Mad Honey [12" Vinyl]

First Word Records are proud to bring you 'Mad Honey', the debut solo EP from Sam Michnik. A Polish-born, London-based drummer, producer and music curator, Sam has performed and recorded with artists like Ego Ella May, Alfa Mist, Tom Misch, CHERISE, & Olivia Dean, amongst others. He also founded the legendary grassroots London collective, Unit 31; an organization hugely influential to the city's jazz, soul, and hip hop scenes for the latter half of the previous decade, that's been having a rebirth in recent years. With his debut EP, 'Mad Honey', Michnik steps into a new chapter, channeling years of musical exploration into a sound that's unmistakably his own: rich grooves and cinematic textures. 'Mad Honey' features several artists Sam has built relationships with during his illustrious career, including vocalists Allysha Joy, Lex Amor, & Brother Portrait, all acclaimed in their own right. Intoxicating by design, this is a record built on hallucinogenic beauty and quiet unease. Rich, immersive soundscapes blend with deep harmonies and groove to create a dreamlike listening experience - one that moves between light and darkness, clarity and disorientation, letting the two coexist, rather than resolve. Sam explains that "The music came before I had a title. I kept thinking about how it felt rather than what it sounded like, and I wanted something that captured that feeling - something sticky, trippy, fluid... almost like being underwater. Then I came across the story of mad honey - this rare honey with these intoxicating, dreamlike effects. It just clicked..." The EP begins with 'A Message' followed by single 'Inside', which sees London-based MCs Lex Amor & Brother Portrait trading thought-provoking bars. 'Moves' then incorporates a blend of lo-fi hip hop beats, spiritual jazz, & a breathy soulful vocal from label-mate & accomplished Naarm vocalist, Allysha Joy. From here on out, the music speaks for itself. 'Spacious' breezes in adorned with twinkling piano phrasing, into 'Kinda Dark', also featuring Nicola Guida on keys, who appears on half of this project. 'In A Sentimental Mood' follows on a similar ethereal instrumental boom bap vein, with the glorious strings & synths of 'Moonrise' closing out the project. Long in the making, this project introduces Sam Michnik not only as a drummer, but as a composer and musical storyteller in his own right. Put together with the support of friends and family, it's both a heartfelt debut and the start of a promising new venture for this multi-talented artist.