Pan Amsterdam, aka Leron Thomas, has today shared ‘NYC Town’, the latest single from his forthcoming debut Heavenly long-player, ‘Confines’ which is released on Friday 23rd May.

Over an impeccable, rolling high plains guitar groove and a locked on rhythm track, Pan Amsterdam tells the story of his time in ‘the best city on Earth’ – a place where people go to attempt to shed their pasts and become part of the city itself, whether that task is successful or not. As the addictive chorus goes: “Nice town… nice town…”

• WATCH THE VIDEO FOR ‘NYC TOWN’ • LISTEN TO ‘NYC TOWN’ •

Talking about the track, Leron said:

‘NYC Town’ was written during a turning point in my life. I started to contemplate the fact that I had been in New York City longer than I had lived in Houston where I’m from. Certain dreams never came to fruition and still other inspirations and aspirations presented themselves. The lessons learned and lessons still not learned. To be an important fixture in someone’s life and then become total strangers over time. The joke the city plays on you when your interests change and you’re presented with a new deck of cards filled with new people and personalities to interest you while you take a break from yourself. To take a break but don’t mistakenly try to escape from yourself. To question if your changing up was escapism or for self-growth. Do the two coexist all the time? Well we know that’s not true. Then the ultimate question. Did I come to New York to escape from myself or to grow? Probably a bit of both. Then trying to convince yourself that you’re in the best city on earth even though you kinda don’t think so. Then, watching other people do it. I’ve never seen so many people say a city out loud to each other than in NYC. You don’t hear people walking around saying “Paris” in Paris. Or “Denver” in Denver. But on the way to the Deli around the corner, I might hear someone say “New York” at least 10 times before I hit the front door of the deli. It’s like we’re all in the overpriced melting pot together and the joke is on us. Just suckers trying to convince ourselves that it’s a nice town. “NYC Town.”

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The track video is shot in Tokyo while Leron was in the city performing with Iggy Pop. Talking about the video, he adds:

“While visiting Tokyo, I met up with an old New York neighbor who’d moved there, calling NYC ‘the rich man’s toilet’ due to its lost culture and mental health crisis. I related, having struggled financially in New York. He took me to a Toby Feltwell event at “The Spot” in Shibuya. The fashion and music deeply honored hip-hop culture. The nostalgia hit hard—it felt only right that ‘NYC Town’ be shot in Tokyo.”

•  ‘CONFINES’ •

• TRACK-LIST• PRE-ORDER THE VINYL OR CD • RELEASED ON MAY 23RD •

Pan Amsterdam is the musical persona of Leron Thomas, a Houston-born, New York based musical nomad. Rapper, jazz trumpeter, producer, musical director, thinker, often all at once, Thomas’ music traverses a woozy, nocturnal world where his many musical disciplines morph and merge into a deeply odd yet consistently coherent sound.

He made his debut as Pan Amsterdam in 2018 before which he released eleven experimental and stylistically varied studio albums under his own name, the earliest being 2005’s Dirty Draws Vol.1, and the most recent being Dingo Babies, released last November. Throughout his career, he’s played alongside some of the most notorious names in the jazz world, including Roy Hargrove, Billy Harper, Charles T Olliver and Bobby Watson and outside of the genre, his résumé is equally impressive, encompassing in-studio and on-stage collaborations with the likes of Mos Def, Bilal, Guts, Kanye West and Lauryn Hill.

Having studied Jazz and Contemporary Music at the New School in New York City and subsequently collaborated with artists like Iggy Pop and Metronomy, he blends experimental hip hop, jazz, funk, and electronic influences, resulting in shapeshifting, genre-defying tracks. His forthcoming album Confines exemplifies his improvisational style, mixing calculated ideas with spontaneous creativity. He describes his approach as organic, reflecting life’s unpredictable nature, and likens his sound to a fusion of George Clinton and Bootsy Collins.

Confines explores diverse themes, from racial politics and identity to pop culture references. With a stream-of-consciousness style, Pan Amsterdam raps about everything from cultural observations to food. This mix of humour, social commentary, and introspection is an exploration of the world through a childlike, almost alien perspective and his background in gospel, jazz, hip hop, and even the Grateful Dead shapes this eclectic sound.

The album title reflects Pan Amsterdam’s refusal to be confined by genre. The music channels influences from hip hop’s golden age, alongside nods to artists like Kool Keith, Busta Rhymes, and MF Doom. Confines also marks a personal turning point for Thomas, dedicated to his late father and embracing his rebirth as Pan Amsterdam after years of frustration in the jazz scene.Pan Amsterdam’s journey was catalysed by his disillusionment with jazz’s gatekeepers and his subsequent embrace of hip hop, leading to early releases that caught the attention of icon Iggy Pop. Their collaboration on Confines further solidified Pan Amsterdam’s place in the musical world. With his new album out on Heavenly Recordings, Thomas reflects on how music connects kindred spirits, allowing him to break free from his past and continue his creative evolution.

• READ MORE ABOUT PAN AMSTERDAM •

Having played a sold-out show at The Social in London last summer, Pan Amsterdam has now announced a UK headline tour with festival dates and a headline show at London’s Jazz Cafe.

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