Day turns to night as Mark de Clive-Lowe’s Heritage II takes us from the
meditative zen of Heritage into a world of jazz and Japanese roots culture fused
with hip hop, drum’n’bass and broken-beat.
‘Heritage is a legacy we receive from our ancestors to pass on to future
generations. It’s the thread that holds us together in lineage and cultural
identity,’ posits jazz and electronic music pioneer Mark de Clive-Lowe. The
half-Japanese half-New Zealander presents his new album Heritage II – the
partner and second installment to his critically acclaimed album Heritage, a
deeply personal exploration of his Japanese cultural and ancestral roots.
“Heritage is what gives our relatively short lives context and meaning in
the bigger picture of generations past and future. We are the new ancestors, and
with that in mind, it’s important that we act – and contribute –
accordingly. This is my identity search and journey to better understand where
I’ve come from, what ancestry means to me and where I’m going to. ”
On Heritage II, de Clive-Lowe is joined by a cast of world-class musicians:
Josh Johnson, Teodross Avery, Brandon Eugene Owens, Brandon Combs, Carlos
Niño, and Tylana Enomoto – who all contribute stellar performances in
support of de Clive-Lowe’s music.
‘These are not only my favorite musicians, but my friends, and that they
were all able to be part of this project really means a lot to me. They’re all
such incredible musicians, and no one brings any ego to the table –
that’s one key thing that makes it possible to explore this music with a real
sense of vulnerability and honesty.’
Heritage II is the partner album to Heritage. The album’s original artwork
by Tokio Aoyama depicts Bon Odori – a summer festival dance under the
night-time sky – surreally all happening inside de
Clive-Lowe’s grand piano.