Best Albums of October 2024 Playlist
Cutouts
THE SMILE
Released 4 October 2024
Self Help Tapes LLP / XL Recordings
*****
The fact that Yorke and Greenwood are able to take ideas they’ve honed in Radiohead and use them in a fresh and alternative way in The Smile, which is buoyed by Skinner’s signature drumming style, is a mark of their brilliance
In the years since Radiohead released their latest album, A Moon Shaped Pool (2026), fans have been desperate for a follow-up. Instead, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood decided to team up with Tom Skinner from Sons of Kemet and form The Smile. You can hardly complain — The Smile have already released two highly impressive records, and with their third, Cutouts, they’ve proved that their genius hasn’t gone anywhere.
The album is a relentless and bold instrumental journey through frantic riffs and Skinner’s tight drumming, with the band even drawing from Eastern psychedelic influences and, like their previous album, Wall of Eyes (2024), it features beautiful compositions performed by the London Contemporary Orchestra. It has been less than a year since Wall of Eyes, a stunning collection of tracks, yet it seems like the band were simply too full of ideas not to share another body of work.
There is no slip in quality here, the group continue to demonstrate their innate ability to make songs that are consistently engaging, emotive, and richly textured. With every song, they give us something fascinating to grip on to, whether that be a pulsating electronic beat or a high-octane guitar riff that demands we brave eroding our corduroy and dance.
Read more ... Far Out
Blues Blood
IMMANUEL WILKINS
Released 11 October 2024
*****
Wilkins interlaces themes into a profound personal and political journey, using the language of jazz to express the struggles, triumphs and complexities of the contemporary African-American experience.
Blues Blood, the new album from 27 year-old saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, explores a range of deep, interconnected themes rooted in Black history, culture and the ongoing struggle for justice.
As a composer, musician and bandleader, Wilkins often infuses his music with insightful social commentary, and his latest release is no exception. His third Blue Note album to date, Blues Blood draws on the account of the Harlem Six or Blood Brothers - in part by weaving together emotional and historical elements of their experiences into its thematic narrative. The group of six young African-American men, who were wrongfully accused and convicted in New York in the mid-1960s, represent a significant episode of racial injustice in American history, and Wilkins’ music – known for its socially conscious themes and expressive nature – provides a powerful medium that alludes to their story. Again, the title itself evokes the painful legacy of racial oppression, with "blues" symbolising the suffering and endurance of Black communities throughout history.
As part of a multimedia project focused on ancestral connections, the music of Blues Blood embodies the spirit of resistance – both personal and collective – against social injustice. It also emphasises the importance of honouring cultural memories that may have been forgotten or left unspoken. For instance, Wilkins highlights the significance of family meals and the sharing of recipes as a form of cultural transmission, viewing these sensory experiences as artefacts passed from one generation to the next.
Read more ... PrestoMusic
Joy Machine
DIZRAELI
Released 31 May 2024
Def Presse
*****
The sound is a visionary mixture of hip-hop, post-punk and jazz.
Recorded almost entirely in a single day at the legendary Total Refreshment Centre in London, Joy Machine brings together some of the most exciting musicians in London’s new jazz explosion. With contributions from Alabaster DePlume and trumpeter Jonathon Enser (Nubiyan Twist), vocals from Dizraeli (Worldwide Music Awards Best Album nominee), drums from Ben Brown (Alfa Mist, Mulatu Astatke), bass from uk jazz scene favourites Daisy George and Joe Downard, synths from Joseph Costi (Yusef Cat Stevens , Bahla) and saxophone from free jazzer Ronan Perrett.
In the tradition of Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew , the band came to the studio in October 23 with only one pre-written track (the uplifting summer anthem Greek Summer) and once that was recorded, spent the rest of the day improvising wild, explosive music laced with Dizraeli’s rap and spoken word lyricism. The result is a record bursting with urgency, intensity and life, and one that cements Dizraeli’s position as an innovative wordsmith, bringing both personal depth (as in Abigail , a homage to the sister who died before he was born) and fierce political commentary (as in Dear Cousin , a goosebumps-inducing narrative that transports the listener aboard the boat Adriana carrying refugees across the Mediterranean, which sank in June 2023 drowning 500 people, and then confronts a very English bigot in the second verse).
Read more ... Bandcamp
Acadia
YASMIN WILLIAMS
Released 4 October 2024
Nonesuch Records
****-
Williams may be known for her inventive approach to the guitar – inspired as much by the spiritual blues of Elizabeth Cotten and American primitive guitarist John Fahey as it is Guitar Hero II – but it’s her egalitarian approach to collaboration that makes Acadia so alluring.
Earlier this year, Yasmin Williams raised the hackles of the Beyhive when she criticised Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter in an op-ed for The Guardian. She accused the Texan superstar of sidelining the Black musicians she claimed to celebrate, arguing that “Beyoncé has put the Carter before the horse.” No such accusations could be levelled at Williams, whose latest album sees her backed by a revolving cast of collaborators.
Cliffwalk opens the digital edition of the album, with Williams accompanied by music scholar Dr. Dom Flemons; the clacking beats of his rhythm bones punctuating her guitar like dancing shoes on a hardwood floor. This celebratory tone continues on Hummingbird, in which Allison de Groot’s banjo and Tatiana Hargreaves' fiddle conjure up images of barn dances and flannel shirts draped over faded denim. Elsewhere, the soft vocals of indie-folk outfit Darlingside lend Virga the gentle, unbothered feel of a week spent living amongst nature: stirring with the sunrise, and sleeping under the stars.
Read more ... The Skinny
Leon
LEON BRIDGES
Released 4 October 2024
****-
Leon Bridges’ latest album, Leon, feels like the perfect soundtrack to a late afternoon drive, with its smooth melodies and soft, laidback production. Known for his retro soul sound, Bridges continues to evolve, blending modern R&B with a timeless, almost cinematic feel.
In Leon, Bridges’ voice is at the forefront—silky, expressive, and effortless, guiding listeners through a series of tender and introspective tracks.
Ultimately, Leon is a masterclass in restraint, allowing Bridges’ voice to shine against a minimalist yet rich backdrop of sound. It’s an album that demands to be listened to in full, with each track flowing seamlessly into the next, creating a cohesive listening experience. For fans of Bridges’ previous work, Leon delivers exactly what you’ve come to expect—soulful, smooth, and emotionally resonant.
Read more ... American Highways
Patterns In Repeat
LAURA MARLING
Released 25 October 2024
*****
The songs are marked by a homey quietness, and by what sounds like Marling’s insistence that there is beauty, as well as wisdom and joy, to be found within it.
Laura Marling started her career so young that she once was barred from entering her own gig! For years, she closely guarded her privacy and personal life, making herself something of an intentional mystery. Her seventh record Song for Our Daughter, released in the spring of 2020, marked a shift from the big sonic landscapes of the previous three albums - the dark percussiveness of Once I Was an Eagle; the angry haze of Short Movie; the sexy, ragged blues of Semper Femina and peeled back some of that early guardedness.
Patterns in Repeat is even more intimate. There are swelling strings, yes, but no percussion at all, and Marling’s voice never reaches its fullest tones.
There’s a whole history in these songs. There’s also a certain honesty, plainer here than in Marling’s more ornate work. You can find it in the half-finished lyrics of “Caroline,” Marling filling in the gaps with “la la la” and “something-something,” as well as in the hush in her voice, a new formal expression of her career-long quest for truth.
Read more ... Pitchfork
Portrait
SAMARA JOY
Released 11 October 2024
Verve
*****
As on her past records, she strikes a pleasing balance between warm interpretations of the American Popular Songbook and jazz standards where she adds her own lyrics, transforming the song into something even more her own.
Samara Joy's fourth album, 2024's Portrait, is a lushly rendered octet showcase for the Grammy-winning singer's broad jazz virtuosity. Co-produced by Joy and veteran trumpeter Brian Lynch at New Jersey's legendary Rudy Van Gelder studios, the album finds Joy backed by her touring ensemble, featuring trumpeter Jason Charos, alto saxophonist/flutist David Mason, tenor saxophonist Kendric McCallister, trombonist Donavan Austin, pianist Connor Rohrer, bassist Felix Moseholm, and drummer Evan Sherman. The result is a little big band album in which Joy's shimmering, ascendent vocals are both framed by and nicely integrated into the octet arrangements.
While technically proficient, Joy is never too cool. Her voice is warm and enveloping, and cuts like her lilting take on "Autumn Nocturne" find her further coming into her own style while still evoking icons like Sarah Vaughan and Betty Carter. It doesn't hurt that she has surrounded herself with an equally talented band of instrumentalists who get plenty of room to add their own improvisational voices to the proceedings. Often, as in her blissful opening take on "You Stepped Out of a Dream," she sings the main lyric and then blends wordlessly into the band's arrangement, soaring in rich harmony, before letting a soloist take over. Central to the album is her bold reading of Charles Mingus' classic "Reincarnation of a Lovebird," retitled here with the added "(Pursuit of a Dream)." Where the original 1960 version has a swinging, bluesy quality, Joy transforms the song into a Baroque and noirish vocal sculpture. Central to her arrangement is an extended rubato introduction that she sings unaccompanied, her voice a pristine sine wave of linear harmony that builds to a bright falsetto sparking her band's entrance. Jaw-dropping in its sheer artistry, the performance, as with all of Portrait, underscores just how seemingly limitless Samara Joy's skills are.
