Location: Chicago, Illinois
Country: USA
Genre: Jazz fusion, hip hop
Full length: The Enigmatic
Format: CD, digital
Label: Big Bonkey Records
Release date: August 14, 2026
Jazz fusion and hip hop, cosmic and experimental, shiny and dingy, linear and winding, nostalgic and relevant, with woodwind and brass instruments. This is what Afrofuturistics evolved into after forming from a desire to reinterpret artists like Miles Davis and Sun Ra. When Erik Oldman (Sons Of Ra, Mare Crisium) founded the band with rapper/producer Karl "MC Brother Tone" Isaacs (Sands Of The Hour). in 2024, there were other ideas in back of their minds that materialized unexpectedly.
Blending jazz, rap, seventies R&B vibes, distorted beats, sharp vocals, and a heavy bass presence, their debut album “The Enigmatic” is a steady push toward originality. In contrast to rap-metal crossovers born from shared angst, these songs flow naturally from mutual respect among all involved. “The Enigmatic” is mixed and mastered by Grammy-winning Rollin Weary, who has helmed countless albums and brings an unexpectedly avant-garde perspective to both classic and modern music. His work highlights unusual brass and woodwind arrangements while maintaining traditional structures.
With help from him and recording by Eric McWhorter, himself a long time music veteran, the rough, slightly grungy resonance of the beats and the delicate presence of additional pianos for ambiance are added at different sound levels, driving and refining the material where needed. McWhorter got his start in the Chicago industrial music scene, and the skills he picked up bleeds over here. I don’t know if this was a conscious effort to increase the band’s appeal to fans of rougher music or just a by-product of McWhorter’s time in Chicago. But his input grounds Afrofuturistics’ spacey arrangements, and the openness of the Chicago music scene is evident in how easily this rough edged sensibility fits the musicianship.
The beats with all their furnishings serve as a solid anchor for the rap sections of MC Brother Tone Sands Of The Hour with MC Levi Stress and Artie Slaw. The jazz fusion compositions by brass musicians Keith Wakefield and Scott Free, along with woodwind players Luc Mosley and Eli Wilson, showcase their professional improvisational skills. Their work often sinks and soars, occasionally shifting into off-time signatures, highlighting their individual talents and ability to work together. When they contribute their instruments to the hip-hop tracks, they demonstrate how the genre can expand with additional instrumentation.
Also watch for appearances by kora player Abdoulaye Conde, a renowned musician, visual artist and muralist in his own right who recently performed at the World Music Foundation in Chicago. –Dave Wolff
Lineup:
Brother Tone: Beats, MC
Keith Wakefield: Tenor saxophone
Erik Oldman: Bass, synthesizers
Scott Free: Trumpet, cornet
Luc Mosley: Soprano saxophone
Eli Wilson: Baritone/tenor saxophone
Abdoulaye Conde: Kora
Track list:
1. These Things Happen
2. Daydream
3. The Enigmatic
4. One Whole Song
5. Lexaprocrasstination
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