Midnight Channel unleashes their boldest, most emotionally raw track yet with “Celebration,” an overwhelming, unrelenting jazz composition that captures the chaos, beauty, and relief of simply surviving. Propelled by frenzied percussion, free-form improvisation, and a deep spiritual core, the song is both abrasive and serene – a noisy yet peaceful meditation on being alive.
“‘Celebration’ is celebrating that you’re still here. There’s nothing more important than that,” shares bassist Matthew Erdmann. “It’s about overcoming dark times/suicidal thoughts and accepting yourself. It’s about celebrating missed opportunities, as well as the ones you’re risking everything to take. It’s also about celebrating the end of another album, which always leaves me feeling empty but at peace.” Not everyone is going to understand this song, and some fans already hate it, but those who do get it, I think, will find it very special. – Matthew Erdmann (Bassist)
Written as both a personal anthem and a collective ritual, “Celebration” draws inspiration from church hymns, Pharaoh Sanders, Cecil Taylor, and Zach Hill – a spiritual jazz piece meant to feel emotionally overwhelming at first, but comforting the more you sit inside it. The drums are chaotic but compressed, letting the melody float above like a breath of air. “If you separate the drums and melody,” Erdmann notes, “you’d have two completely different songs.” At its heart, the track celebrates being in the present moment. “This single is for the freaks,” Erdmann adds. “We chose it because it hits people over the head right away – that this is what we’re doing, and we’re not sorry for it.”
Following their 2023 debut album Gemini Sunrise, which hit #10 on the National Earshot! Jazz Charts – Midnight Channel continues to challenge and expand the limits of what a jazz collective can be. The Lethbridge-based ensemble’s rotating lineup ensures no two shows are alike, fostering an ever-shifting ecosystem of improvisation and collective expression.