Read more ... AllMusic
Kaninna (EP)
Miss Kaninna
Released 20 September 2024
Soul Has No Tempo
****-
Her art is a powerful expression of her experiences as a young Blak woman in so-called Australia, drawing from the rich cultural heritage and paths laid before her by her Matriarchs.
Hailing from lutruwita/Tasmania, Miss Kaninna is a proud Yorta Yorta, Djadja Wurrung, Kalkadoon and Yirendali woman who grew up on the shores of Bruny Island who has been commanding stages from a young age, carrying forward the storytelling of her ancestors and fearlessly bringing them into the present.
Growing up at the side of the stage and touring with her Mother, musician, activist and facilitator Ruth Langford, live music and performance was a formative part of her life and childhood.
Accepted into the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) for Aboriginal Theatre after school, she later went on to be cast as Cynthia, one of the lead characters in the Australian theatre tour of The Sapphires.
Her grandmother, Rosalind Langford, was a famous painter and renowned activist who played a pivotal role in starting the Aboriginal Information Service (AIS) in the 70s, the first Aboriginal organisation in Tasmania.ey’.
Her provocative lyricism and bold songwriting took shape in these sessions, resulting in a compelling live solo project that captivated audiences when she debuted new music with her band at 2022’s Dark Mofo festival.
Without any official music released, Miss Kaninna’s potent live energy alone earned her slots at Tasmania’s top festivals and her debut single, ‘Blak Britney’ – an anti-establishment anthem aimed at amplifying the voices of Blak women – was released to critical acclaim in May 2023 landing full rotation on triple j.
Read more ... Soul Has No Tempo
Spielt Eigen Kompositionen
EMAHOY TSEGE MARIAM GEBRU
Released 1963
Re-released 2012 / 2022
Mississippi Records / Emahoy Tsege Mariam Records
****-
Her work is like no one else in the world, lyrical, hypnotic, full of spiritual warmth and a direct connection to the divine.
Born to an aristocratic family in Addis Ababa in December of 1923, Emahoy spent much of her youth and young adulthood studying classical music in Europe. She returned to Ethiopia in the 40s, where the war interrupted her musical studies. In 1948 during a church service in Ethiopia, she found her faith and began years of religious training.
Throughout her physical and spiritual journeys, Emahoy continued to compose for the piano. She first released this album in Germany 1963 as small private press record. The tracks reflect her own travels, seamlessly moving between Western classical and traditional Ethiopian modes, evoking Erik Satie, the orthodox liturgy, and meditative Christian music all at once.
Emahoy passed away on 26 March 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel. She continued to play until her final years, the funds from her work going to the righteous causes to which she had dedicated her life.
Read more ... Wikipedia
forward ever.
LEX AMOR
Released 4 October 2024
Modern Oak
****-
A profound meditation on what it means to be resilient and the importance of remaining intentional in life, ‘Forward Ever’ is the redefining of Lex Amor.
The beauty of the album and indeed Lex Amor’s wider style and approach to songwriting is in its variety. Her work transcends labels and her versatility as an artist shines through on this release. Every lyric, beat, instrumental and moment of breath is intentional and creates a sonic canvas that is as rich and colorful as it is exciting and fun to listen to. Created out of her own studio which has become a base for her cross-genre pollination, the album speaks to the complexities and wonder of the world she finds herself in. Its a wonderful insight into her character and gives listeners a chance to get to really know her, aside from social media and pr politics. Furthermore, as sole executive producer, Lex Amor’s hands-on approach throughout ‘Forward Ever’ cements it as not only the most personal in terms of style and storytelling, but also in regards to ambition.
Read more ... When The Horn Blows
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Off Days In London (EP)
ILLA J, ASH WALKER
Released 11 October 2024
****-
In between a busy schedule of radio interviews and brand endorsements, Ash & Illa found a way to write and record 4 tracks which are a breath of fresh air to any hip hop or jazz fan.
Off Days in London’ is an EP made by Illa J (Detroit) and Ash Walker. The serendipitous meeting of these two innovative musicians happened in London in 2023, while Illa J took a break from his European tour dates and found solace in Ash Walker’s studio.
Both artists bonded over many similarities, including food choices and musical inspiration (they both featured Detroit legend Amp Fiddler on their latest studio albums). This provided the perfect base for them to cook up some soulful gumbo in the studio and prepare it for the world.
This project was born out of 96 hours of organic collaboration - begun by a chance brunch supplied by the savant keyboardist Abram Al and eggslut. Leave your shoes at the door and come inside for some real music.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Embracing
MOKSHA
Released 3 May 2024
Jazzland Recordings
*****
On the record's seven tracks, the trio alternates between their own experiences with Indian, Norwegian, North and West African music, in addition to good old-fashioned jazz rock and the occasional noisy freak out.
There is both seriousness and ecstasy on Moksha's second album. There are complex and virtuosic moments, but it also feels like music that arose from the simplest of all starting points, the play between three good fellow musicians. The trio's unique interplay began back in 2012, when they were still students and met to experiment with rhythm, raga and jazz.
Now, with their second album, the palette has been expanded, both as a trio and as individuals. Their session, recorded in Newtone in January, featuring some selected guest musicians, does not feel overloaded with references.The music they play is the sum of their shared experiences and it kicks.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Seeing
TORD GUSTTAVSEN TRIO
Released 4 October 2024
ECM
*****
With Seeing, Tord Gustavsen begins an intricate new chapter in his series of acclaimed trio recordings, initiated in 2003 with Changing Places – an album that is today considered a classic.
The new recording with its compact, concentrated song forms "reflects my personal development as I get older, going for the essentials in life and music“, says the Norwegian pianist. The album is also Gustavsen’s 10th release on ECM Records, an achievement worth noticing.
Throughout five Gustavsen originals, two chorals after Johann Sebastian Bach, a traditional Norwegian church hymn, plus the 19th century English chorale "Nearer My God, to Thee“ Tord together with long-time ally Jarle Vespestad on drums and Steinar Raknes on double bass digs deep into his unique blend of jazz, blues, gospel, Scandinavian folk and church music. "Cherishing the melodies", as Tord puts it, the group’s interplay draws strength from restraint, patiently but concisely building the music toward its climaxes, while the pianist, meanwhile a seasoned master of the trio format, leads with his delicate touch and subtle gospel glow.
Seeing, recorded in fall 2023 at Studios La Buissonne in Southern France, was produced by Manfred Eicher.
Read more ... ECM
Bach Abel Hume
ANJA LECHNER
Released 18 October 2024
ECM
****-
With her distinct perspective on works composed for both violoncello and viola da gamba, Lechner sheds a fresh light on music written within a span of two centuries.
For her first solo-violoncello album on ECM’s New Series, Anja Lechner devotes herself to a particularly unique convergence of three composers from vastly different contexts: JS Bach, Carl Friedrich Abel and Tobias Hume. In the past, her extensive discography has captured the cellist as part of the renowned Rosamunde Quartett, as well as alongside seminal artists from both trans-idiomatic sound worlds and the realm of classical music, gracing her with rare musical farsightedness.
Framing the first two solo suites from the famous group of six Bach wrote for the violoncello at its heart, the programme encompasses Abel and Hume compositions, originally conceived for viola da gamba, which are given new colour and breadth through Lechner’s interpretation on cello – In parts newly arranged by herself. And at the end, as Kristina Maidt-Zinke notes in the album-accompanying liner notes, “one marvels at the lightness and inner logic with which three worlds have ever so gently touched one another”. The album was recorded in May 2023, at the Himmelfahrtskirche in Munich and produced by Manfred Eicher.
Read more ... ECM
Brahms Schumann
YUUKO SHIOKAWA, ANDRAS SCHIFF
Released 11 October 2024
ECM
****-
“A vibrant new recording - Mr. Schiff and the outstanding players make [the concertos] sound intimate and human-scale.” – New York Times
After tackling the sonatas for violin and piano of Bach, Busoni and Beethoven in 2017 - a “thoughtfully determined and subtly interconnected programme” according to Strad magazine - the duo of Yuuko Shiokawa and András Schiff returns with striking renditions of Brahms’s Violin Sonata No. 1 ( also known as “Regenliedsonate” or "Rain Sonata") and Schumann’s Violin Sonata No. 2.
Devoting themselves completely to the music of these composer-friends, Yuuko Shiokawa and András Schiff once again display their own rare duo understanding throughout their third collective undertaking for ECM’s New Series. Recorded at the Auditorio Stelio Molo in Lugano, the album was produced by Manfred Eicher.
Read more ... ECM
Other Worlds
DAVID DARLING
Released 18 October 2024
Curve Blue
****-
"David Darling played the cello the way Georgia O’Keefe painted mountains; decisive, delicate and dedicated to his truth. He could play joy and grief at the same time, the way they occur in life". - Kate Munger
Colorado artist, David Darling’s Other Worlds is a unique New Age album that includes his signature pizzicato, vocalizations, solo and choir cellos; while exploring new canvases of piano, electronic music and percussion, expanded with additional soloists. Guest performers include virtuosos Jiebing Chen (Erhu, Zhonghu) and Lili Haydn (Violin). From the meditative “Amelia,” the trance state of “Voyager,” the blending styles of “Other Worlds,” the driving pizzicato of “The Benedictine,” the emotional “Rendezvous,” and the other compositions, the listener is invited to explore Other Worlds.
As a GRAMMY award–winning cellist, composer, teacher, and collaborator, Darling redefined how the cello is played and how music is taught from teaching students, to directing orchestras, to performing on stage. An innovative improviser, he draws on classical, country, jazz, rock, new age, and world music to create compositions that tap deep into listeners’ souls and through which listeners can bring to life their own stories, meaning, and consciousness.
