Phil Manzanera & Andy Mackay AM PM Soho Live Numbered Limited Edition 2LP

Guitarist Phil Manzanera and saxophonist Andy Mackay of Roxy Music fame recorded AM PM Soho Live in an Intimate venue in Soho with special guest and original Roxy Music drummer Paul Thompson. A thrilling combination of deeply instinctive instrumental interplay between saxophone and guitar swathed in ambience and unique textures, it felt impossible to pinpoint. In part classical purity, caressing and inviting, in others a throbbing invitation to an electronic Bossa Nova dance floor.

The album features reimagined versions of material from their AM PM studio album alongside previous compositions from Roxy and solo albums that the band debuted during the Soho residency. Engineered by Mike Boddy, who also performs on the album, AM PM Soho Live preserves the spontaneity and intimacy of the performances while delivering exceptional audio quality.

The performances at All is Joy (formerly De Lane Lea studios) created an immersive sound and visual experience, with the venue's cinema screen displaying "psychedelic" visuals as the musicians performed. Joining the Roxy Music veterans for these shows were Anna Phoebe on violin, Sonia Bernardo on vocals, Lucas Polo on bass and treatments, and Mike Boddy controlling tapes, effects, and mixing.

The AM PM project began during lockdown in 2020 when Phil Manzanera sent Andy Mackay ambient guitar and synth tracks that evolved into musical collaborations. These remote sessions eventually developed into a full album project, with Paul Thompson adding drums and other musicians including Anna Phoebe (violin), Yazz Ahmed (trumpet), and Mike Boddy (bass/production) contributing to the recordings.

Following the success of the Roxy Music 50th Anniversary Tour in 2022, which included performances at Madison Square Garden, the Forum in Los Angeles, and London's O2 Arena, the trio reconnected to further develop their AM PM project.

For the live performances that became AM PM Soho Live, the musicians embraced improvisation rather than rigid rehearsal, hearkening back to their early 1970s Avant Rock approach with Roxy Music when they would "fill in long instrumental sections on Roxy songs with Eno treating and manipulating sax and guitar."

In Phil Manzanera's words: "I love this idea of the freedom to improvise and to play in the moment. Of course there is an element of jeopardy to this, and I think that was something which we all embraced and welcomed. The possibility that things could go to unexpected places seemed vital at this stage in our musical trajectory: no point in playing safe. It's the same DNA but a new Hearbeat."