mUSIC
Berlin Serra - single released 29th November
Critically-acclaimed saxophonist and multidisciplinary artist Andrew J Brooks is set to release his latest single, Berlin Serra, on November 29, 2024. Known for his innovative approach to music and art, Brooks captures the unique essence of his live performances by using a Tenor Saxophone with synth, delay, reverb, and looping effects pedals, bringing together an immersive soundscape that melds electronic and acoustic elements.
Berlin Serra is recorded live, with 9 microphones capturing every nuance of the session, from the ambiance of the live room to the rich textures of Brooks' saxophone. Engineered by Andrew John Cairns, this approach allows listeners to experience the organic and improvisational nature of the track, which was first performed as a semi-improvised piece at Edinburgh’s iconic Jazz Bar. The track is built around a central field recording Brooks captured while clapping through Richard Serra’s iconic Berlin Junction sculpture during a field trip with postgraduate architecture students to Berlin. This initial sound is transformed through his effects pedals, which shape and build the saxophone's tones into a deeply hypnotic soundscape.
As a multidisciplinary artist, Brooks also creates all the visual artwork, both video and still, associated with his releases. For Berlin Serra, as with previous projects like EAST, he has crafted an accompanying visual narrative that complements the single’s immersive, experimental feel, offering audiences a fully realized aesthetic experience that spans sound and sight.
Background & Inspirations
Brooks is no stranger to Scotland’s vibrant music scene. He performs with the Edinburgh street band Shunpike Social Club and plays live with Amateur Cult, featuring on their 2024 single, EYES. His 2021 debut album EAST is a sonic tribute to his homeland in East Lothian, utilizing field recordings of local beaches, flora, and fauna alongside saxophone and spoken word. EAST was met with acclaim and led to live performances across Scotland, including opening for Alabaster DePlume and a memorable Scotsman Session, praised as “gorgeous – looking and sounding.”
Brooks’ work transcends the traditional boundaries of music, as he is also an award-winning architect and visual artist. His past art projects include TOLL, a durational artwork memorializing UK COVID-19 deaths, and FND Stories, an acclaimed project that won the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience’s Art of Neuroscience award for portraying the lived experiences of those with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). As a tutor at the Edinburgh College of Art, Brooks teaches architecture and an innovative module on audio-visual multidisciplinary performance, further shaping Scotland’s next generation of artists.
Brooks’ music is influenced by a range of contemporary jazz and experimental artists, including Shabaka Hutchins, Jon Hopkins, Colin Stetson, Nils Frahm and the Bristol-based jazz ensemble Run Logan Run. His previous release, Kernel (August 2024), earned praise from critics for its atmospheric improvisation and live-session vitality. Described as “intimate and expansive,” Kernel was developed from live performances and received notable acclaim for its intricate blending of saxophone drones with synth loops, pushing solo saxophone into new expressive realms.
Praise for Kernel
“Andrew J Brooks’ latest single, Kernel, is a captivating exploration of experimental sound, pushing the boundaries of solo saxophone performance.” – Last Day Deaf
“When he plays his notes softly, there's nothing more soothing…a highly-concentrated instrumental lament.” – No Transmission
With Berlin Serra, Andrew J Brooks continues to blur the lines between music, art, and performance, offering a mesmerizing journey through sound and space. The single’s release is sure to reinforce his position as a significant voice in experimental jazz and ambient music.
Kernel - SINGLE RELEASED 15th August
'Loveletter' - Andrew J Brooks feat. Hazel Johnson - Sneaky Pete's Edinburgh - 13th January 2023
EAST - album
EAST was released on 24th September 2021. Its available to purchase through my Bandcamp page electronically and physical CD.
On 11th July 2022 I was featured on EHFM Radio show Encore Encore, over the hour we discussed the album in detail with a track by track break down. You can listen again below on Mixcloud.
There are a series of videos created that accompany the tracks. The official video for the tracks are available on my YouTube channel and can be viewed below.
The Scotsman commissioned a recorded performance of a single track along with interview as part of the ‘Scotsman Sessions’. ‘Phases’ was performed in Concrete Block Gallery in Edinburgh with overlapping projections and mirrors as number 288 of the series. A link to the Scotsman website where you can view the performance and read the interview are below.
There have been three singles released: ‘One Hundred and Six Words’, ‘Loveletter’ and ‘Phases. You can listen or buy the album and singles through the Bandcamp links or listen in Spotify.
EAST was composed, performed and recorded by Andrew Brooks. Guest vocals by Hazel Johnson. Mixed by Andrew Brooks and Andrew Neil Hayes. Mastered by Andrew Neil Hayes. All artwork by Andrew Brooks.