Read more ... Bandcamp
harp, beats & dreams
MARYSIA OSU
Released 18 October 2024
Brownswood Recordings
*****
The overall result is delicate, floaty, alternative fusion of jazz, folk and classical, every track infused with a different rather perfect, fragile hush, never hurried and perfectly weighted.
"hearts, beats & dreams" is a truly gorgeous experimental work by Marysia Osu, a harpist of Polish parentage and graduate of London’s Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
As well as conventionally rippling the strings of her instrument, Osu creatively uses it with other effects, adds sea other nature sounds with electronica, with magical sprinkles of guest vocals, cello, woodwind and percussion.
The music is evocative of raindrops on forest leaves, especially in the delicious falling arpeggios of the unaccompanied harp on "cascades". Similarly, "Only u<3" is a particularly delicate and beautiful instrumental. "Until Tomorrow Continues" flitters on an old sounding piano, while "Despite Being In Love" brings a melancholy clarinet to the fore. Closing track "Meditation IV" see Osu interweaving the harp with cello and flute, all dancing like butterflies.
This is music for blissful solitude, utterly exquisite.
Read more ... Song-bar
Superkilen
SVANEBORG KARDYB
Released 18 October 2024
Gondwana Records
****-
Drawing on Danish folk music and Scandinavian jazz influences, including Nils Frahm, Esbjörn Svennson and Jan Johansson’s landmark recording Jazz På Svenska, their music is an exquisite and joyful melding of beautiful melodies, delicate minimalism, catchy grooves, subtle electronica vibes, Nordic atmospheres and organic interplay, all underwritten by the sheer joy of playing together.
Svaneborg Kardyb are Nikolaj Svaneborg (Wurlitzer, Juno, piano) and Jonas Kardyb (drums, percussion) a multi award winning duo from Denmark, where they won two “grammys” at the Danish Music Awards Jazz 2019: New artist of the year and Composer of the year.
Following on from their Gondwana Records debut 'Over Tage', 'Superkilen' is named after a public park in the ethnically diverse Nørrebro district of Copenhagen. This erstwhile strip of waste ground was repurposed by the Superflex art group in the early 2010’s to bring together immigrants and locals in a mood of tolerance and unity. Its title feels emblematic of their music, which, equally inventively, creates space and serenity as a tonic within the tense and cluttered environment of 2020’s living. In the same way that the regeneration project has transformed that neighbourhood, Svaneborg Kardyb have drawn on that positive energy to help instigate changes in their own music.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Dome
LARA JONES
Released 4 October 2024
Lo Recordings
****-
Jones's heavenly new album ‘Dome’. Based on specific frequencies and panning techniques that aim to relax the listener, combined with a subtly diminishing BPM count throughout the album, the end objective is decreased heart rate through increased tranquility.
Lara Jones is a London based experimental producer, saxophonist, keyboardist and lyricist, that creates high energy pulsating electronics and jazz harmonies that weave into electronic grime and a web of arpeggiated synths, basses and glitchy beats in Ableton Live.
Jones’ work has undergone an organic evolution across her EPs, with her latest set distilling her dizzying mix of accessible and avant-garde sounds with edgy, powerful production.
Known for creating upbeat, dance driven tunes, this album is a reminder that saxophone and improvisation is often at the core of Lara's work.
Composed as a 45 min piece, split over two sides of a limited cassette, side A ebbs and flows like a synthesized tidal pull, winding and meandering through your subconscious. While side B offers glimpses of delicate, yet pleasingly disparate rhythms sitting gleefully atop snapshots of restful field recordings, like Burial post-anger management, all before giving way to a transcendent final epilogue, leaving us cleansed both sonically and spiritually.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Divided (EP)
LARA JONES
Released 13 September 2024
Lara Jones Music
****-
Divided sees Lara find her voice, bringing a punk angst with Jones’ lyrics and vocals, complimented by her signature electronics as she experiments with her voice more than ever.
Lara Jones' Divided EP is both playful and provocative, turning dance floor sounds into protest songs. Addressing subjects that affect us all – the highly polarised state of our politics as well as our conflicted inner and outer selves – Lara has created a sonic space that embraces this duality and gives voice to her own insecurities and anger at the state we find ourselves in, but also a desire for change, for a world that’s a little less divided.
Composed, produced and mixed in her small London flat, Lara returns with her most dance floor-driven EP to date, with high energy pulsating electronics and jazz harmonies that weave into electronic grime and a web of arpeggiated synths, basses and glitchy beats.
Read more ... Song-bar
Still
GWILYM GOLD, THE VERNON SPRING
Released 11 October 2024
Lima Lion Records
****-
Borne of three and a half hours of collective piano improvisations in the aftermath of a bereavement, these meditative works are the result of friendship and generosity in a time of vulnerability.
Performed using a prepared Upright Piano and Grand Piano installed with The Mechanical Resonator Piano (invented by Andrew McPherson) this project champions the beauty of both raw human interaction and modern technological instrumentation.
‘Still’ was originally recorded for Trestle Records, One Day Band 26. Trestle Records is a London based label dedicated to new instrumental music. Alongside a programme of new LP releases the label also hosts the One Day Band sessions. Musicians are invited to a fully engineered studio to make a record in a day. A multitude of artists have been invited to participate from a variety of backgrounds and genres of music.
Read more ... Bandcamp
with love
JACKSON DAHLENBURG
Released 20 September 2024
jackson dahlenburg
****-
"'With Love’ is a collection of songs about love and sending love. This was not an intentional concept but rather a result of finding myself expressing love through playing piano. The album is all about sending love to important people in my life.
jackson is an instrumental piano player based in Melbourne. Combining jazz teachings with classical, and contemporary, he plays piano as a tool to express deep contemplation and meditations on his life.
He writes: "'With Love’ is a collection of songs about love and sending love. This was not an intentional concept but rather a result of finding myself expressing love through playing piano. The album is all about sending love to important people in my life.
It started as a wedding gift for two of my dearest friends Pierce and Marie. I wanted to gift them songs that represented various stages of their love. Three of the songs are reflections from seeing them together in Marie’s world, as well as living with them in Footscray, and living with Pierce during long periods in which they were apart. From here the other songs came into fruition as I started reflecting on other important people and moments in my life.
I struggled with imposter syndrome of making a solo piano album with the idea that it was not good enough and full of mistakes.
With time I realised the beauty and vulnerability of this. I am an imperfect person and the songs needed to reflect and be true to that.
Now looking back at the process and hearing the album in a time where I have changed and grown, I see what I was composing about.
It was a process and plea to send love to myself.
Thank you for listening.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Strength In Tenderness 2.0
t l k
Released 16 October 2024
Severn Songs
****-
Divided sees Lara find her voice, bringing a punk angst with Jones’ lyrics and vocals, complimented by her signature electronics as she experiments with her voice more than ever.
t l k is an independent producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist based in Bristol. Weaving ethereal vocals over immersive, melantronic beats, t l k has released a string of singles over the past two years. ‘Strength In Tenderness’ was released Feb. 2022 as a 5 track EP and ‘Strength In Tenderness 2.0’ marks their first extended body of work, adding five new ‘versions’ (in order of the original) from bonsi, Waldo's Gift, BIPED, Jurango and Ishmael Ensemble.
Interviewed by Epigram upon release of the original EP, t l k described the project as a portfolio for the times, and picked the title because they felt that it encapsulated the way the music had been made, which was all through necessity. They described the act of producing, making, sharing in, and experiencing music as a way to process psychologically and all the tracks on the EP had come about that way and will continue to in the future - all born of some form of processing and a need to sit with my tenderness and move through it by making. They were made through both me learning how I want to produce music and coming into a coherent sound but also moving through this realisation for this need to make, and these two things are why the title came through probably.
Read more ... Epigram
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Recurring (Live at King's Place)
ALPHA MIST, AMIKA QUARTET
Released 11 October 2024
Lima Lion Records
****-
Featuring a handful of brand new, never-before-heard tracks (alongside a number of expansions of previous releases), ‘Recurring’ sees Alfa drawing inspiration from classic live Jazz recordings, capturing a unique moment in time that can never be replicated or replayed.
Alfa Mist (born Alfa Sekitoleko) is a British musician, producer, songwriter, and MC based in Newham, London. He released his first solo EP Nocturne in 2015. He also runs a music label called Sekito.[ His music mixes hip-hop and club styles with jazz improvisation. He collaborated with several musicians, including Jordan Rakei, Yussef Dayes and Tom Misch.
Amika - Laura Senior (violin), Peggy Nolan (cello), Lucy Nolan (viola), Simmy Singh (violin) - are a string quartet, formed organically over a number of years by four graduates of Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music. Amika draw influence from a wide range of music, reflecting the breadth of their musical interests and extensive training. Flexibility and creative potential are the biggest drivers in the quartet’s work
Creating an authentic, unpolished and electric feel, feeding his long-running mission of real-time musical expressions that evolve with each performance. On the genesis of the record, Alfa says: ‘Some of my favourite albums are captured live performances. I came home from a long year of touring and decided to work on some music for Amika Quartet who I've been working with for years on a few different shows and projects. A lot of the music I release is recorded in whole takes, I think there's something nice about doing the best you can with the moments you have. I wanted to take that one step further by recording it as a live show and seeing what happens.'’
