Today, visionary Los Angeles-based percussionist, producer, curator, and communicator Carlos Niño shares news and the first music of a new Carlos Niño & Friends collection called Placenta. The album’s lead single “Love to all Doulas!” (featuring Nate Mercereau), out today, is a perfect introduction to the album, which Niño has dedicated to “Mothers, Children, Babies, Aunties, Doulas, Midwives, Birthworkers…” Listen to “Love to all Doulas!” and preorder Placenta here.

This album is the fourth collection of Carlos Niño & Friends music released by International Anthem in the last four years, and the first released since Niño made news in November 2023 for André 3000’s New Blue Sun – an album which Niño produced alongside André, while co-writing, co-creating/playing, and co-mixing every song.

Placenta is announced on the 1st solar return of Carlos and his partner Annelise’s new Earth child Moss Niño. Their experience of pregnancy, labor and delivery were all profoundly impactful for Carlos. Becoming a father again (a whole 24 years after the birth of Azul Niño, who has become a regular Visual Arts collaborator with Carlos) he felt total inspiration for this set of recordings, and hence it is perhaps the most conceptually-grounded Carlos Niño & Friends album we’ve yet to present – fully connected to the spirit of family, birth, and “how we get here.”

Placenta features many musicians living and working in Los Angeles – the community which Niño is deeply rooted in, himself. Some live in other parts of the world; almost all are longtime friends and collaborators of Niño’s. In order of their appearance on the album, featured artists on Placenta include: Nate Mercereau, Jamire Williams, Sam Gendel, Jamael Dean, Dexter Story, Brandon Eugene Owens, Maia, André 3000, Jesse Peterson, Ariel Kalma, Surya Botofasina, Annelise, Haize Hawke, Aaron Shaw, Devin Daniels, Tiffany de Leon, Michael Bolger, Michael Alvidrez, Moss, Iasos, Photay, Deantoni Parks, Adam Rudolph, Andres Renteria, and Cavana Lee.

Since early 2024, Niño has been touring as performer and music director for the New Blue Sun Live experience, beginning with a January 24th performance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. See the full list of upcoming shows and ticket links for New Blue Sun Live here.

Niño found space between the New Blue Sun dates to lead his own Carlos Niño & Friends ensemble in a celebration of the release of Placenta in Los Angeles, May 24th at 2220 Arts & Archives. The last time that Carlos Niño & Friends played at 2220 Arts was Friday, July 22, 2022 with Nate Mercereau, Surya Botofasina, Aaron Shaw, Diego Gaeta, Andres Renteria, Maia, V.C.R., Annelise, Linafornia, and special guest Kamasi Washington. Who will play this time? Come hear, come see. Tickets are available here.