New Music | HUW

Aaron Dolton AKA HUW is back with his third collab with Richard X Bennett. His new album Love and Forgetting is an interpretation, a jazz inspired downtempo journey of transformation.  A blissed out beat tape, with heart and soul.  It’s one answer to another’s question - ‘Can I sample that?’

Yes, you can. And when you do, you can expect boom bap beats and downtempo grooves, as Aaron Dolton (aka HUW) deeply reimagines Richard X Bennett's music. rXb’s SCAVENGER is the source material, a candid exploration of love, sickness and garbage.  By sampling rXb's modern acoustic compositions, the voices of his collaborators and bringing his own beat making skills, HUW creates a new alchemy.

Love and Forgetting hits on December 6, with preorders open now.

It's Our Birthday

That’s right, sometime in the fall of 1999 ropeadope was born with the release of Presenting Project Logic. From a wild and determined toddler with no regard for boundaries, to a thoughtful (and sometimes sullen) tween, to a gregarious teenager coming of age and embracing the world - Ropeadope has evolved over 25 years (right?) with our spirit intact. Technically we are now a grown-up, but we won’t tell anyone if you don’t.

On this often perilous path, we always had a family out there (You!) who kept us going. We thank you for your attention to quality music, and your continuing support.

To kick things off, we’re offering 50% off on most items in the store, with a free tee shirt for all orders over $25 (while supplies last). And we’ve got a private page up with 25 tracks that float our boat - available for you to download in the high quality audio format of your choice - you guessed it, also free. But you must be on our mailing list to get the code and password, so jump in here if you’re not already on the guest list.

For the full press release drop in here.

Congratulations Steve Dyer

Congratulations to AfricArise artist Steve Dyer for taking home the Best Jazz Album Award at the South African Music Awards!

Steve Dyer was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and after his music education he joined others in refusing military subscription and lived in Botswana. It was there that he came into contact with the exile sounds blowing through the horns of Hugh Masekela and Jonas Gwangwa. In 1990 he joined the Amandla cultural ensemble of the ANC on a 7 week tour of Japan. With South African democracy on the horizon Dyer returned to South Africa in 1993.

‘Steve Dyer believes that no single culture owns the monopoly on human wisdom.  Every human life born into whatever culture, ethnicity or spiritual belief system has the same value.’

Steve Dyer has released 9 albums, including the critically acclaimed “Genesis of a Different World” in 2019. He conceptualised the Southern African supergroup Mahube, and has extensive producing experience including 6 albums for Oliver Mtukudzi (1998-2002) including the seminal Tuku music, as well as directing large and small scale concerts on the African continent and abroad.

Steve Dyer brings real experience in the journey of composing and performing music through turbulent times, keeping a steady eye and hand on the true nature of music and its importance for humanity. His new album is titled Enhlizweni - song stories from my Heartland, a chronicle of his commitment to the culture that helped forge his path. His album is the first in our partnership with City Of Gold Arts and AfricArise - an organization committed to celebrating and advocating for the music of Africa.

New Music | Camilla Battaglia

We are thrilled to bring you a new album from Camilla Battaglia, a singer, improviser and composer from Italy who has always loved to play the piano and has been “fooling around” with electronics and sound-design since 2015. Growing up in a musical family, her research as a musician has always been looking for a blend between her memories, her discoveries and experiences and the future unknown.

With a deep passion for sound and textures, Battaglia constantly pushes beyond her comfort zone with an ever-lasting love for literature and poetry, and an obsession for composing through the combination of letters and numbers to imagine instruments dialoguing between each other in dense counterpoints.

Her new album, ELEkTRA, is a large ensemble project whose music is meant to unveil the complexity of ancient greek female characters’ profiles from both mythology and history. ELEktra addresses the conflicting interpretations that history and literature have given these characters, to discuss the modern role of women in society.

ELEkTRA is set for global release on November 22, A single from the album is out today, with preorders available in the Ropeadope store.