Read more ... Bandcamp, Amika
LacLu
LACLU
Released 6 September 2024
LacLu
****-
"For the same reasons I will never tire of Spiritual Jazz, this album appeals. It taps into a deep reflective vibe, exalts nature, and in a troubled world we need to immerse ourselves more in this." John Fenton
LacLu explores freedom of expression in music-making via improvisation on original compositions as well as de-constructed familiar jazz tunes.
Inspired by the spaciousness and spontaneity of the legendary trio of Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, and Paul Motian, LacLu’s approach prioritises raw emotion, group interplay, and interesting musical textures
Continuing the cross-generational circle of mentorship and dialogue in jazz, Keith Price (40 years, guitar) is the convenor of jazz at the University of Auckland while Francesca Parussini (23 years, saxophone) and Maximillian Crook (21 years, drums) are talented recent graduates.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Pique
DORA MORELENBAUM
Released 18 October 2024
Mr Bongo
****-
Whereas Dora’s first solo EP, Vento de Beirada, was a leap of faith, Pique sees her soaring as one of Brazil’s standout stars, emboldened, emphatic but ever elegant.
Pique is the sensational debut solo album from Dora Morelenbaum, one of the key talents spearheading Brazil’s new musical wave. A member of the Latin Grammy award-winning band, Bala Desejo, Dora showcases a new side to her solo productions on this special LP.
Pique sees Dora embrace a freedom through fresh forms, showcasing the depth and diversity of her creative artistry. An infinitely listenable release that nods to Brazilian greats like Gal Costa, Banda Black Rio and Lincoln Olivetti, fused with the indie pop edge of Ana’s production. The result is truly unique and sure to be a future Brazilian classic.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Fragile Magic
INGI BJARNI
Released 21 March 2024
Ingi Bjarni
****-
Featuring a handful of brand new, never-before-heard tracks (alongside a number of expansions of previous releases), ‘Recurring’ sees Alfa drawing inspiration from classic live Jazz recordings, capturing a unique moment in time that can never be replicated or replayed.
Ingi Bjarni says that he produces original works which, while informed by jazz tradition, Nordic folk-song and electronica, rise up from a wellspring of meticulously-shaped imaginings and that he makes his own kind of folk music with the freedom of expressiveness, and space for both lyrical and free improvisation.
He notes that the source of music is mysterious. It’s like a hidden language that composers and musicians seek to unveil. This perspective on music creation was the inspiration for the album ‘Fragile Magic’
Ingi Bjarni Trio brings together three active musicians from Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Joining Ingi Bjarni, whose full name is Ingi Bjarni Skúlason, are Bárður Reinert Poulsen from the Faroe Islands on double bass, and Icelandic drummer Magnús Trygvason Eliassen.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Console Me
Tell Mama
Released 7 December 2023
Home Body Records
****-
Tell Mama's debut, although brief (only 8 tracks, 28 minutes), showcases a top quality band that is soulful and fully-formed, surely overdue to break out of their hometown Adelaide.
Here's the 2023 debut album from a emerging Adelaide neo-soul outfit with a sound that invites favourable comparisons to the work of Cleo Sol, Hiatus Kaiyote and the like.
Announcing the release of the album, the band's Facebook page declared "It took a village, approximately two whole years, blood, sweat, tears and buttload of learning curves. And we are super bloody proud of it".
Fronted by Grace Mensforth's marvelous vocals the band behind her simmers along with some tasty playing by Jack Spyker (keyboard, synths), Billy Beger (guitar), Jayden Dawson (bass) and Lewis Dimitropoulos (drums, percussion).
Read more ... Bandcamp
A Lion Is A Lion
COOL OUT SUN, N'FA JONES, SENSIBLE J
Released 4 October 2024
House of Beige
****-
Melbourne based, with inspirations ranging from traditional Afro folk & Taaso to Afro-Beat & Hip Hop and so called World music.
Spearheaded by Sierra-Leonean Australian MC N'fa Jones and South African Australian producer Sensible J, Cool Out Sun are a unique cross-cultural group who create music bridging the traditions of classic hip hop with the traditions of Afrobeat, Afro soul and roots music.
The duo blend West African language and culture with modern sonics that jump out of the speakers. Beats are built on the MPC and refined with live instrumentation and vocals, recorded in their lofi indie label's House of Beige studio. The group's explosive live show has them performing consistently, and their music has been getting a lot of Australian airplay as well as spins across the US, EU and the UK radio.
Cool Out Sun songs go deep into social subjects and storytelling with historical and cultural messaging hidden in catchy hooks and heavy grooves.
Cool Out Sun drop the bustling, percussive and beautifully melodic LP A Lion Is a Lion through their own label, House Of Beige. Featuring an incredible line up of local guests, the LP includes collaborations with Sampa The Great, Immy Owusu, Lamine Sonko, Vida Sunshyne, Bilalli and more.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Shelter for a Broken Soul
LOUIS TM
Released 13 September 2024
Diver Records
****-
‘Shelter For a Broken Soul’ is a collection of easily-loved songs painted on a soul canvas. Louis T.M. is a master in drip-feeding emotions at the perfect pace.
After 15 years cutting his teeth in the music scene of Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington, NZ), as both a sideman (eg. for Ria Hall) and frontman, keys player Louis Thompson-Munn, aka Louis T.M., has delivered a debut album titled ‘Shelter For A Broken Soul’.
Recorded and mixed at Surgery Studios by Lee Prebble, ‘Shelter For A Broken Soul’ features various keyboard backdrops to mellow brass, piercing guitar solos, and a boxy, slightly overdriven vocal that penetrates the heart.
Not only does the album sound spectacular, it’s a class in songwriting from this jazz school graduate. Each piece of music has a distinctive element in the feel and timbre, making it stand out in what is really, faithfully, a soul album.
Read more ... NZ Musician
Ashd Out
DASHD
Released 19 April 2024
Danfield Productions
****-
Tell Mama's debut, although brief (only 8 tracks, 28 minutes), showcases a top quality band that is soulful and fully-formed, surely overdue to break out of their hometown Adelaide.
Dashd is a Melbourne based producer, beat-maker blending a mixture of downtempo, ambient , lo-fi , trip hop & electronica: continually developing the sounds with new producers, singers and rappers, both local and international.
Read more ... Bandcamp
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Tetsuo (EP)
Billsbry
Released 1 September 2023
Billsbry
****-
High on reverb and saturated with the spirit of dub reggae, Billsbry sound reminiscent of Khruangbin
Billsbry is the musical alias of Eora / Sydney based solo artist, Charlie Billsberry Fisher.
Starting out experimenting with instrumental psychedelic music, Billsbry’s sound has progressively evolved incorporating soul, jazz and experimental soundscape to his repertoire.
Featuring:
Tim Merrikin - Double bass (track 6)
Brekky Boy - Keys (track 1, 2 & 5)
Luke Gallen - Sax (track 1, 2 & 6)
Dominic Kirk - Percussion (track 2 & 3)
Read more ... Bandcamp
Love & Fire
THE BLACK SEEDS
Released 17 June 2022
The Black Seeds
****-
Love & Fire is a skillfully woven album of soul, dub, roots, reggae, funk, Afrobeat and other elements brought together by well-honed musicianship and production.
Love & Fire began with jams and demos at The Surgery in Wellington, NZ, back in mid-2018, resulting in a “huge collection of ideas and song demos that were to be refined over the next two years to become Love & Fire,” says Barnaby Weir.
Originally planned as a classic ‘band-in-a-room’ recording, like many other creative projects, the album took an unexpected turn with the arrival of COVID to New Zealand. Lockdowns saw studio sessions cancelled and bandmates unable to gather – resulting in a lot of zoom-based creativity. Weir and keyboardist Nigel Patterson’s studios became the hubs for pulling everything together into a cohesive body of work.
Read more ... Easystar
Wirlmarni
KANKAWA NAGARRA
Released 30 August 2024
Kankawa Nagarra
*****
Recorded by Kankawa's longtime friend Darren Hanlon, the sessions are relaxed and warm. It's a true gift - the experience of hearing Kankawa on her own land, in her own words.
Born in the traditional lands of the Gooniyandi and Walmatjarri peoples (of the Eastern Kimberley region) of North Western Australia, Kankawa grew up with the tribal songs at cultural ceremonies. She was taken from her family to a Christian mission, where she was taught hymns and Gospel songs with the choir. On the pastoral lease where she was sent to work, Country music was everywhere. She first heard rock and roll on the station gramophone.
But it wasn’t until many years later her musical journey truly began, when she stopped to listen to a busker outside a shop in Derby, Western Australia. It was the first time she’d heard the blues, and it awakened something in her. Through it, she found a medium to express all her thoughts and feelings, and it inspired her to turn these into songs. The empathy of her message extends from those she sees struggling around her to the entire planet being ravaged for profit.
Recorded live near her home in Western Australia, these twelve acoustic guitar and vocal tracks offer a glimpse of Kankawa's (also known as Olive Knight) far ranging humanity, humor, and lived experience. She shifts between musical styles and languages, backed by night bugs and the call of birds.
Read more ... Mississippi Records
Ngiya Ga Ngiya
KALLUM MUNGULU
Released 7 October 2024
Kallum Mungulu
****-
Here is an album of heartfelt songs forged by the artist's life experience in the stunning saltwater country near Derby, in north western Australia's Kimberley region: where the tidal range exceeds 10 metres, the daily temps top the fahrenheit century and the visual contrasts of red dirt & turquoise sea below enormous skies are unforgettable.
The album opens with a spoken preamble that references 40-50 thousand years of continuous culture and habitation and although there's sadness in the song ("nothing's the same without you Old Man") there's also the unspoken implication that life continues.
