To Cy And Lee Instrumentals

Description

One of the most famous (and rarest) records of its decade, released on the International Anthem label. To Cy and Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1 presents the intimate, wordless musical adventures of Alabaster DePlume, a poet, singer, saxophonist and composer from Manchester. The album revealed to the world a previously little-exposed facet of DePlume, who until then was best known for his music with lyrics, his poetry and his talent as a passionate orator. His legendary performances, notably during his monthly residency Peachau at Total Refreshment Centre in London, blended sermon, theatrical monologue and song, transforming the audience into an experimental ensemble for powerful choruses on tracks like "Is It Enough" and "Be Nice To People". Until then, his instrumental pieces mainly served as quiet buffers between these intense vocal moments. Released in February 2020, just before the global pandemic, To Cy & Lee found immediate resonance as a lockdown soundtrack, offering silent catharsis in the face of isolation and uncertainty. The album began an enduring collaboration between DePlume and International Anthem, which has since given rise to the albums GOLD (2022), Come With Fierce Grace (2023) and A Blade Because a Blade Is Whole (2025), as well as several singles and EPs. A true sonic antidote with almost ancestral qualities, To Cy & Lee remains an essential part of the label's catalog, celebrated for its spiritual depth and lasting musical comfort.