The Hyundai Mercury Prize recognises artistic achievement across a range of contemporary music genres, showcasing the best of UK music and the artists who produce it, including 12 ‘Albums of the Year’. We congratulate multi-award winning drummer, producer, composer, Moses Boyd, and debut album Dark Matter, which has been shortlisted for the highly-acclaimed Hyundai Mercury Prize Album of the Year.
Moses’ boundary breaking debut album Dark Matter was released by his own label Exodus Records in February. A prolific collection of “dancefloor-friendly kaleidoscopic Jazz” (The Guardian), Dark Matter was produced by Moses with collaborators including Obongjayar and Klein, alongside some familiar faces from the London jazz scene, like mentor Gary Crosby OBE.
The landmark album is a reflection of his ongoing commitment to his artistry, inspired by his travels in South Africa — “a buzzing, rich musical place”. When producing his album, Moses made sure it all came together — from the ideas, recordings, instruments, and musicians he drew upon. “It’s taken me a couple of years to learn this as a science, but I feel like I’ve been preparing for this. I realised it’s not enough to just write music and play it, I wanted to know how you capture it as well.”
Dark Matter has been described by DJ Mag as “Deftly, it sounds like an ode to the various genres that the UK can claim and champion” and “Dynamic, shapeshifting” by Clash”. Mix Mag stated, “This reframes jazz in new forms for a new generation and the results are exciting as hell.”
To add to his accolades, Moses has been one of the most nominated artists for the AIM Independent Music Awards, with 3 nominations including Best Independent Album. He also is a double MOBO and Jazz FM Award winner. Last but not least, Moses collaborated with South African DJ Lag, appearing on Beyoncé’s official soundtrack for The Lion King.
This year’s judging panel for the Mercury Prize, includes Jorja Smith (FAMM), who was shortlisted in 2018.
Listen to “Stranger Than Fiction” from Dark Matter below.