Kallums Mungulu sings and plays in the distinctive cadence and at the laconic pace of the Outback, producing familiar-sounding melodies, often decorated by inventive instrumentation and recalling standards of the songmen that have preceded and inspired him, such as Yothu Yindi, Stephen Pigram, Jimmy Chi (and likely, wethink) Bart Willoughby, Neil Murray, Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter.
"Ngiya Ga Ngiya" cleverly quotes many of these artists before its bouncy ska sax's kick in, optimistically calling upon Australia's children to make change. Perhaps an anthem for last year's "Yes" referendum, we hope this song finds a second life in a more generous future .
Mungulu's songs celebrate Country, Culture, Family and Language, finding great joy in dance (Dancing), the change of seasons (Rain Song) and the celebration of life's journey (Mowanjum, Old Guitars).
This excellent debut concludes with a pair of standout songs - each surely to become crowd favourites - the rodeo story "Ride Cowboy Ride" and mandolin-laced truckies' anthem "Traveller".
Read more ... Bandcamp
NGBE
BIG YAWN
Released 19 July 2024
Research Records
****-
Sitting in a world of its own, the album - named after the group's beloved and lost warehouse space, National Gallery of Brunswick East (where most of the material was recorded) - features a wide array of soundscapes spanning mutated drum 'n' bass, low-key grime, rap, and dub-wise antics, all laced with a heavy dose of FX.
Melbourne quartet Big Yawn's fourth full-length offering, "NGBE" opens with a driving anthem "80s Slam" with all the poise and drama of the opening credits for "Miami Vice".
Big Yawn's ability to blend complex rhythm sections with infectious basslines, deep synth work, and tongue-in-cheek sampling remains ever-present, and perhaps is the most advanced we've heard yet.
Equal parts deep and menacing, the nine tracks encapsulate Big Yawn's evolution in the studio and on stage, most notably through their collaboration '2Stroke' with Melbourne-based future rap prodigy Teether and brought to life visually with album artwork by Julian Hocking.
Read more ... Bandcamp
ALETHIA
ALETHIA
Released 26 July 2024
Alethia
****-
ALETHIA's music is a vibrant fusion of Latin pop, reggae, R&B, electronic, and alternative rock.
'ALETHIA' is the debut album from the soulful and genre-defying artist ALETHIA. Originating from Colombia and now based in Narrm / Melbourne, she boasts three Latin Grammy nominations and was a semi-finalist on The Voice (Colombia).
'ALETHIA' is a concept album that embarks on a musical journey divided into four parts: ROOTS, NOSTALGIA, LOVE, and HOPE. Each segment delves into different facets of life and the human experience, exploring themes from childhood innocence to self-love, relationships, and personal introspection. The album showcases bilingual lyrics in Spanish and English, celebrating ALETHIA's Latin-American heritage and diverse musical influences.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Flower of the Soul
LIANA FLORES
Released 28 June 2024
Verve
****-
Written over the course of three years, Flower of the soul is an 11-track meditation on impermanence, told through an intoxicating blend of stylistic influences, from classic jazz, ‘60s Brazilian pop, and British folk.
Transformation became the watchword for Liana Flores’ debut album, Flower of the soul, whether it be the changing of the seasons or the evolving nature of love.
It’s a theme that can be heard throughout much of the London-based British-Brazilian songwriter's music, which pairs dream-like vignettes of her intimate world with wistful, drifting guitar melodies to get lost in.
It’s an ambitious sonic leap forward which finds Liana truly at home with her sound.
Read more ... Verve
Messages
JAZZMEIA HORN
Released 25 October 2024
Empress Legacy Records
****-
With Messages, Jazzmeia Horn continues to solidify her place among the vanguard of contemporary jazz artists. The album’s blend of tradition and innovation, paired with Horn’s compelling storytelling, ensures that Messages will be a powerful and unforgettable experience for listeners.
Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Jazzmeia Horn's fourth album Messages represents a bold new chapter in Horn’s illustrious career, delving deep into themes of family, love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of artistic freedom. Reflecting on her life and relationships as she tours the world, Horn infuses the album with a deeply personal perspective, balancing the joys and challenges of her journey.
In Messages, Horn’s mastery of jazz tradition intersects with contemporary influences, resulting in a sound that is both timeless and refreshingly modern.
The album features 10 original compositions, alongside her stunning interpretation of the 1932 classic “You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me.” released as a single, that captures Horn’s extraordinary vocal range and her ability to breathe new life into jazz standards. Alongside, the rest of the album explores the complexities of personal and professional relationships.
Read more ... The Urban Music Scene
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Anyway I Can
ELMIENR
Released 25 October 2024
Polydor
****-
Although this EP is a continuation of his signature muted sound and isn’t as wide-reaching as some of his peers, ‘Anyway I Can’ is music with heart – and Elmiene knows exactly how to tug on it.
Entering the sonic world of Elmiene is always a warm and comforting affair. The Oxford singer-songwriter offers a mix of dulcet tones, feathery strings and chilled-out synths to mull over while he shares a few of his stories since becoming one of the UK’s newest R&B prospects.
While in his realm, it feels like we’re visiting an old friend – a testament to Elmiene’s stellar storytelling skills. ‘
The EP takes a lot from ‘90s and ‘00s R&B; most notably, the guitar licks throughout are nostalgic callbacks, reminiscent of a Joe or D’Angelo song. Elmiene shows off his high register on ‘Crystal Tears’, hitting notes Maxwell would be proud of over the light drums and sweet chimes. But songs like ‘Dark Out (Season of Thieves)’ reimagine just what R&B is.
Read more ... NME
The World Is On Fire
ISAIAH COLLIER & THE CHOSEN FEW
Released 18 October 2024
Division 81 Records
****-
The World is On Fire takes an outward look into society and reverberates with the zeitgeist of today’s uproarious socio-political landscape.
The World is on Fire is Collier’s observation journal reflecting on the tumultuous period from before the pandemic to the present day. The title itself wields his lens on vile acts committed by those in power addressing themes of economic upheaval, systemic racism, and the relentless fight for justice. The potency of Collier’s compositions is reinforced by utilizing harrowing real-life news clips throughout the album that emits the urgency, somberness, and turmoil during this time in history as the album as a whole serves as a requiem for countless lives lost and injustices that remain unacknowledged. It pays tribute to individuals like Sandra Bland, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Sonya Massey, among many others, whose stories have often been overshadowed.
“This project is a sonic exploration, blending sounds, consciousness, and activism to raise awareness about the pressing issues of our time,” says Collier, “Through my music, I strive to capture and personify the profound impact of the challenges we face.”
Read more ... Bandcamp
Jazz Is Dead 021
ADRIAN YOUNGE, ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMED
Released 4 October 2024
Jazz Is Dead
****-
Jazz Is Dead announces another offering of top-shelf recordings taking listeners on a journey through the funky sounds of Ghana all the way to down to the psychedelic soul and samba of Brazil.
Essentially, Jazz Is Dead 021 is a selection of unreleased songs from Jazz Is Dead Series 3 and more.
Produced by label founders Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Jazz Is Dead Series 3 features new analog recordings from living legends Ebo Taylor, Hyldon, Dom Salvador, Antonio Carlos e Jocafi, Carlos Dafé, Joyce e Tutty Moreno as well as an unreleased LP from The Midnight Hour: Lost Tapes.
This will be a very limited offering. Once the initial pressing of 1,000 units of black vinyl and 1,000 units of color vinyl are sold out, they will go out of print. Expect international tours and other limited memorabilia to accompany each individual release within Series 3. “We plan to give all of these maestros their flowers while they can still smell them and share all of the vibrant music with fans for decades to come,” says co-founder Andrew Lojero.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Sonic Wires
DREAM HOUSE QUARTET
(BRYCE DESSNER, KATIA LABEQUE, MARIELLE LABEQUE, DAVID CHALMIN)
Released 25 October 2024
KML Recordings
*****
“They are immersing themselves in an increasingly youthful repertoire. The National’s Bryce Dessner (who recently wrote an entire album of music for them) and David Chalmin sit either side of the Labèques, who provide atmospheric flourishes. It’s the kind of funereal meditation that would have fitted nicely on A Moon Shaped Pool.” (THE GUARDIAN)
Founded in 2018, the Dream House Quartet is bringing classical and contemporary music into completely new forms as a matter of course. It consists of the two piano sisters Katia and Marielle Labèque who are joined by Grammy-winning guitarist, composer and founding member of The National Bryce Dessner, and composer, musician and producer David Chalmin, both on guitar. Their brand-new album entitled Sonic Wires features works by Steve Reich, Philip Glass, Bryce Dessner, David Chalmin, Sufjan Stevens, Caroline Shaw, Tino Andres, David Lang and Anna Thorvaldsdottir.
Formed in 2018, the Quartet fuses decades of musical mastery of classical and contemporary forms, featuring luminaries the Katia and Marielle Labèque on dueling pianos along with acclaimed composer-guitarists Bryce Dessner (The National) and David Chalmin (innocence, la terre invisible) performing radical new commissions from visionary composers and pivotal contemporary works of the last half century.
Read more ... High Res Audio
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Leonardo da Vinci
(Original Score)
CAROLINE SHAW, ATTACCA QUARTET
Released 25 October 2024
Nonesuch Records
*****
"This soundtrack is a testament to the inspired efforts of (music editor) Jennifer Dunnington, who marshaled it into being, the brilliant musicians and vocalists who, with the help of Alex Venguer, Neal Shaw, Colton Dodd and Tim Marchiafava, made it soar, and most of all Caroline Shaw, who might be Leonardo’s soulmate from across time” David McMahon, director
The original score for Ken Burns’s new two-part PBS documentary, LEONARDO da VINCI, with new compositions by Caroline Shaw.
