With nineteen tracks segueing into each each over two sides of vinyl, Tucson duo Trees Speak continue their earthy yet intergalactic run of albums (6 in 4 years!) for Soul Jazz Records. ‘TimeFold’ is a krautrock Blade Runner set in a doomy 1970s horror film castle (filmed on Mars) but with powerful arpeggiated Tangerine Dream synth weapons and disembodied spoken word amongst their heavyweight blend of influences. Intoxicating stuff. Read / Listen.
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Singular Visions - a random rundown of recent single releases (October 2024)
We don’t really cover single releases (apart from the occasional premiere) so we thought we would start a new section on the blog where we shout about some random new singles we have been sent or discovered ourselves in some dusty corner. All kinds of music that we may not have time to cover as albums or one time one-offs. Enjoy! Tell your friends! This episode includes Nicola Cruz, Voodoo Drummer, Romperayo, Cyril Cyril, Chizawa Q & more...
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Ali Dada 'SUM' (YNFND) - a review
The Swiss trio Ali Dada have carved themselves an album of languid cinematic tracks out of late night jam sessions and a few guiding rules: vibes and 'mistakes' as important as intent. Nineties trip hop sounds have been reappearing quite a lot recently and this immersive album of dope beats, psychedelic guitars and atmospheric textures certainly resides in this smoky territory. Read / Listen.
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Damian Dalla Torre - I Can Feel My Dreams (Squama Recordings) - a review
The second album by Italian composer and multi-instrumentalist Damian Dalla Torre is a sublime ambient-not-ambient jazz-not-jazz record that inhabits its own beautiful meditative space. Inspired by the environment of Santiago, Chile and awash with a painterly quality, ‘I Can Feel My Dreams’ is an experimental record that is somehow also universal in its emotional naturalness. With guests of the calibre of Miriam Adefris, Ruth Goller, Christian Balvig and Jan Soutschek along for the trip, why not tag along? Or just lie down and let it float around you. Read / Listen.
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Torben Westergaard 'The Gori Project II' (Torben Westergaard Musik) - a review
With 18 albums under his belt and over 40 years of musical connectivity at the heart of his practice, the Danish composer and educator Torben Westergaard is a musician striving to work in an egoless environment. On his fantastic new album 'The Gori Project II', his second immersion into the merging of influences between Nordic jazz and Korean folk music has come good, creating something that belongs entirely to the four musicians involved. Cinematic, theatrical and blissed out at times, the album really does take you away. Read / Listen.
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Arthur Hnatek Trio 'Uncertainty' (Bridge The Gap) - Premiere!
We are pleased to premiere the new single from the award-winning Swiss drummer, composer and producer Arthur Hnatek. Like Sons Of Kemet in a rhythmic duel with Steve Reich, Arthur, saxophonist Francesco Geminaini and bassist Fabien Iannone manage to become a single pulsating organism, somehow creating a soothing meditative track that also contains a powerful organic groove. Read / Listen
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Luke Beats 'Knobs E.P.' (Little Beat More) - a review / label focus
With this impressive 5 track E.P. of musically rich instrumental beats, Italian bassist and producer Luke Beats (possibly not his real name) has showcased his mastery and deep knowledge of hip hop beatmaking. These sonic vignettes may be short in length but they are packed with emotion and serious production chops. Out now on Little Beat More! Read / Listen
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Tell No Lies 'Hide Nothing' (Aut Records) - a review
Tell No Lies are an Italian avant-jazz outfit led by pianist and composer Nicola Guazzaloca and they have a new studio album that traverses modal, free and South African inspired jazz with ease, fire and substance. We asked our friend Mauro Ferreiro, a producer and writer from Dominican Republic to share his thoughts on this excellent new recording. Read / Listen.
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Nick Walters 'Udaipur' (D.O.T. Records) - single premiere!
We are mightily pleased to premiere ‘Udaipur’ from Nick Walters’ forthcoming album ‘Padmāsana’! Built up from field recordings of a trip to India and transformed into a funky modal composition with stellar contributions from collaborators 22a’s Tenderlonious and Kieron McLeod. Read // Listen
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Sababa 5 'Sababa 5' (Batov Records) - a review
Late last year, Tel Aviv based outfit Sababa 5 released their debut album for Batov Records and it is instrumental funk of the highest order. Touching on the melodic and rhythmic traditions from across the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region, we can hear the reflections of East Africa segueing into Turkish and Afro-Disco vamps, their influences never cloaking their own melodic and rhythmic talents . Fans of Daptone Records and Khruangbin should be all over this! Read / Listen.
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Silvan Strauss 'Facing' (Kabul Fire) - a review
Hamburg-based drummer and composer Silvan Strauss has created a debut album of ten short but dazzling micro-instrumentals. With fifteen collaborators in total, his creations veer between Madlib style jazz cut-ups to filmic beatscapes that showcase his brilliant drumming chops, never taking the focus away from the audience. “I wanted to make it so that people love to listen to it. It’s a little wonky, sure a few imperfections but fuck it, it’s fun and alive!”. Read / Listen
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Agile Experiments 'These Are Times For Mind And Spirit' (DDR Records) - a review
Probably my fave Agile Experiments record to date. Spacious, abstract experimental jazz with krautrock, funk and electronica in the mix played by a trio of exceptional improvisational musicians that include bandleader Dave De Rose, Jon Scott (Go Go Penguin) and George Crowley (Melt Yourself Down. Read / Listen
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Rumpistol 'ISOLA' (Raske Plader) - a review
Award-winning Danish pianist, composer and electronic musician Rumpistol (aka Jens B. Christiansen) has created a beautifully immersive album that sits somewhere between neo-classical composition, slow-burning jazz and pastoral whimsy, and should tickle the heartstrings of fans of Max Richter, Nils Frahm and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Read / Listen
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Photo Credit: Alex Kozobolis
Kinkajous 'Being Waves' (Running Circle) - a review
On the eve of a much awaited Kinkajous UK tour, Mauro Ferreiro reviews their brilliant second album ‘Being Waves’ that was released in September on Nottingham’s fine Running Circle imprint. Read / Listen here
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Credit - Nicola Schmid
Howald 'Amnis Alsace' (BlauBlau Records) - a review
A touching and poetic soundtrack to a filmic diary that was made in response to the music from Swiss multi-instrumentalist Dimitri Howald. Touching on Afro-Brazilian, jazz, post-rock and 80s New Wave flavours. Read / Listen / Watch the film here
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University Challenged 'Oh Temple!' (Hive Mind Records) - a review
Oh Temple! is a breathtaking double vinyl release of sprawling kosmische spectacle from the brilliantly named University Challenged out now on Hive Mind Records. A psychedelic supergroup who draw us into their dreamlike world via vintage synths, grungy bass lines, pastoral and tape-manipulated guitars, static, dust, vocal samples and illusory field recordings creating an inner-outer soundtrack of wide-eyed wonder. Read / Listen / Watch the ace videos here…
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