Carlos Niño & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson's CHICAGO WAVES (IA11 Edition) // OUT NOW on all digital music platforms // LP in stores on June 27th
Carlos Niño & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson
Chicago Waves
(IA11 Edition)
Out Now on all digital music platforms
vinyl LP out June 27th, 2025
The 2018 live performance captured on Carlos Niño & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson’s Chicago Waves marked a beautiful turning point for International Anthem. The moment was recorded at our then-HQ in Chicago, Co-Prosperity, the day after Niño and Atwood-Ferguson performed as part of Makaya McCraven’s ensemble to celebrate the release of Universal Beings and recreate their contributions to that album's “Los Angeles Side."
The two musicians were keen to use their time in Chicago to not only support Makaya's music but also create and present fresh sounds of their own to a receptive new community. In many ways this set of improvisational, exploratory conversation between Atwood-Ferguson’s violin/effects and Niño’s percussion/soundscapes cemented the growing interchange between International Anthem's bases in LA and the Windy City.
The 2020 release of this recording as Chicago Waves magnified the unmistakable sound of togetherness audible in its grooves in a way that was uniquely cathartic given the difficulties, restrictions, and widespread social isolation of those times. But as that era fades further into the rearview mirror, 'Chicago Waves' maintains its power. It’s not a mystery—this is what togetherness sounds like.
The IA11 Edition vinyl LP features our IARC 2025 obi strip, plus a new 16-page 11x11" insert booklet with additional photos and extensive new liner notes by IARC co-founder Scott McNiece. It will be available in stores worldwide on June 27th.
In anticipation of that, the #IA11 edition of the album is out now on all digital music platforms. The digital version comes with the addition of a bonus track – "Wave Reflection" – a new piece of music that was created by Atwood-Ferguson in 2025, as a reflection on Chicago Waves.
Waves, Returning Home
IA11 Liner Notes by Scott McNiece
"I’ve always felt that the music Carlos and Miguel made that night was deeply influenced by the vibe of Lake Michigan in early Winter.
The Universal Beings show, which happened the night before the Co-Pro show, took place at South Shore Cultural Center (formerly known as “The Country Club” by longtime residents of the South Shore neighborhood, some of whom also remember when Black people weren’t allowed in). The backdrop of the building is one of the southernmost Lake Michigan shorelines within the city limits of Chicago. Not only were the musicians’ long rehearsal day and show day spent within steps of the water, but trips to and from the SSCC went up and down Lake Shore Drive. Riding along that beautiful stretch of road, one can’t help but fix their gaze eastward, into the light blue expanse of the ocean-like lake, underneath the pale white sky that is typical of that time of year.
Maybe if you ask Carlos and Miguel they would say they don’t remember looking at the water at all. But to that I would argue that Lake Michigan is not merely seen, but felt. The waves are very moody and tend to have wild days in the winter, crashing violently against the manmade concrete steps that line much of the Southside shorelines (built by urban engineers who have engaged in a never-ending quest to keep the lake from overcoming the city). That’s not even mentioning lake effect weather… It’s a truly powerful body of water."
Deluxe Vinyl Package
Chicago Waves (IA11 Edition) comes on a 140 gram classic black vinyl LP inside a heavyweight jacket with an 16-page 11"x11" insert booklet, IARC 2025 obi strip and printed poly-lined printed inner-sleeve. Pressed at Pallas in Germany, with new lacquers cut by Daniel K at SST.
...about IA11...
On December 2nd, 2024, we marked the ten-year anniversary of our first release. With a full decade under our belt – ten years of commitment to a growing community of artists, and our original mission statement ("to vitalize demand for boundary defying music," among other things) – we've spent a lot of time thinking about how we'd like to celebrate this milestone. What we keep coming back to is: desire to use this opportunity to revisit and revivify music and memories from our first decade; but keeping true to our ethos of always looking forward, all the way.
In that spirit, across 2025, we'll be rolling out a series of releases and events under the #IA11 banner. Celebrating our eleventh year. Doing our best to retell essential, foundational stories from our past, while keeping our hearts and minds fixed on the present. Trying to establish new standards that can help carry our mission through another decade of work – and hopefully more.
We created an emblem for IA11 with a vibrating interpretation of a chrysanthemum as the central symbol. Aside from just loving the delicious golden nectar that comes from the leaves of this flower, for us, the image of the chrysanthemum resonates as a symbol of longevity and rejuvenation. Two of the driving intentions behind this IA11 effort.
Please stay tuned for more announcements about more special IA11 events and releases across 2025.
11 of 11
@ Hungry Brain
Chicago
As part of the #IA11 celebration, we have been proud to present this special event series in Chicago, focusing on a different album from our catalog on the last Monday of every month across 2025 at the Hungry Brain. Each 11 of 11 event features deep listening of an album, followed by a small group of musicians performing an interpretation of that album.
The 11 of 11 event on Monday June 30th will feature a full listening to Irreversible Entanglements's self-titled debut album (originally released September 2017), followed by a performance by Anaiet Soul (piano), Micah Collier (bass), Tank (drums), and Trinattrill (spoken word), as the musicians respond to and reinterpret the music of the album.
Tickets for June 30th available here.
The 11 of 11 event on Monday July 28th will feature a full listening to Carlos Niño & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson's duo album Chicago Waves (originally released June 2020), followed by a performance by BSA Gold (keyboards, voice) with Micah Collier (bass), and Frank Morrison (drums), as the musicians respond to and reinterpret the music of the album.
IA11 Editions
Over the course of 2025 we are revisiting some of the most celebrated entries in our decade of releases with a series of *IA11 Edition* vinyl LPs. These revamped LP packages are all presented with new liner notes, new insert booklets, and the fresh 2025 redesign of our obi strip and dome logo. They are also set at a price point intended to make the albums more accessible than ever before.
The first three IA11 Edition LPs were released on March 28th:
IARC0001LP11 Rob Mazurek - Alternate Moon Cycles (IA11 Edition)
order hereIARC0003LP11 Makaya McCraven - In The Moment (IA11 Edition)
order hereIARC0017LP11 Ben LaMar Gay - Downtown Castles Can Never Block The Sun (IA11 Edition)
order here
And the next three IA11 Edition LPs
will be released on June 27th:
IARC0009LP11 Jeff Parker - The New Breed (IA11 Edition)
order hereIARC0014LP11 Irreversible Entanglements - Irreversible Entanglements(IA11 Edition)
order hereIARC0033LP11 Carlos Niño & Miguel Atwood-Ferguson - Chicago Waves (IA11 Edition)
order here
The first three LPs and second three LPs can be purchased as bundles with reduced shipping costs as well, all available via our Bandcamp page now.
