Vinyl - Emma-Jean Thackray - Dear Miles: A Love Letter - Numbered edition
Tracklist
Information
- Artist : Emma-Jean Thackray
- Format : 1 x 12"(180g)
- Sleeve : Color
- Genres :
- Release date : Nov 16, 2026
- Estimated shipping date : November 2026
Dear Miles,
Our first encounter was an accident.
I was learning a brass band solo piece, Concerto de Aranjuez, and found your version on an illegal download site. “Who is this Miles Davis guy?”. No-one in my provincial orbit knew your name, so I assumed you were just some guy, and that I discovered you. After that I looked for you in CD shops, piecing together bits of pocket money to buy your work, and playing it on the Discman in my hoodie on the long walk home.
You pushed boundaries, didn’t let anyone tell you what to do, but followed your own ear. Some people dug it, some people took a minute, some people never caught up. The most important thing was your own artistic integrity because that was everything to you, and I took that to heart.
What would you be doing today if you were still here? I truly have no idea, but I know you wouldn’t be standing still. Would you make the electric period actually electronic? Would there be dance music textures? Drum and Bass, Jungle, or Techno underpinning improvisation? Blending modern groove with jazz harmony? Drum machines together with live instruments? Would you revisit your classic tunes and make them anew with the ear of a beat maker?
Emma-Jean Thackray is an award-winning producer, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer whose music effortlessly bridges the worlds of jazz, pop, soul, and electronic dance music. Known for her fiercely independent spirit, Thackray is a true auteur—writing, arranging, playing, producing, and mixing her own work to create a powerfully idiosyncratic sound.
Her musical journey began with the cornet, eventually leading to studies at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Trinity Laban Conservatoire. She emerged as a standout force with a wave of acclaimed EPs released on her own Movementt imprint, before dropping her widely celebrated 2021 debut album, Yellow. Her boundary-defying artistry has earned her prestigious accolades, including Jazz FM’s Breakthrough Act and Act of the Year.
Beyond the studio, Thackray bridges diverse musical worlds. She is an in-demand global DJ, a regular voice on BBC6Music and Worldwide FM, and a versatile live performer who has directed the London Symphony Orchestra and played Glastonbury five times in a single year. Her recent work, including her major-label follow-up Weirdo (Brownswood/Parlophone), showcases her as a deeply personal and virtuosic artist. Proudly neurodivergent, she crafts music that serves as a rallying cry for self-acceptance, blending profound emotional depth with irrepressible grooves, raw honesty, and a sharp sense of humour.