following the late night swing of javonntte’s hm002, hardmatter uncovers another detroit talent for their third offering: malik alston. in his first vinyl release in several years, the rebirth ep explores a spiritual jazz soundscape with all of the verve of the city’s trusted sound. beside the soulful ballad of “love changes” featuring evan on guitar, the record’s lead song, “i am”, focuses on malik’s signature instrumentation and live improvisation. the track is a seven minute collaboration between craig huckaby, howard wazeerud-din ii and hardmatterís own zapata, who complement malik’s gospel-inspired vocals, the first time he has sung on a track in four years.