Track/Video: Producer/composer Àbáse previews his re-energised new album ‘Awakening’ with the elevating afro-funk of ‘Menidaso (My Hope)’.
Hungarian keyboardist and producer Szabolcs Bognár aka Àbáse has been on the ‘one to watch’ list for a while now. A cornerstone in the Budapest nu-jazz/ afro-beat scene as a band leader, his first solo album, ‘Laroyê‘ in 2021 turned muso heads in his direction with its seamless weave of soulful beats, West African vibes …
Album Review: Bill Laurance/The Untold Orchestra-‘Bloom’: Gently moving, deceptively powerful orchestral jazz from the Snarky Puppy mainstay.
It’s tricky to summarise the range and significance of pianist and composer Bill Laurance’s musical CV to date. The chance hook-up as a student in Leeds, backing a young Michael League during his sojourn from the States; the subsequent return invitation to travel to the US to play in League’s new band the then unknown …
Album Review : Herandu – ‘Ocher Red’ : a dazzling jazz-fusion journey from the brothers Gavrilov.
If there was a section in the record store for ’Music by Brothers’ just imagine how expansive that would be. Stretching from the Everlys to the Johnsons, Louvins to the JAMC boys and beyond, the genre could probably consume all others. But there is something else about brotherly music-making, whether driven by love or hate, …
Album Review: Harvestman –‘Triptych: Part One’ : a breath-taking opening to an epic drone-folk series.
Steve Von Till (aka Harvestman) has always been a deep thinker who aims to reach beyond the surface level with his music. Probably more widely known as guitarist/vocalist/lynch pin of seminal post metal pioneers Neurosis and their experimental avant offshoot Tribes Of Neurot, his wider creative intentions have necessitated the release of a vibrant catalogue …
Album Review : Arthur Melo – ‘Mirantes Emocionais’ : a dazzling alt pop escapade from the Brazilian guitarist and composer.
In the same way that last year Bala Dejeso and Ana Frango Elétrico swung the spotlight back on the wild creativity of the Brazilian pop scene, 2024 looks like it’s facing a repeat. Alongside the whispers of the enigmatic Sessa, gathering a new album together, there’s another name filtering through to the surface, the multi-talented …
Album Review: Big|Brave – ‘A Chaos Of Flowers’ : The Montreal rock trio craft a post-metal touchstone.
Ever since Big|Brave‘s core members Robin Wattie (vocals/guitar) and Mathieu Ball (guitars) experienced a ‘loud can be quiet’ epiphany over a decade ago, ditching the acoustics and plugging in, their elemental sound has set the aerobatic thrill of Wattie’s singular voice within a swirling storm of riffs, distortion and pummelling rhythms. In some ways their …
Album Review: Benjamin Samuels – ‘Dissensation’: New name, nu jazz, new thrills – an album set to make an impact.
Straight after any hugs or handshakes the first thing musicians ask each other when they meet up is ‘Are you busy’? For sax-player, clarinettist and composer Benjamin Samuels the answer for some time now has been a ‘yes’. He’s worked with Californian fusionist Balkan Bump and Brighton’s own global beat pioneer Seb Taylor (aka Kaya …
Track/Video: Singular instrumentalist and song-writer Low Leaf announces new EP ‘Red Moon’ with the spectral jazz-blessed ‘Blue Nile’.
It’s a testament to creative energy that LA multi-instrumentalist Angelica-Marie Lopez has continued to evolve the Low Leaf project over a spell stretching back to 2011’s ‘Chrysalis’. Nothing has ever flagged in this long running flow of multi-dimensional work, anchored around Low Leaf’s instrumental foundation of piano, harp, guitar and vocals but cast off by …
Track/Video: Argentinian sound artist QOA announces new album ‘SAUCO’ with the vibrant detail of ‘LIQUEN’.
LA based, Argentinian QOA (aka. Nina Corti) is a digital sound artist and illustrator whose practice is centred on listening and tuning in. That doesn’t mean QOA’s attention is solely drawn to other conventional tunes or conversations but instead they seek out the auditory stimuli of the non-human world, plants and animals, streams and undergrowth, …
Album Review: ‘FYEAR’ – a phenomenal, poetic statement from the Montreal post-jazz ensemble (aka. FYEAR)
Music and poetry, poetry and music, the Montreal convened collective FYEAR show how potent this combination can be on this self-titled debut, out now via Constellation. Led by poet/novelist Kaie Kellough and composer/saxophonist Jason Sharp, FYEAR the ensemble has been evolving through a project-based approach for several years now culminating with the ambitious, multi-movement composition …