Yesterday, Jan 31st, the debut release from The Mute Group was released on my yk Records. The album, Sinister Hand, is available on all the streaming services, as a download or on limited edition vinyl. It's a beautiful record but, honestly, one I've struggled to describe to others. It's "art" rock, in that it doesn't fit into any of your regular genre classifications but that feels like a pejorative. It's worldly; as it's influenced by everything from New Orleans Jazz to Gregorian Chants but it's still rock music; so that's not quite apt either. The band calls them "Dark Operetta's" - which certainly feels closer to the proper kernel but downplays the catchiness and pop sensibilities at the core of it all.

These days, the expectation is that music should fit into a fairly neat column on a spreadsheet but The Mute Group operates outside of that. I'm very happy to be involved with releasing this record and hope that listeners take the time to sit with it for more than the 30-second preview. If you need a little prodding, start with "Rodney O" and I think you'll get it.