The album features performances by the composer’s longtime collaborators Attacca Quartet, Sō Percussion, and Roomful of Teeth as well as John Patitucci.
“No single person can speak to our collective effort to understand the world and ourselves,” said Ken Burns. “But Leonardo had a unique genius for inquiry, aided by his extraordinary skills as an artist and scientist, that helps us better understand the natural world that we are part of and to appreciate more fully what it means to be alive and human.”
“To help give depth and dimension to Leonardo’s inner life, and to carry our viewers on his personal journey, we enlisted the composer Caroline Shaw,” director David McMahon says in the album’s liner note. “Caroline’s existing body of music—joyful, daring, at times transcendent, and wholly unique—seemed to speak directly to Leonardo, a seeking soul who, 500 years after his death, can come across as strikingly modern. A fully original score, we believed, would add crucial connective tissue to areas where the record of Leonardo’s life is thin and it’s possible to briefly lose his trail. The music Caroline created is dynamic, enthralling and filled with wonder.“
Read more ... Nonesuch Records
Flock II
FLOCK
Released 25 October 2024
Strut Records
****-
The new recordings showcase Flock’s ability to push the boundaries of the composition process and craft unique tracks based on their collective spirit.
Flock is a collaboration between five leading musicians from London's open-minded jazz and experimental scenes. Their sophomore album ‘Flock II’ comprises an exceptional line-up featuring Bex Burch (fresh from her debut solo album on International Anthem), Sarathy Korwar, Tamar Osborn (Collocutor, Dele Sosimi, Unknown To Known), Danalogue (The Comet Is Coming / Soccer96) and Al MacSween (Kefaya).
Recorded amidst the serene landscapes of the Welsh countryside during 2022, 'Flock II' emerges as a compelling departure from their debut album, which was captured in a single day at London's Fish Factory. Nestled within the enchanting environs of the Druidstone, a mystical coastal retreat in West Wales, the group embarked on an immersive week-long recording session. Here, they crafted unique "jump-off" devices for each musical piece, drawing inspiration from unconventional structures and atmospheres.
From diagrams utilising shapes and repeated patterns to a revolving lamp throwing out dappled light and a mobile app creating intense strobe effects in front of each musician, each device set a state of mind and a unique approach to their compositions.
Read more ... Bandcamp
The Bird of a Thousand Voices
TIGRAN HAMASYAN
Released 30 August 2024
naive / Yergatum
*****
"The Bird of a Thousand Voices is an astonishing project, and as I listened and wrote, I weighed up the various superlatives. No other term sufficed. And, to describe it as a concept or a themed album would woefully undervalue it too. The depth and breadth of Tigran Hamasyan’s project is breathtaking and evaluating it requires fulsome engagement. I am not implying that it is unapproachable as there are delightful melodies as light as air, and exotic rhythms to engage, but underlying every note are other worlds, endlessly unfolding - worlds that beg exploration." jazzlocal32.com
The transmedia project The Bird of a Thousand Voices is the first of its kind to bring ancient Armenian folk tale Hazaran Blbul to life. Armenian composer & pianist Tigran Hamasyan and Dutch filmmaker & visual artist Ruben Van Leer are joining forces for a new live staged production that had its world premiere at the Holland Festival.
The mythical bird – whose thousand different songs travel the world to spread harmony – comes to life in an intriguing new kind of music theater, an online game, a kinetic art installation and a series of films - accessible via the bird1000.com website.
Read more ... Tigran Hamasyan
Beautiful People
WOJTEK MAZOLEWSKI QUINTET
Released 11 October 2024
NoPaper Records
****-
Beautiful People is a soulful album heading into the realm of contemporary spiritual jazz while maintaining WMQ's identity and Slavic tradition. The fresh material presents quality new energy, sound and composition of the band.
Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet returns with a new, refreshed lineup with a new full-length album, Beautiful People. The album was recorded in December '23 at Polish Radio's S4 studio after a series of a dozen WMQ concerts in 2023. Buoyed by the wonderful reception in many cities and hungry for new sensations and sounds, the Quintet recorded this album while absolutely in full throttle.
Wojtek Mazolewski is a prominent Polish jazz artist known for his pioneering work in contemporary jazz. A virtuoso bassist and composer, Mazolewski blends traditional jazz with contemporary elements, delivering a mesmerizing and emotionally charged musical experience that has earned him enthusiastic reviews from All About Jazz, DownBeat Magazine, Kind of Jazz, and other publications. With a career spanning decades, he has become an icon in the Polish jazz scene, enchanting audiences worldwide with his fusion of classic and modern jazz styles. His live performances are renowned for their energy and captivating stage presence, providing a memorable and genre-defying jazz experience that has made him a celebrated figure in the global jazz community.
Read more ... Forced Exposure
Bamako*Chicago Sound System
NICOLE MITCHELL, BALLAKE SISSOKO
Released 25 August 2024
FPE Records
*****
Ballaké’s post-traditional innovative writing leaves ample space for interpretation and breath, complementing Nicole's layered, complex otherworldly compositions.
“Bamako*Chicago” is a collaboration between two internationally esteemed composers: renowned flutist, former AACM (a non-profit organization and a collective of composers and musicians dedicated to nurturing, performing and recording high artistic level programs) chair, Nicole Mitchell, and innovative kora player, Bamako's (Capital of Mali) musical ambassador, Ballaké Sissoko. Both have defied conventions in their respective genres; Mitchell’s Afrofuturist sound and cosmic ethic and Sissoko's integration of guitar progressions into kora compositions. Both push traditional forms into new spaces. Both bring a rich history of collaboration across various genres.
"Ballaké was really open. We came together as equals, each with our compositions, creating collaborative music—an amazing feat considering traditional gender roles. It represents a much-needed unity in this dystopian world we live in." --Nicole Mitchell
The musical collaboration echoes fusion artists like Foday Musa Suso and Herbie Hancock, yet it forges a unique path with a blend of depth and frequency more closely relatable to Alice Coltrane's lesser-known blues/’occidental’ music, such as “Galaxy in Turia” and “Er Ra”, along with the nuanced and celebrated Journey in Satchidananda. Like Coltrane, this album is transformative, taking listeners to other worlds through sonic transference.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Empty Voices
HAMED SADEGHI
Released 14 June 2024
Hamed Sadeghi
*****
Empty Voices tries to define a new form of beauty and tries to present a forgotten love through music - A seven-piece ensemble including four horns, percussions, double bass and the Persian tar that is expected to be loud yet it presents a linear gentle soundscape.
Hamed Sadeghi is an Iranian-born tar player and composer based on Gadigal land (Sydney). Trained as a Persian classical musician in Tehran, Hamed’s haunting compositions give you a taste of his cherished culture. He has performed at the most notable music festivals and in prestigious concert halls in Australia and overseas.
He writes: "My passion for creation and my love both for the Persian classical music, western music and mainly jazz resulted in albums with my band Eishan Ensemble over the past seven years.
However, Fusion and blending is a never-ending journey. I’ve always had a lot of questions in my head; What is the best way of doing it? How loud or soft should my music be? Should it be structured or free-flowing? What does it mean to be authentic?
Empty Voices is about listening, lowering expectations, appreciating small moments and recognising the fragility of human being. Empty Voices celebrates the glory in the insignificance of life and it is about feeling empowered by valuing simplicity.
Also noteworthy: Hamad's 2023 album A Prelude To Silence
Read more ... Bandcamp
On Prestige
YUSEF LATEEF
Released 4 October 2024
UMG Recordings
****-
This excellent two-LP set combines together material taken from three Yusef Lateef LPs; all of Lateef's Prestige and New Jazz recordings were very effectively reissued in Prestige's admirable two-fer series.
Lateef, one of the first jazz musicians to integrate aspects of Middle Eastern music into his playing, not only performs on tenor and flute during these sessions but also oboe (he was probably jazz music's greatest oboeist ever) and the argol.
These performances (with such sidemen as fluegelhornist Wilbur Hardin, trumpeter Lonnie Hillyer and pianists Hugh Lawson and Barry Harris) range from atmospheric modal ballads to straight ahead stomping. This two-fer is a fine example of Yusef Lateef at his best.
Read more ... Forced Exposure
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Alouane (Live)
WAAJU, MAJID BEKKAS
Released 11 October 2024
UMG Recordings
****-
‘Alouane’ presents a record light on its feet with harmonic nuance and dynamic sensibility, and acts as a powerful contribution to the Gnawa fusion genre.
Waaju & Majid Bekkas’s ‘Alouane’ stands as testament for creation and collaboration even in the most challenging of times. Whilst it becomes increasingly difficult bringing overseas artists to the UK, the record encapsulates connectivity across cultural or generational boundaries, and the explosive energy of live collaboration in the wake of Covid-19’s isolation.
Brainchild of Waaju bandleader Ben Brown, this unique collaborative record features Brown’s expansive arrangements of traditional Gnawa songs, bringing Bekkas’ incredible musical force into the soundscape of potent grooves and trippy delays that Waaju has become known for.
Bekkas, who’s previous collaborators include Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp and Peter Brotzmann, is considered one of the foremost figures in Moroccan Gnawa music today and has been key in the music’s revival over the last decade. He’s also never before collaborated with a UK band which, at the time of recording, was his first visit to the UK.
