PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
Swiss-based four-piece blues-rock band Ellis Mano Band release their third single Ambedo Mind on Friday 9th July. The single is taken from the band’s sophomore album Ambedo that was released on Friday, June 25th by Jazzhaus Records. The single is accompanied by a unique cinematic music video.
The band’s critically acclaimed new album went to #2 in the Official Swiss Album Chart. Order the album on CD and digital from https://orcd.co/ellismanobandambedo.
Ellis Mano Band describe their trademark well-produced sound as “a sort of rock n’ soul, rooted deep down in the blues.”
“Smooth, sexy, and horn-section-soulful, this song is a nod to the soul and R&B greats,” is how the band’s guitarist, Edis Mano, describes the Ambedo Mind single.
“During the pandemic, I taught myself filmmaking which is something I have wanted to do that for years,” says Edis about the making of the Ambedo Mind music video.
“Keep It Simple and The Question were the first two music videos I made,” continues Edis. “With Ambedo Mind I wanted to have a cinematographic reference to the subject of Ambedo. That’s why we took the macro recordings with a special lens. This optic makes the smallest objects appear gigantic. This is exactly how we behave during the process of creating an album. The smallest details are often discussed very intensively. There are many parallels.”
In Switzerland, Ellis Mano Band is not unlike the Wrecking Crew or the Funk Brothers. They are top-flight studio musicians and elites in the Swiss music scene. Although they spent years recording with other artists, they never had much time to make music of their own until now.
“Ambedo Mind unleashes a smooth, soulful horn section. Chris’ voice rises effortlessly to the challenge of reproducing the 60’s R&B Greats. Underneath is a wonderful looping bassline, for someone who doesnt like soul, this is very impressive!” – Velvet Thunder“Crisp clean guitar licks flow effortlessly in the intro of Ambedo Mind, as the snare drum snaps along with a cool cymbal tap that just gets this track beaming with awesome tones and musicality. Bass chords, funky groove beats, soulful vocals gives you goosebumps.” – Jace Media
“We chose the album title Ambedobecause it reflects the state of the process of recording an album,” says guitarist Edis Mano. Ambedo refers to the tendency both to reflect and to absorb. As musicians, we do its all the time, especially when we write new songs and create an album.”
Every track on the new album is rich with perfectly chosen detail including Chris Ellis’s rough voice, Edis Mano’s vintage sounding guitar playing, and the tight rhythm section of drummer Nico Looser and Severin Graf (bass). The album also features Hammond B3 organ, and horns that reflect the blazing summer heat during which they were recorded. The harmonious backing vocals are reminiscent of something you would hear from Muscle Shoals Studios. “We would get together with just a few ideas, fill it out, let it grow, work on it, with a great passion,” says Chris. “For session musicians, it was not about having just another project to play on, but it was an opportunity for us to play as a real band again. It was a great feeling to see the guys together and getting emotional from time to time playing the music.”
The album was recorded at Edis Mano’sStudio E10 with a lot of vintage gear and instruments, resulting in a contemporary sound. The songs were recorded live with a few overdubs, including backing vocals and horns.
The album is nothing short of brilliant. With Ambedo, the Ellis Mano Band presents a rich tapestry of universal joy and sorrow; the awkward moment after a one-night stand in Breakfast, the desperation and grief in Long Road and the loud, social criticism in The Horrible Truth.
The songs are saturated in deep respect and understanding of American roots music, from the early blues of the American South through to the blues-rock revolution of 1960s Britain.
Influenced by Led Zeppelin, J.J. Cale, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jimi Hendrix and more recently John Mayer, the Ellis Mano Band have put their own unique stamp on the blues which, in recent years, has become a shared global phenomenon.
“Making this music was fascinating, it was really easy to create the music and take it further,” said Chris. “It was a beautiful experience and I hope we can repeat it time and time again.”
AMBEDO – TRACK LISTING
THE HORRIBLE TRUTH (3:31)
SWEET SIN (3:12)
AMBEDO MIND (3:34)
THE FIGHT FOR PEACE (5:45)
JOHNNY & SUSIE (4:04)
LONG ROAD (3:49)
THE QUESTION (3:36)
BREAKFAST (5:44)
KEEP IT SIMPLE (4:16)
HEART ‘N MIND (4:07)
Band Line-Up
Chris Ellis – Vocals
Edis Mano – Guitars
Severin Graf – Bass
Nico Looser – Drums
Production Credits
Music by Edis Mano & Chris Ellis
Lyrics by Shane Brady
Recorded by Edis Mano
Arranged by Ellis Mano Band
Mixed by Oli Boesch
Mastered by Oli Boesch
Produced by Edis Mano
Recorded at Studio E10
Additional Musicians
Manuel Halter – Keyboards on all Tracks except Track 7
Lachy Doley – Hammond Organ (Track 7)
Cathryn Lehmann – Backing Vocals
Lesley Bogaert – Backing Vocals
Dave Blaser – Trumpet
Flo Egli – Saxophone
Lukas Wyss – Trombone
Benjamin Hartwig – Violin (Track 6)
Roberto Hacaturyan – Percussion
