Live Music, Pop.
The self-titled debut album from Melt Yourself Down explains why the band, which combines the talents of some of the U.K.'s most boundary-pushing jazz and avant acts, is considered to be a supergroup. Brought together by former Acoustic Ladyland saxophonist Pete Wareham, who had a dream of making "Nubian party punk," the act includes other members of Wareham's old band as well as players from Hello Skinny, Sons of Kemet, and Zun Zun Egui, all of which are groups that share an equal fondness for authenticity and experimentation. Members of the band have also played with Mulatu Astatke and Rokia Traore, emphasizing the passion the group has for the roots of their sound as well as the far-flung directions in which they can be taken. It's no coincidence that Melt Yourself Down shares its name with a limited-edition James Chance and the Contortions album; besides conferring no wave cred, the moniker is an apt one: Melt Yourself Down is full of face-meltingly furious performances as well as a melting pot of sounds and ideas.
