PRE-ORDER: Nathan Womack - "Song of the White Crane" 7" [WORLD GROOVE] Wax Thématique #20

• WXTM-020
• Release Date: 04/04/2025
• Part 3 of the DigginEast Series
• Produced by Nathan Womack
• Mastered by Doug Krebs
  
• Digital Download included

The A-side of Wax Thématique's 20th release, "Song Of The White Crane" pays tribute to China's iconic and mythical bird, often seen gracefully arcing through the country's skies and posting up near canals in Womack's home base of Kunming. The track begins like the cinematic theme to a martial-arts superhero, before boom-bapping into humid, Vietnamese garage-rock intrigue, enhanced by Womack's woodblock work. When the serenely beautiful flute motif by Joel Ricci (the L.B.'s, Soul's Path Ensemble, etc.) enters, the song ascends to the lofty realm of the titular avian in full flight. This is soulful nature worship you can get down to—and a tantalizing teaser for Womack's long-gestating next Solo album.

On non-LP B-side "Soul Prop," Womack wields synth bass and Japanese shaker on an instant classic of tintinnabulating, strutting funk. It's a vivid mosaic of samples from a multitude of meticulously curated records and field recordings of the street vendors integral to Kunming's economy and cultural flavor. An elegant fusion of Eastern tonalities and modalities and Western rhythms, "Soul Prop" could serve as Womack's musical manifesto, compressed into three minutes of cool excitement. It's also a sly pun regarding his past entrepreneurial endeavor as a "sole proprietor." This 45 is essential for adventurous DJs of all nationalities." Liner Notes by Dave Segal

Song of the White Crane (Side A)
The Players:
Nathan Womack - Sampler, Percussion, Production
Joel Ricci - Flute
Doug Krebs - Mastering

Soul Prop (Side B)
The Players:
Nathan Womack - Sampler, Percussion, Production
Doug Krebs - Mastering

Dug, Sampled, Produced and Designed in Kunming, Yunnan, China by Nathan Womack. Mastered by Doug Krebs in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.

The Story of the Custom Sleeves:
Celebrating the 20th release on Wax Thématique: these are custom sleeves with traditional designs from 贵州 / Guizhou Province, China; hand-painted using wax. The sleeves were hand-sewn in 昆明 / Kunming, 云南 / Yunnan by our friends at Kuji Workshop. *There are 5 different designs and are sent out at random. Inside the custom sleeve is a standard paper sleeve with liner adding additional protection to the record. Wax Thématique Adaptor Logo is hand-stamped in ink on the back of each sleeve. These are truly one of a kind. // The Butterfly: a traditional pattern of the 苗族 / Miao People, representing well-being. The Fish: represents a healthy surplus each year. The Sun: reflects positivity. The Lotus: representing purity. The Pomegranate: shows an abundance of life.