Today, London-based keyboardist and producer Yoni Mayraz enlists the lyrical prowess and slick flow of Fly Anakin for “Ice Cold.” This is the final release ahead of the forthcoming record Dogs Bark Babies Cry, due September 5, and with it comes a trippy, grim video by claymation artist Callum Scott-Dyson. Dogs Bark Babies Cry is all about the moment when a commotion takes place: dogs start barking, babies cry. It’s an ominous sound, yet a natural one. Listen / Watch “Ice Cold” here and presave Dogs Bark Babies Cry here.

“Ice Cold” opens up with a mischievously repeated line on the keys, over which Fly Anakin urgently interjects with, “I was on a flight when it came to me, I was high as hell, sortin’ out a cabinet in my brain beside the carousel.” The visuals (which would be Rated R for clay-violence, if that were standard: all heads roll at the end), are as tripped up as Fly was when the idea came to him, crawling with lethal creatures in fluorescent light.

Of the collab, Yoni Mayraz says, “I felt that Fly’s rapping style has a certain intensity to it that would fit my music. After seeing him perform in London last year, I played him my music and the connection was made. The beat was born out of a moody piano loop, typical 90’s hiphop style. The drums and bass added natural drive.”

Watch “Ice Cold ft. Fly Anakin” here.

Dogs Bark Babies Cry explores fears and desires through Yoni’s distinctive, outward-looking approach to instrumental music, merging jazz elements with modern, experimental, and electronic influences. Fly Anakin, Tenderlonious, Miriam Adefris, and JSPHYNX all feature across the record.

Previous single “Rooftops” gave the first glimpse of the full ensemble for the record –– with flutist Ruta Sipola (Caveman, Clairo) joining bassist Tom Driessler (Yussef Dayes, Adele, Jordan Rakei) and drummer Zoe Pascal (Ife Ogunjobi, Sheila Maurice-Grey) –– which showcases Mayraz at his most daring and refined. “Run” followed, bringing analogue warmth and texture to its jazz-rooted composition and cinematic mood, evoking the tension of being constantly on edge. In comes the “Blue Ambulance:” much more laid back in contrast. A ride cymbal smoothly escorts you through a much more leisurely meandering of keys and bass, who cross paths playfully (Watch the “Blue Ambulance” Live Studio Session here). Across the forthcoming record we get a diverse array of sound, all held together by Mayraz’s sophisticated but completely modern style.

Yoni Mayraz burst onto the new jazz scene in 2020 with Rough Cuts, an EP that introduced the world to his unique musical style. Since then, Mayraz has collaborated with the likes of Ruby Rushton’s Tenderlonious and Dance legend El-B, and released his critically acclaimed debut album, Dybbuk Tse! on Astigmatic Records in 2023. Dybbuk Tse! propelled Mayraz to the forefront of the international jazz scene, selling thousands of physical copies worldwide, garnering millions of streams on digital platforms, and earning media coverage from outlets such as KEXP, KCRW, BBC 6, Bandcamp Weekly, and CLASH Mag. Mayraz has toured extensively with his band, performing at venues and festivals such as Montreux Jazz Festival, The Jazz Cafe London, Brussels Jazz Festival, Ronnie Scott’s London and more.

“The whole album is an exploration of internal tension –  fears and desires, beauty and decay,” says Mayraz. The forthcoming Dogs Bark Babies Cry offers a dense yet delicate listening experience. It’s a powerful work that further cements Yoni Mayraz as one of the most vital new voices in contemporary jazz and instrumental music today.