Borderlands

"Compelling, forward thinking jazz business.”
- DJ Magazine

"Nostalgia 77 Octet make the music sound, and more importantly, feel, good!”
- The Guardian

"In Nostalgia 77, Tru Thoughts have some of the UK's most exciting musical talent on their roster.”
- DJ Format

"Another gem in the Tru Thoughts crown.”
- Blowback

"Nothing short of a touch of genius.”
- IDJ Magazine

4 years, 2 solo albums and a handful of great singles since he joined Tru Thoughts in '02, Benedic Lamdin's Nostalgia 77 project has progressed further than would be fair to expect from a new artist in a decade.

From his infamous cover of The White Stripes' hit "Seven Nation Army" featuring Alice Russell [a huge crossover success which resurfaced on TV coverage of the '06 World Cup] to his breathtaking full live band improvisational jazz, Ben's music has always resisted easy categorisation - blurring the boundaries between the underground and mainstream.

Initially intended as a live incarnation of his solo project, the success of The Nostalgia 77 Octet on the live circuit soon convinced Ben and his fellow band members to begin writing together. In February '06, the band locked themselves away for a week in a cottage in the Welsh valleys to rehearse and record their first album of original material - 'Borderlands'. Inspired by the sounds of funk, soul, gospel and Afro as well as the classic jazz LPs of the '60s and '70s, 'Borderlands' captures the warmth and atmosphere of the golden age without compromising Ben's natural flair for tough rhythms and irresistible hooks.

Like the records which inspired it, 'Borderlands' is a document of the Octet's time in Wales - an impulsive and fiercely inventive album which bridges the divide between tradition and modernity. Fans of Ben's music will be enthralled by the new territories he explores with the Octet, while newcomers will recognize them as luminaries of the UK jazz scene.

In December '05 Nostalgia 77 came 2nd in the illustrious 'John Peel Play More Jazz' category at Gilles Peterson's BBC Radio 1 'Worldwide' Awards - the same night that Tru Thoughts won 'Record Label Of The Year'.

"Beautiful, exquisite, melodic textures embody a time gone by yet nod confidently to the future.”
- XLR8R