London's Gearbox Studios, a hub for some of the capital's most exciting new talents in jazz, is ramping up preparations for the release of their new compilation, Cut Live At Gearbox, a collection of unreleased live studio recordings from their 7" single series. That comp will arrive in four parts, the first of which drops September 27, and today they're unveiling "Say It Is" by 2nd Exit, the collaborative project of Alfa Mist and Lester Duval, with Kaya Thomas-Dyke assisting on vocals.
"Say It Is" pulls together a variety of different threads — from lo-fi hip-hop to jazz, soul and beyond — and weaves them together beneath Thomas-Dyke's charmingly sweet vocals. Recorded live using three vintage ribbon mics to capture the whole sound, "Say It Is" plays out just as it should, like a group of supremely talented friends jamming out and seeing where it takes them.
