Roxy Music musicians Phil Mazanera and Andy Mackay have once again joined forces for an new instrumental album, AM PM, which will be released through BFD/The Orchard on October 13, You can watch the air's new video for Blue Skies below.
The new album is described as a "saxophone and guitar-heavy, ambient set", and Manzera has produced the new video which was compiled and directed by using footage and photos shot by his son, Charlie Targett-Adams, an accomplished film, documentary and music video director.
“During the covid lockdowns I was working on songs with Tim Finn (Split Enz, Crowded House) but I also had an urge to do some spontaneous instrumental music," explains Manzanera. "I rang Andy Mackay and asked if he would be interested in working on an album together, he was, and thus the AM PM album was started. After the discipline of working on song structures, it was very liberating to just try and find solutions to unstructured bits of music.
"It’s like starting out on a journey with no idea of where to go and then ending the journey in a beautiful location. The music has turned out to be nothing like we could have pre-written and difficult to categorize except to say it’s really a musical expression of our two brains still interacting 50 years on."
AM PM features contributions from Anna Phoebe on violin, Seth Scott on flute, George Goode on tuba, Paul Thompson on drums, Yazz Ahmed on flugelhorn and Mike Boddy on bass/programming/keyboards.
Prior to the lockdown and the recent Roxy Music tour to celebrate the band's 50th anniversary, the pair played five shows together which featured classic Roxy Music songs reimagined with a 20-piece orchestra and the Owl Parliament Choir. The bands celebrateed Queen Elizabeth Hall (London) concert from 2018 will be released as Roxymphony, also through BFD/The Orchard on October 20.
Phil Manzanera and Andy Mackay: AM PM
1. Blue Skies
2.Mat 1
3. Yazz
4. EGM
5. Ambiente
6. Newanna
7. CC
8. Ambulante
9. Seth
