THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pan Amsterdam is the musical persona of Leron Thomas, a Houston-born, New York-based musical nomad. A rapper, jazz trumpeter, producer and musical director, Thomas makes music that traverses a woozy, nocturnal world where his many musical disciplines morph and merge into a deeply odd yet consistently coherent sound.
Confines explores diverse themes, from racial politics and identity to pop culture references. With a stream-of-consciousness style, Pan Amsterdam raps about everything from cultural observations to food. This mix of humour, social commentary, and introspection is an exploration of the world through a childlike, almost alien perspective and his background in gospel, jazz, hip-hop, and even The Grateful Dead shapes this eclectic sound.
Confines exemplifies his improvisational style, mixing calculated ideas with spontaneous creativity. Thomas describes his approach as organic, reflecting life’s unpredictable nature, and likens his sound to a fusion of George Clinton and Bootsy Collins. The album title reflects his refusal to be confined by genre. The music channels influences from hip hop’s golden age, alongside artists like Kool Keith, Busta Rhymes and MF Doom. Confines also marks a personal turning point for Thomas, dedicated to his late father and embracing his rebirth as Pan Amsterdam after years of frustration in the jazz scene.
He made his debut as Pan Amsterdam in 2018, after releasing 11 experimental and stylistically varied albums under his own name — the earliest being 2005’s Dirty Draws Vol.1. Throughout his career, he’s played alongside some of the most notorious names in the jazz world, including Roy Hargrove, Billy Harper, Charles T Olliver and Bobby Watson. Outside of the genre, his résumé is equally impressive, encompassing in-studio and on-stage collaborations with Iggy Pop, Mos Def, Bilal, Kanye West and Lauryn Hill.”
