IARC0069: Alabaster DePlume- Salty Road Dogs Victory Anthem

Out May 19, 2023

Today, composer, saxophonist, poet and inspiration-to-many Alabaster DePlume shares his hypnotic new digital single “Salty Road Dogs Victory Anthem” via International Anthem. The propulsive, deep-grooving track marks DePlume’s first new material in a year since the release of his GOLD album, which was dubbed ‘Best New Music’ by Pitchfork and described as “a balm of spoken word and spiritual jazz, both strangely uncomfortable and strangely comforting", featured in NPR's Top 20 Albums of 2022, and named by Gilles Peterson as his BBC 6Music Album of The Year. Following the digital release, the single will also be available as a 7” flexi disc with artwork from Raimund Wong on May 19th, accompanied by a new digital-only track, “Child Playing In Forbidden Ruins”, which can be unlocked via an interactive website accessed from the flexi disc.

Composed live in a Vienna soundcheck, “Salty Road Dogs Victory Anthem" was recorded in London between the gruelling demands of a ruthlessly creative tour following the release of Alabaster DePlume's critically acclaimed album GOLD. Leading with a confident charge of swirling saxophone, Alabaster is joined by what he calls “one of the most creative yet resilient groups I’ve put together” - Rozi Plain on bass, drummer Momoko Gill and Conrad Singh on guitar - building into a triumphant four-minute crescendo as a homage to everyone 'getting away with it' – “it” being, simply, life. As Alabaster says, in his own words: “Even this very second, passing your eyes over these words, is a victory. Breathing, you are victorious. Childishly standing with my flag and my anthem of "I'm alive" I'm victorious. See inside, how you have your own permission, to be. Celebrated or not by others, in one moment, always, or never. You know you are here and you know this is a victory. We can always be more ourselves, and we can always be less so. But there is no ceremony we must wait for, no test, no judgement, before we can sing our victory anthem.”

The B-side, ‘Child Playing in the Forbidden Ruins’, is a result of Alabaster’s ‘live development’ recording style from the session. Like the laughter captured on the opening of side A, this composition is a consequence of the groups’ relationship to music and each other. “Looking inward, we can meet sometimes with parts of ourselves that are in ruins, and seemingly forbidden. But upon giving ourselves agency to be who we are, we can find ourselves like naughty children, who have given ourselves permission, and sneaked into those forbidden places, to find what’s there.”