On ‘Alouane’, Bekkas is welcomed effortlessly into Waaju’s simmering chemistry, which can be heard most vividly on their previous studio albums ‘Grown’ in 2020 and a self-titled debut in 2018.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Ashes To Gold
AVISHAI COHEN (TRUMPETER)
YONATHAN AVISHAI, BARAK MORI,
ZIV RAVITZ
Released 11 October 2024
ECM
****-
Last autumn, Cohen had intended to take a month off in Israel to write the music for his new album, and to play the pieces at concerts en route to the recording session in the South of France. The cataclysmic events of October 7, however, brought composing plans to an abrupt halt:
“I could not write anything. I couldn’t touch the trumpet. In the beginning of November, I told Yonathan [pianist Yonathan Avishai] that I was going to have to cancel the tour and the recording, but he said ‘No. We need to go and play music’. The way he said it was powerful. I knew he was right.”
The first moments of “Ashes to Gold” – the dramatic five-part suite which opens Avishai Cohen’s new album – feature the unfamiliar sound of the great Tel Aviv trumpeter playing flute, establishing a dreamlike, almost pastoral ambience soon to be torn apart. What follows is some of the most intense and concentrated music Cohen and his band of friends have recorded to date, mirroring the deep tensions of a troubled era.
Ashes to Gold: the title imagery is drawn from the old Japanese art of kintsugi, the ceramic repair work “where you take the old and the broken and try and put the pieces back together, to make something golden and beautiful from the fragments,” says Avishai Cohen. “In a way I think that’s where we dwell. Our reality. And although this music can’t help but reflect the times, it also – in my wishful imagination - has some hope to it. At least, it is not only dark.”
Read more ... ECM
On Prestige
AVISHAI COHEN (BASSIST)
RON KASPI, GUY MOSKOVICH,
YUVAL DRABKIN
Released 4 October 2024
UMG Recordings
****-
Brightlight combines new compositions, standards and reworks some older compositions. This works well as an introduction to his work, but those expecting the next step from Shifting Sands could be disappointed.
After gaining exposure in Chick Corea's trio in the late 1990s, Avishai Cohen has taken his dramatic acoustic bass sound mixed with Jewish folk music, jazz, world and classical influences and weaved them into a distinctive and accessible style. That style and his abilities as a showman and performer have given him global recognition and a wide network of influence, cementing his position as one of the top bass players of his generation.
Israeli-born Cohen has used many formats to communicate his sophisticated compositions, including symphony orchestras and string quartets. He has also explored his singing abilities in Ladino and Hebrew. He seems most at home in a piano trio. His trio album Shifting Sands (Naïve Records, 2022) was acclaimed and featured in many "best of" lists in 2022. That album introduced drummer Roni Kaspi and she brings her energy to Brightlight alongside pianist Guy Moskovich, who follows in the footsteps of previous Avishai Cohen Trio pianists Shai Maestro, Elchin Shirinov and Nitai Hershkovits (no pressure there).
The trio are augmented on some tracks by guest musicians, notably saxophonist Yuval Drabkin, who has a track named after him, as does Kaspi
Read more ... All About Jazz
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Sounds of Yemen (1962-1987)
AHARON AMRAM
Released 19 July 2024
Fortuna Records
****-
‘This double LP captures the finest of Amram’s immense catalog and reflects a variety of styles and artistic periods.
Yemenite music in Israel is extremely unique style in the Middle-East and was conceived as a result of the immigration wave of Yemenite Jews to Israel. The new immigrants brought with them a rich and ancient culture of language and heritage. The music they brought was mostly religious and ceremonial and was divided into either men or women songs, accompanied by drumming on a large olive oil tin can. The key figure of this genre is without a doubt the singer and writer, Aharon Amram, who was born in Sana’a, Yemen, and immigrated to Israel as a child.
From the dawn of the sixties, and for over four decades, Amram recorded and released dozens of records on his independent record label, “Sounds of Yemen”. A pioneer of his time, Amram combined in his repertoire religious songs (mostly penned by Rabbi Shalom Shabazi) as well as secular songs which he wrote himself.
Alongside traditional compositions, Amram experimented with Western electric instruments such as guitar, bass, organ and a drum set, as well as with rock and soul arrangements. This mosaic created a unique sound signature which became the foundation for today’s Middle Eastern “Mizrahi” music, and the presence of this foundation is felt to this very day.
The Yemenite sound, of which Amram is a pioneering spear, is a part of a living culture which thrives to this day. His songs are constantly played in weddings, haflas, and other celebratory events. Amram holds a place of utmost respect within the Yemenite community as well as within Israeli culture in general. His songs were covered countless times and will excite new listeners for generations to come.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Jazz Money
ZACCHAE'US PAUL
Released 21 June 2024
Candid Records
****-
Flipping, reversing, reimagining, reframing — Paul does it all on Jazz Money, letting no convention go unquestioned while never losing the music's appealing, grounding groove.
JAZZ MONEY, the debut album from Atlanta, Georgia born multi instrumentalist, composer, and producer Zacchae'us Paul is an irreverent, fresh take on "America's classical music" that speaks to the 24 year old artist’s deep-beyond-his-years understanding of Black music and the African diaspora. Paul stretches and bends jazz sounds around the Atlanta hip-hop he grew up with, the gospel sounds and philosophies that have long shaped his music making, and the Caribbean rhythms he learned studying in Puerto Rico. He has created a wholly personal sound that is youthful, and thoughtful all at once.
"When you listen to this album, listen to it again," Paul says. "A lot of the songs have multiple meanings, and I'd love for people to have different perspectives on them."
Made with a cast of improvising upstarts and veterans that includes the album's executive producer, Terri Lyne Carrington, fellow Atlanta native and Candid recording artist Morgan Guerin and Paul's fiancée and star vocalist Melanie Charles, Jazz Money is jazz music for this, and future, generations.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Fly
MICHAEL MAYO
Released 4 October 2024
Mack Avenue Records
****-
Even with his classical training, Mayo’s music is a seamless blend of alternative and neo-soul elements, a unique combination that defies genre.
Michael Mayo approaches his voice as a musical instrument, but in often unexpected ways — with Brian Wilson-style pop harmonies, Stevie Wonder R&B, drum and bass, inspired by a line from poets, and even hip-hop.
Fly, Michael Mayo's highly anticipated follow-up to his critically-acclaimed 2021 debut album "Bones", delves deeply into the genre of jazz, allowing his prior collaborations with mentor Herbie Hancock, producer Eli Wolf and Scary Pockets (among others) to flourish on a mix of familiar takes of jazz classics and bold, adventurous originals.
Showcasing his remarkable versatility and exceptional talent while backed by an all-star band including pianist Shai Maestro, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer Nate Smith, Fly solidifies his prowess within the jazz realm, allowing his unique artistry to truly shine
Read more ... All About Jazz
Venus Smiles Not
In The House Of Tears
SAMORE PINDERHUGHES
Released 18 October 2024
Machel Records / Good Cloud Day
****-
How Pinderhughes turns all of the many shades of Venus Smiles into a unified, personal aesthetic is a mystery. A majestic and highly affecting mystery - a knot you’ll never untie.
Samora Pinderhughes is a composer, pianist, vocalist, filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist known for examining sociopolitical issues and fighting for change through his art.
Lauded as “…one of the most affecting singer songwriters today, in any genre.” by The New York Times and “a magical being” by Forbes, Samora is shaping new worlds through his art, his honesty, and his vulnerability.
Venus Smiles Not in the House of Tears, the first half of a promised album duology from Pinderhughes, reflects his wide-ranging background. He has a firm connection to the singer-songwriter movement, and guitar-driven pieces like “Inertia,” “Gatsby,” and “Drown” bear traces of the folk/rock origins of that movement. Yet in each case, there’s a hearty wedge of 21st-century electronic production and, on “Inertia,” dancefloor polyrhythms and broken beats.
Even his vocals on these tunes resists easy classification.
Read more ... Bandcamp
Ova
AFRO CELT SOUND SYSTEM
Released 4 October 2024
Six Degrees Records
****-
It comes as no surprise that the album is another finely crafted blend of deep roots and contemporary technology, nor is it revelatory that (the band's founder Simon) Emmerson’s touches are evident throughout.
By the time he formed Afro Celt Sound System in 1995, multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, and musical explorer Simon Emmerson had demonstrated an expanding knack for knowing how to fuse African sounds to the proper degree. He’d recently produced Baaba Maal’s landmark Firin’ in Fouta album, and in so doing noticed a melodic kinship between African and Celtic music.
Jam sessions at Peter Gabriel’s Real World studio connected Emmerson with the singers and players who would form the original lineup of Afro Celt Sound System, a band that spelled out their intent in their name and delivered on it with remarkable success. Jigs, reels and sean–nós mixed with griot-inspired traditions and a fair measure of electronica across a series of albums and live appearances that made Afro Celt Sound System one of the most noted bands on the global music scene.
Emmerson passed away in March 2023. He’d already locked in his masterminding of ACSS’s latest release OVA, the title of which is a phonetic reading of the group’s logo.
While the African/Celtic duality is naturally still there, the band continues to bring in other influences as well. Thus Indian, Middle Eastern and even ancient Druidic elements are present, contributing factors to a musical journey that never feels anything less than genuine.
