D.A. Mekonnen is a saxophone player, and the longtime leader of Debo Band, the acclaimed Ethiopian-American new-music ensemble. He is also an artist who thinks in cosmic terms, and for decades he has been thinking about the long and twisted history of the saxophone, and the noises it makes. BLACK, the first record he has produced as dragonchild, is the monumental result of that exploration: four one-sided albums, designed to be played simultaneously, creating an immersive and disorienting swarm of sound. BLACK was inspired by a trio of Black visionaries: the Ethiopian filmmaker Haile Gerima, the nonconformist American artist Lonnie Holley, and the American activist and author adrienne maree brown. It is dedicated to Alice Coltrane, the American jazz visionary, but perhaps you can also hear in it echoes of Getatchew Mekurya, the Ethiopian jazz visionary. In BLACK, these currents cross and combine, creating a mighty roar, ferocious but also meditative. You can't really listen to BLACK, but you can perform it. First, of course, you will need four turntables, and a space to set them up. (The album includes a diagram showing optimum placement.) You will also need three accomplices, so that all four tonearms can be dropped at once. Debo, the name of Mekonnen's band, is an Amharic word meaning communal labor; to truly experience BLACK, you need a community, too. BLACK comes in an innovative, immersive package, with artwork by the Ethiopian photographer Michael Tsegaye, depicting an active volcano in Eastern Ethiopia. Each vinyl record is translucent, with music on one side and a topographic map of lava fields on the reverse. This is a beautiful and audacious project: an artistic landmark, and an important addition to the long history of African-American cultural exchange.
Release date:
April 21, 2023
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
-
Cartridges - Top Picks
A selection of turnatble cartridges that provide great performance and sound quality
-
Phono Preamps - Top Picks
A selection of the best phono preamps for your turntable setup
-
Edifier R1280DB Powered Speakers
Combining classic design with modern Bluetooth connectivity, built-in amplification and versatile inputs, these speakers deliver rich, balanced sound.
-
Turntables - Top Picks
A selection of reliable record players you can buy today, for every budget
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Black Majesty Oceans Of Black
Scarlet Records
July 18, 2025 -
Paradise Lost Ascension (Gold) [2xLP]
Nuclear Blast
September 19, 2025 -
The Besnard Lakes The Besnard Lakes Are The Ghost Nation (Clear)
Full Time Hobby
October 10, 2025 -
Barry Can't Swim Loner
Ninja Tune
July 11, 2025 -
Orianthi Some Kind of Feeling
WOODWARD AVENUE RECORDS
September 19, 2025 -
Pinks The Reds & Purples The Past is a Garden I Never Fed (Neon Pink)
Fire Records
July 4, 2025 -
Death Rattle The Moral Chokehold
M-Theory Audio
July 11, 2025 -
Incite Savage New Times
Reigning Phoenix Music America, LLC
August 15, 2025 -
Nova Twins Parasites & Butterflies (Transparent Blue)
Marshall Records
August 29, 2025 -
Black Keys No Rain, No Flowers (Amazon Exclusive; Emerald Green)
Warner Records
August 8, 2025 -
Ava Max Don't Click Play
Atlantic
August 22, 2025 -
Bronski Beat Forbidden Fruit The Age Of Consent Remixed
London Records
July 11, 2025 -
Coil vs Elph Born Again Pagan (Extended; 30Th Anniversary) [3xLP]
Infinite Fog
July 25, 2025 -
Le Volume Courbe Planet Ping Pong
Duophonic Super 45S
July 4, 2025