North Adams,MA – Mass MoCA today launched its new record label,Mass MoCA Records,with the release of the self-titled debut album by the Kasambwe Brothers,a band from Malawi. The album is available now on Bandcamp and marks a new chapter for the museum, extending its support of artists into the realm of music production and distribution.
The Kasambwe Brothers, who have performed together for four decades in the Ndirande township near Blantyre, Malawi, connected with Mass MoCA through Hen House Studios and Luc Deschamps, director of the Jacaranda Foundation and France’s honorary consul to Malawi. The album’s creation involved collaboration with musicians from the Massachusetts music scene, documented in a new film. Mass MoCA Records will operate as a three-year pilot program,aligning with the museum’s curatorial focus on artist mobility and global connection.
“By joining forces with Hen House Studios and being able to tap into the remarkable number of music studios and intimate venues in the local area-the ingredients for a hand-made record label were all around us,” said Mass MoCA director Kristy Edmunds. “I see this label as an extension of how we innovate to support the mobility of artists’ ideas and connect audiences the world over.”
Harlan Steinberger, producer and engineer at Hen House, emphasized a return to traditional recording methods. “Though technology today can work wonders, the digital world has de-humanized us. I believe in an older-world method that emphasizes the magic of a band making music together in one room, playing off the creativity of the moment. The humanistic approach creates a deeper emotional listener experience that can not only be heard, but also felt.”
The album cover art was created by Clement Up. Mass MoCA Records plans to release an album from Compton jazz artists Black Nile in 2026.
