MILES MOSLEY stepped into the light with magnetic force this year following the release of his new single ‘ABRAHAM’, garnishing critical acclaim from worldwide press such as NPR, The Guardian, BBC Radio, The FADER, and Bass Player Magazine. The Los Angeles-based upright bass virtuoso and composer has reached impressive professional heights in recent years, and his full length album has been eagerly anticipated.
Miles and company blend into a unified system of brilliant luminance through UPRISING. Kamasi Washington, Ryan Porter, Zane Musa, Dontae Winslow and the other L.A. horn players shout from the mountain tops; Brandon Coleman brings unrelenting funk on vintage keys; Cameron Graves displays his ethereal piano virtuosity, and Tony Austin holds it down with equal measure on drums and the production/engineering chair.
UPRISING is Miles’ personalized take on the musical journey of his life, and that of his West Coast Get Down family. It stands as an impressive record of deep conviction and technical prowess, following the influences he has gained from legends such as Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix. Every lyric, rhythm, melody and harmony from UPRISING comes from the deepest reserves of Miles’ soul and the experiences he has endured over the last two decades in the music industry: “I wanted to create a work that was natural and intimate, but still maintained a sense of grandeur.” Miles explains. “As if you were best friends with a giant. The West Coast Get Down, the Strings, the Choir; I sought to utilize all of these elements together to create something with memorable melodies and a message to the people that we are here for them. We are and want to be the loudspeaker for their hearts.”
The album demonstrates Miles’ vision and scope, traversing through stunning vocal cadences and complex music arrangements with scorching horn lines, innovative bass solos, thought-provoking lyricism and an overall dynamic that bleeds with the lineage of the West Coast Get Down. It showcases tracks reminiscent of the best that pop, jazz, blues, funk and soul have to offer.
As a connecting factor from the beginning to the end, UPRISING walks the listener through the trials, tribulations and successes that Miles has experienced in the music industry, in a way that holds a mirror to the broader human experience of living in the modern age. It culminates in the triumphs that he and the West Coast Get Down gained in that process, honing their craft to perfection while uplifting a generation. Every song becomes a piece to the whole, highlighting Miles’ strengths as a composer, musician and lyrical seeker of truth.