Read more ... World Music Central
Who We Are
ASHLEY HENRY
Released 11 October 2024
naive / Royal Raw Records
****-
The London-born musician laces his jazz with a heady blend of soul and hip-hop on this fierce but joyous second album
Henry’s 2019 debut, Beautiful Vinyl Hunter, showed the London-born pianist was very much his own man; he played, sang, composed and produced, while attracting a weighty bunch of collaborators. Most striking of all was its musical diversity, a meld of jazz, soul and hip-hop. Who We Are pursues the same innovative grail and at a likewise generous 14 tracks. The mood is almost relentlessly upbeat, borne along on Henry’s love of plunging chords and funky riffs. Opener Love Is Like a Movie is a case in point, a droll romantic call beautifully sung by Judi Jackson, after which come Take It Higher, whose strings and massed vocals recall Nuyorican Soul, and the title track, a plea for a slower, more collective lifestyle. Nina Simone’s Mississippi Goddam gets the same widescreen treatment, and while Henry’s lush falsetto doesn’t have the muscle to nail home Simone’s anger, he makes up for it with keyboard cascades. The stylings keep pivoting: Fly Away is an ethereal spoken word piece by US poet and activist Aja Monet, All for You a rapid-fire tirade from homegrown rapper Mak, and later come fierce but joyous exchanges with Binker Golding’s sax and Theo Croker’s bell-like trumpet. A utopian suite from a remarkable talent.
Read more ... The Guardian
I Love Samba
DIAGO FIGIEUREGO
Released 25 August 2024
Arbors Records
****-
The amazing Diego Figueiredo continues to gather new listeners and new friends wherever he goes, and as audiences in more than sixty countries can attest, he is a traveling man.
Diego says. “Here I want to explore more Brazilian rhythms and the sounds of the great traditional Brazilian guitarists, along with my special feeling and presentation.”
...I suspect you already love samba, and feel sure this music will draw you in with a smile, looking forward to hearing more, just like Diego’s audiences everywhere he plays.
Diego is joined by the Dream Team rhythm section for Brazilian jazz, bassist Nilson Matta and drummer Duduka Da Fonseca.
Read more ... Arbors Records
Peace
SADAO WATENABE
Released 24 April 2024
M&M Music
****-
This is a sweet, gentle-on-the-senses set from the 91 years old godfather of jazz in Japan - with every indication there'll be many more to come!
Sadao Watanabe (渡辺 貞夫) born 1 February 1933 is a Japanese jazz alto and soprano saxophonist perhaps best known for his bossa nova recordings, although his work encompasses many styles, with collaborations from musicians all over the world - and is now remarkable for its longevity, as he is still an active recording artist and gigging musician.
His father was also a professional musician, who sang and played the biwa, a Japanese short-necked wooden lute. Watanabe was attracted to jazz from an early age, in part due to the strong cultural influence stemming from the American post-war presence in Japan. He learned the clarinet while in high school after convincing his father over the course of six weeks to buy him a second-hand instrument.
His discography is extensive
In addition to his musical career, Watanabe has published six photography books in Japan
Read more ... Wikipedia
Migratory
MASAYOSHI FUJITA
Released 6 September 2024
Erased Tapes Records
*****
Nature has always been a source of inspiration for Fujita, and on Migratory it takes centre stage. You can hear it on the album’s peaceful and considered field recordings, but most importantly, Masayoshi highlights – “nature is there as the image to be evoked by the listener from the music.”
Japanese vibraphonist and marimba player Masayoshi Fujita returns with Migratory, his masterful new solo album, where his sonic explorations into the unknown continue.
In 2020, after 13 years of living in Berlin, Fujita returned to his native Japan with his wife and their three children, fulfilling his life-long dream of living and composing music in the midst of nature. The family found their new home in the mountain hills along the coast of Kami-cho, Hyōgo, three hours west of Kyoto.
Once settled in, Fujita spent his time turning an old kindergarten into his own music studio, Kebi Bird Studio, which became the birthplace of Migratory. On his new album, the composer and producer masterfully reimagines and mesmerises with his trademark sounds of vibraphone, and resumes his experimentation with the marimba and synthesisers that he first incorporated on his 2021 album, Bird Ambience, which followed the release of his acclaimed vibraphone triptych: Stories (2012), Apologues (2015) and Book of Life (2018).
On Fujita’s ever-evolving list of collaborators, Migratory introduces vocals from Moor Mother on ‘Our Mother’s Lights’ and Hatis Noit on ‘Higurashi’, as well as shō and saxophone to its soundscapes.
Read more ... Bandcamp
One for Lady
KIMIKO KASAI, MAL WALDREN
Released Japan 1971
Re-released 25 October 2024
Arbors Records
****-
A beautiful record from Japanese vocalist Kimiko Kasai – sung in English as a tribute to Billie Holiday, but in a style that's wonderfully all its own! The quality of the set is exquisite – way more than the simple knock-off sound-a-like one you'd expect.
New York-born jazz pianist Mal Waldron's incredible career saw him backing Mingus, Coltrane, and Billie Holiday, and after surviving a heroin overdose and mental breakdown, he decamped to Europe to compose film scores; then, in 1970, he made his maiden voyage to Japan, where One For Lady was recorded with rising star Kimiko Kasai, drummer Hiroshi Murakami, and bassist Yoshio Suzuki from Sadao Watanabe's band. Waldron's expressive pianos and Kasai's sultry vocal delivery are the outstanding draws, the sensitive renditions of "Willow Weep For Me" and "Lover Man" summing up the album's enduring appeal.
Kasai and Waldron come up with a whole new reading of the songs, taking them generations past Holiday's original work, recorded very much in the mode of some of the best Japanese small combo sessions of the 70s.
Read more ... Forced Exposure
Cherry Blossom Baby
SHIGETO
Released 25 October 2024
Ghostly International
****-
Bold and cultivated with intention, the band-built sound honors traditions in electronic, jazz, R&B, and hip-hop, a fusion that's become his signature, now more vibrant than ever.
Cherry Blossom Baby, Shigeto's first full-length statement since 2017, sprouts out from a collective thaw, ambitious, collaborative, and fully realized.
The Detroit-based, Japanese-American musician, DJ, Portage Garage Sounds label co-founder, and longtime Ghostly International artist embraces the role of producer and composer. Zach Saginaw and a group of guests and players present a snapshot in time, a celebration of self-love and an expression of vitality distinctly rooted in Detroit and informed by his family’s cultural history. "I am a cherry blossom baby," he says. "We all are cherry blossom babies, we all are resilient, we all are growing, we all will continue to."
Heritage has been at the heart of Saginaw's recording project from the start; his middle name is Shigeto, a name passed down from his great grandfather, which means "to grow" — it was apt given his premature birth weight of less than a pound, and remains fitting for the evolution of his artistry, now nearly 15 years since he signed to Ghostly.
A reaffirmed sense of self, momentum, and maturation is apparent in where Saginaw situates here as a songwriter and producer arranging ideas alongside Detroit's finest, a physical manifestation of his WDET 101.9FM show highlighting “forward-thinking music from the Detroit Diaspora.” Every track is a collaboration, be it with a vocalist or multiple instrumentalists, a tradition forged in his Portage Garage studio sessions.
Read more ... Bandcamp
In Waves
JAMIE XX
Released 20 September 2024
Young
*****
For those seeking solace, joy, or pure emotional catharsis, Jamie xx has delivered a masterpiece that will linger long after the last beat fades.
From the first moments of ‘In Waves’ it’s clear Jamie xx has evolved.
The production on In Waves is unparalleled, seamlessly blending a wide array of influences. Jamie references everything from Fela Kuti’s afrobeat to the avant-garde minimalism of Philip Glass. He layers UK pirate radio influences with Northern Soul and tropicalia, creating a sprawling, kaleidoscopic tapestry of sound. This isn’t merely music for the dancefloor—it’s music that tells a story, each beat and synth line carefully placed to evoke emotion and memory.
The heart of ‘In Waves’ beats strongest in its emotional depth, particularly in its quieter moments. ‘Daffodil’, featuring Panda Bear, John Glacier, and Kelsey Lu, is a swirling, melancholy meditation that feels like a summer daydream, with its soft harmonies and lush instrumentation.
Jamie xx has crafted an album that’s both deeply personal and universal, steeped in the sounds of the past while pushing them into a new, expansive future. As he said of the process: “I think that’s what makes this album what it is… the challenge is going to make it the best one yet.”
Read more ... Bandcamp
Revulva
REVULVA
Released 11 October 2024
Revulva
****-
The ten songs included here capture the dynamic energy and juxtapositions that power their percussive grooves, spellbinding horn section and Johnson’s silky smooth songcraft and spoken word strut.
Over the last five years, Wellington octet Revulva has won over audiences around New Zealand with their frenzied, high-energy stage shows. Taking their cues from Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Jamiroquai, Steely Dan, Herbie Hancock, Minnie Ripperton, and Prince, their self-titled debut album reimagines the anything-goes energy of New York City’s 1970s downtown scene and London’s 1990s funk and soul renaissance through an antipodean perspective where awkward, deadpan humour goes hand in hand with the band’s social concerns and inherent feminist politics.
Led by the bassist, vocalist and composer Phoebe Johnson, Revulva recorded and produced this record at Doctor Lee Prebble’s Surgery Studios. In the same spirit as singles ‘Bush Bash’ and ‘Beep Beep’.
It’s a high-wire act in a three-ring circus. You’re all invited to the Revulva party. You can even cry if you want to.
Read more ... Bandcamp
SunNeverSetsOnMusic | Sun Never Sets On Music | www.sunneversetsonmusic.com
A monthly digest of innovative new music from around the world
especially Jazz, Contemporary, International, Folk, Avant-garde, Soul, R&B and Soundtracks
including album artwork, album reviews
and YouTube playlists, Spotify playlists.