Conclave is a live musical gathering of rotating musicians headed by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Cesar Toribio, in which alchemy is evident in the ebb and flow of its compositions, and seductive juxtapositions of the delicate and powerful are inextricably woven around the living, breathing rhythm. A joyous realization of these intersecting iterations, Conclave’s self-titled debut album channels influences and inspirations across generations and genres, beckoning friends, neighbors and onlookers with the irresistible pull of a New York City block party. Buoyed by the lead single “Perdón” – a haunting and exuberant dance floor invocation that sold out of its initial 12-inch vinyl pressing within days – Conclave’s 11-song suite evokes the spirit of such revered freewheeling progenitors of the studied yet soulful as Theo Parrish, Osunlade, Elements of Life and Nuyorican Soul. The latter two are especially apropos reference points given Masters At Work’s own Louie Vega’s enthusiasm for and involvement in the project; in collaboration with fellow house legend Josh Milan, Louie contributed three sterling remixes to the “Perdón” 12-inch. Additionally, Conclave has garnered spins and support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Ron Trent, Natasha Diggs, Rich Medina, and Kim Lightfoot, amongst others. It is the first full-length album release on Love Injection Records, independent label affiliate of the beloved long-running. The continuum of everlasting rhythm and spirit permeates with Conclave. Born out of loose improvisations, songs like “Habla” build from Cesar’s deceptively simple sung refrains and coalesce into full-fledged compositions imbued with layers of Rhodes, organ and percussion. Crescendo-ing with similarly rich tracks crafted more directly for the dance floor (“There’s Enough,” “Rise,” “Perdón,” the Yoruban chant-infused “Alati Yeye Chege”), the album also offers inspired surprises. Its latest single, a clever rework of Little Dragon’s contemplative “Twice,” masquerades as a musical deviation but in actuality fortifies the commonality its boom-clap beat shares with the broader spectrum of dance music. “That’s that swing, that irregularity that’s the most interesting thing to me to explore,” Cesar reiterates. “That touches everyone, or at least has the potential to.” As does Conclave’s celebration of community, heritage, and life.
