Los Angeles Multi-artist Carlos Niño shares news and the first music of a new Carlos Niño & Friends collection called Placenta. The album’s lead single “Love to all Doulas!” (featuring Nate Mercereau), out today, which Niño has dedicated to “Mothers, Children, Babies, Aunties, Doulas, Midwives, Birthworkers…” Listen to “Love to all Doulas!”

This album is the fourth collection of Carlos Niño & Friends music released by International Anthem in the last four years, and the first released since Niño made news in November 2023 for André 3000’s New Blue Sun – an album which Niño produced alongside André, while co-writing, co-creating/playing, and co-mixing every song.

Placenta is announced on the 1st solar return of Carlos and his partner Annelise’s new Earth child Moss Niño. Their experience of pregnancy, labor and delivery were all profoundly impactful for Carlos. Becoming a father again (a whole 24 years after the birth of Azul Niño, who has become a regular Visual Arts collaborator with Carlos) he felt total inspiration for this set of recordings, and hence it is perhaps the most conceptually-grounded Carlos Niño & Friends album we’ve yet to present – fully connected to the spirit of family, birth, and “how we get here.”

Placenta features, In order of their appearance on the album, featured artists on Placenta include: Nate Mercereau, Jamire Williams, Sam Gendel, Jamael Dean, Dexter Story, Brandon Eugene Owens, Maia, André 3000, Jesse Peterson, Ariel Kalma, Surya Botofasina, Annelise, Haize Hawke, Aaron Shaw, Devin Daniels, Tiffany de Leon, Michael Bolger, Michael Alvidrez, Moss, Iasos, Photay, Deantoni Parks, Adam Rudolph, Andres Renteria, and Cavana Lee.

Niño found space between the New Blue Sun dates to lead his own Carlos Niño & Friends ensemble in a celebration of the release of Placenta in Los Angeles, May 24th at 2220 Arts & Archives. The last time that Carlos Niño & Friends played at 2220 Arts was Friday, July 22, 2022 with Nate Mercereau, Surya Botofasina, Aaron Shaw, Diego Gaeta, Andres Renteria, Maia, V.C.R., Annelise, Linafornia, and special guest Kamasi Washington.

Carlos Niño
Love to all Doulas!
Tracklist

Some rest for the Midwives…
Real Vital Organs
Surges Expansions
In Appreciation of Chico Hamilton’s Vast Influence on the West Coast Sound
Birthworkers Magic and how we get hear…
This “I” was not
Placenta Nourishment New Home The Galaxy
Carla’s Beads
Moonlight Watsu in Dub
Generous Pelvis
Bi-Location
Play Kerri Chandler’s RAIN

Produced, Mixed, Edited, and Arranged by Carlos Niño.

Bells, Chimes, Collage, Cymbals, Drums, Field Recordings, Gongs, Kalimbas, Keyboards, Leaves, Plants, Rattles, Shakers, Sound Design, Synths, Voice, and Whistles throughout by Carlos Niño.

Cover Art by Bernard XOLOTL.
Design & Layout by Craig Hansen.
Mastered by David Allen.

Order tickets for Carlos Niño HERE