Brian and Ana converged on Kranky label manager Brian Foote’s home studio in Los Angeles in the summer of 2022. The songs were taking shape. Dreamy, densely layered drum programming and atmosphere, redolent of Seefeel and Boards Of Canada, washed against jungle and oddball ambient landscapes. They listened to tracks-in-progress while driving through the hills at night, lights flickering out in the expanse. The writing process was entirely collaborative. Ana sang, Brian sang. They dashed off lyrics together, reflecting an increasingly shared mental state. “You me you / falling in deeper blue / running through a circle that surrounds you / mango jelly flowers all around you.”
The album was completed back in Brooklyn in early 2023 with the help of engineer and producer Al Carlson (Oneohtrix Point Never, Jessica Pratt) and CZ Wang (Parquet Courts, Huerco S.) who mixed and finalized the songs. The band’s name and album title, something Ana saw in the universe.
If your mind is playing musical connect the dots with the band names mentioned so far, you will be delighted to listen through the dreamy wondrously dense and lovely soundworld of Natural Wonder Beauty Concept and if some or all are new to you, you’re in for unexpected delights.
