<h2>Surprise Chef</h2><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25-BSS3FhFw&amp;ab_channel=BigCrownRecords" target="_blank">Youtube</a> | <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Ks1Z1scmEDZfaYaCS7Osj?si=jEnW_af0Qjqc4OlIwB5rLw" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aristosthefunkysurprisechef" target="_blank">Facebook</a>Surprise Chef’s music is based on evoking mood; their vivid arrangements utilize time and space to build soundscapes that invite the listener into their world. The quintet’s distinct sound pulls from 70s film scores, the funkier side of jazz, and the samples that form the foundation of hip hop. They push the boundaries of instrumental soul and funk with their own approach honed by countless hours in the studio, studying the masters, and perhaps most importantly, the ‘tyranny of distance’ that dictates a unique perspective to their music. Hailing from just outside of Melbourne, Australia their first two albums, All News Is Good News and Daylight Savings amassed a die-hard fanbase and brought their sound from their home studio to every corner of the globe. The band is now signed to Big Crown Records, joining a lineage of contemporary and classic sounds that have influenced Surprise Chef’s music since their formation in 2017. Their self proclaimed “moody shades of instrumental jazz-funk” have a bit of everything: punchy drums, infectious keys, rhythm guitar you might hear on a Studio One record, and flute lines that could be from a Blue Note session. But when you step back and take in the entirety of their sound and approach, you’ll hear and see a group greater than the sum of its parts. <h2>Akua Naru</h2><a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/2xxyuUOZJxayJDF6SxLG2K?si=o4814RSGQYK105Ufs9t_6g" target="_blank">Spotify</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/akuanaru/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyVbOFLkOw8" target="_blank">Youtube</a>Hailing from New Haven, Connecticut (USA), Akua Naru’s journey to global poet began in an early upbringing in the Pentecostal church. Her powerful poetic lyricism, talent for storytelling and ability to integrate historical narratives into her music with unmatched eloquence have drawn the attention of scholars and activists around the globe. Naru admits to writing "to fulfill the void she needs filled since access to female voice has been so limited in hip hop". Due to a legacy of slavery and silence in which being black and women has meant exploitation, marginalization, and damaging stereotyping lasting right up to today, Naru defiantly declares her intention to "provide a body of knowledge" by centralizing black women's experiences in her work. Akua Naru’s latest release “The Miner’s Canary” has been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews. The album boasts an amazing cast of talented and accomplished features which assist in freeing its musical landscape from the single genre of hip hop to settle between soul, blues, and jazz. She has lectured with Bakari Kitwana, Dr Tricia Rose, and Public Enemy Pioneer Chuck D. Akua Naru’s new album “The Blackest Joy” (SPV Records) is set for a spring 2018 release.